4 
[Sept. 17, 1898. 
RECRUIT DEFENDER OF QUINCY CHALLENGE CUP, 1898. 
Designed by J. R. Purdon from photos by N. L. Stebbins. 
that the hollow under Dominion's bottom is but one 
detail (and by no means the most important) of the 
entire subject of freak designing with which the Sea- 
wanhaka C. Y. C. in particular has for several years 
concerned itself closely. In view of the well-known 
efforts of the club and especially of its race committee 
in the direction of the study of existing conditions and 
proposals for the remedy of certain evils, the deliberate 
exclusion of a strictly technical matter such as this, as 
entirely beyond the pale of argument, is certainly not 
calculated to impress the average yachtsman as strong 
and conclusive reasoning. The case seems to be one which 
specially calls for that technical argument which the 
committee refuses to present, and which will probably 
be carried on by yachtsmen at large until some general 
conclusion is accepted. 
Without going far into this part of the subject, it is 
but proper to point out that the arguments advanced 
against Dominion during the races have all failed. It 
does not appear that the archives of the New York Y. 
C. have revealed any definition of a catamaran, or if 
so, that such definition will apply to Dominion; nor 
have they disclosed any precedent for barring her.' The 
lack of strong technical argument against her is shown 
in the ninth clause of the letter to Mr. Crane, above 
quoted, referring to the attempt to exclude her under 
the clause of Article VIII. of the general regulations of 
the match, "No outrigger or other mechanical device for 
carrying live ballast outboard shall be allowed." It is a 
fact, strange as it may seem, that intelligent men actual- 
ly thought that Dominion might be barred under this 
rule on the ground that the weather side of the deck be- 
came an outrigger. 
So far as we can understand the position of the race 
EECEUIT DISMASTED ON AUG. 26. 
committee, it has no better foundation than a vague 
and indefinite sentiment that a "single hull' boat is of 
necessity something admirable, while the "double hull" 
boat is precisely the reverse. The origin of this idea is 
plain enough if we go back twenty or thirty years to the 
time when the "single hull" type was represented by big, 
roomy old cruisers, and the "double hull" by the skele- 
ton catamaran with its small car, carrying a few per- 
sons for an afternoon sail. This idea, however true in 
the past, cannot be considered for a moment in connec- 
tion with Challenger and Dominion; but the compari- 
son must and will be made solely on the merits of the 
two boats in the cup racing of to-day. 
The "single hull" type, which the race committee ac- 
cepts as perfectly satisfactory, is well represented by 
Seawanhaka and Challenger. Leaving apart their ob- 
vious close relationship to Dominion and material dif- 
ference from all previously known yachts, it is sufficient 
to take them just as they are, racing machines of great 
cost and limited durability; unfit in general model for 
any purpose but racing, and in construction for more 
than a few races. This year has witnessed several new 
extremes of bad development, the cost has been in- 
creased, safety and durability have been absolutely dis- 
regarded, and as a special feature two boats have been 
built to do the work of one. It is probable that Sea- 
wanhaka would have stood the strain of the cup races, 
though she was badly out of shape at the end of the 
trial races; but, as a matter of fact, the challenger was 
represented in the cup races by a boat which never 
sailed in the trials, and the winner of the trial races, after 
being chosen by the committee, did not sail in the cup 
races. While this was all regular, it indicates a new re- 
finement of freak racing, building two flimsy and very 
costly boats to do the work previously done by one. 
The "double-hull" boat which is condemned by the 
committee is also a racing machine, and most decidedly 
faster than the "single hull" type; the real end of all 
parties in this competition. After making due allow- 
ance for the difference in cost of construction on the 
north and south shores of the St. Lawrence, Dominion, 
owing to simpler construction and the use of less ex- 
pensive materials, cost probably 25 per cent, less than 
Challenger and Seawanhaka. She is very much strong- 
er, being to all appearances still good for indefinite use 
in racing or general sailing after the last of the cup 
races. She is quite as safe, infinitely more comfort- 
able as a racing machine, owing to the large flat deck 
and small angle of heel, and as far as she has been tried 
is an excellent boat in rough water. She belongs to a 
bad type of racing machine, and she is not a desirable 
type of yacht; but in her class, apart from her incon- 
testible superiority in speed, she is a better boat in every 
way than Challenger, Seawanhaka, Skate or Al Anka; 
boats which have been recognized as perfectly legitimate 
and eligible. 
For ourselves, we have nothing to say for this class. 
