'OftfiST AMD STMAM. 
[Nov. 26, i8g8. 
A Fast Cruiser. 
Whatever the winter may bring forth in the line of . 
racing yachts, there is at present every indication of a 
material increase of the cruising fleet. The new yachts, 
as a rule, promise to be literally "fast cruisers," follow- 
ing closely in form the modern racing craft, but with 
greater freeboard and such increase of other dimensions 
as will give good room in cabins and forecastle. Mr. 
B. B. Crowninshield, of Boston, who'se work is al- 
ready known to our readers, has now in hand a num- 
ber cf yachts designed specially for cruising and gen- 
eral sailing, and not fcr class racing, but at the same- 
time expected to show good speed under the conditions 
of summer cruising. The accompanying plans show the 
cons ruction, arrangement and details of one of these, 
the lines and sail plan being published last week. This 
yacht was designed for G. S. Silsby, of Boston, and she 
will be built in one of the Maine yards. Her dimensions 
are: 
Length — 
Over all 45ft. 8 in, 
L.W.L 30ft. 
Overhang — 
Bow 6ft. 6 in. 
Stern ' 9ft. 2 in. 
Beam — 
Extreme lift. 6 in. 
L.W.L 10ft. 8 in. 
Freeboard — 
Bow 3ft. 8 in. 
Least 2ft. 6 in. 
Stern 2lt. 9^in. 
Draft- 
Extreme 7ft. ^in- 
To rabbet 2ft. 9 z A'm. 
Displacement, i9.77olbs 8.882 long tons. 
Ballast (in keel), 8.362lbs 3.73 long tons. 
RaMo cf ballast to displacement....... .42 
Sail Area — 
Mainsail 967sq.fl. 
Jib 248sq.it. 
Total i,2i5sq.ft. 
As the design shows, both displacement and dead- 
wood have been freely cut away, and in general type the 
yacht comes very close to the fin-keel: but the beam, the 
freeboard and the round full form of section give a large 
amount of internal space, and in a form that may bs 
utilized to good advantage. The main cabin is particu- 
larly wide and roomy, with 6ft. headroom under the 
skylight. There is plenty of room between the faces of 
the transoms, a good permanent berth in each win«r, 
and the sofas draw out. making two extra berths, four 
in all. at night. The cabin is very well arranged, with 
plenty cf locker space, there is a good-sized toilet room, 
and the galley is under the fore end of the trunk, giving 
headrccm and ventilation. The forecastle is necessarily 
low, but there is plenty of room for a couple of ham- 
mock cots, c'othes. lockers, etc. As a matter of course 
the f oors and lockers are worked clear out to the skin, 
and there is no room, for stowage under the cabin floor, 
but there is space for a waiertank under the cockpit. 
the ice chest being in the galley. The cockpit is roomy, 
well above the water, and there is stowage room abaft 
it and on each side. 
The construction is thoroughly strong, nothing being 
sacrificed in this essential; the keel is practically in two 
pieces, well butted amidships, and backed by the dead- 
woods and metal keel, and extending for the full length 
of the yacht. The clamps and double bilge stringers 
run the full length, and a shelf is worked inside the 
clamp. The details of the construction and fittings are 
very clearly shown by the plans. 
The rig is of the "fast cruiser" type, only mainsail and. 
jib, like the knockabouts, very well proportioned for 
general summer sailing. , 
It is probable that Mr. Crowninshjeld will build a 
second yacht similar to this