For the past two years it has produced nothing but 
freaks, and has done nothing but harm to yachting; and 
if any further good is to come from the Seawanhaka 
international challenge cup. some important changes 
must be made in the conditions. We would point out, 
however, that what the committee says about Dominion, 
as of a new and unusual type, not contemplated when the 
conditions were framed in 1895, and of " the possible ef- 
fects of such a vessel on future racing, applies just as 
fully to Challenger and Seawanhaka,: except for the 
fanciful distinction of the "double hull." ' If Dominion 
had never been built, the extreme of cost,- weakness and 
general uselessness reached- in the -two Seawanhaka re- 
presentatives this year would still have stood'as a bar 
to further good results in the cup racing,. = : . 
So far. as remedy, goes, the committee' has: nothing, 
further to recommend'thaii 1 the summary and: arbitrary- 
barring of the Dominion type-;- a 'proposition-, that en-: 
tirely fails to meet " the' ease. - 'Th -the.'first; : place. . it 
will be by no means ah easy matter to .attain even this ; 
end. We do not know what the ideas -o : f- the ^eommhv 
tee' are, but two methods have been: suggested' in the 
course of the general discussion of the case. One of 
these is to prohibit any hollow whatever in the floor 
of a boat; the other is to allow a hollowing of the 
floor, provided it does not come quite to the water when 
in measuring trim. The first proposition is arbitrary in 
the extreme in the present stage of yachting legislation, 
a discriminaXion, supported by no scientific reason, 
against one of the innumerable details of designing. If 
it be allowable to replace the old conventional yacht 
form with a thing modeled after a coffin or a dry goods 
box, with a perfectly flat floor, merely to evade the 
rule and gain speed, why should not a designer be al- 
lowed to hollow the floor for the same end? If any hol- 
lowing of the floor be allowed, then it will only be 
necessary to design an improved Dominion to meet the 
rule, with the hollow below the L.W.L. when in measur- 
ing trim, but allowing one hull to lift out when at the 
proper sailing angle. This involves a bit of trick de- 
signing that may be difficult, but not necessarily im- 
possible. It will be found a very difficult matter, in all 
probability, to frame a reasonable and practicable rule 
for excluding the Dominion type without affecting the 
Glencairn type; and the race committee offers no sug- 
gestions in the matter. Even if this much be successfully 
done, and the new type barred, there still remains the 
necessity of going to a more undesirable extreme, if 
such be possible, than in Challenger; enough to deter 
most yachtsmen from further competition for the cup. 
Coming down to the actual conditions of the cup rac- 
ing to.-day, they are' such as to demand a: far more prac- 
tical and searching investigation than the Seawanhaka 
committee has bestowed on them. It is very desirable 
that the racing for the cup should go' on every year, and 
that under conditions which will produce such excellent 
results as in the first two years, when the 15-footers were 
in vogue. At that -time there was a general interest in 
the racing, and a reasonably useful boat could be built 
and raced at a moderate cost, being fully capable of sub- 
sequent service. To-day no one cares for such a machine 
as is necessary, they are only built because the cup must 
be challenged for or defended, and then by syndicates. 
As the racing has been carried on for the past two years, 
it is hurting instead of helping both parties; and in 
default of very radical changes it must be worse instead 
of better each year. The principle of design which 
now governs the class is probably of no real value, it 
is simply a method of cheating the measurement of 
waterline; as it stands, with no supplementary restric- 
tions, it is a positive premium upon freak designing, as 
shown each year in the trial races at Oyster Bay. 
Whether it stops short at the point of nominal "single 
hull" sailed with keel and one bilge out of water, or 
whether it goes a little further to the point of actual 
separation of the two bilges, is but a matter of im- 
material detail. What is needed is a radical revision of 
the measurement rule, with restrictions on extreme light 
construction and other undesirable features, so as to pro- 
duce a fairly durable and serviceable racing boat. How 
to accomplish this end is likely to prove a difficult ques- 
tion, but it is evident that nothing short of some such 
general remodeling of the conditions will give any 
life to the races or make the results of any value. The 
appreciation of the necessity for such work, and of its 
serious difficulty, is one reason why the present holder 
of the cup is desirous of returning it. 
The following notice has been sent out: 
"At the request of members, as provided in the by- 
laws, a special meeting of the club will be held at the 
Oyster Bay club house on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 8:30 
o'clock in the evening, for the purpose of considering 
the question of challenging the Royal St. Lawrence Y. 
C. to sail a match for the Seawanhaka international chal- 
lenge cup during the season of 1899, and matters per- 
taining thereto." 
KECRUn 
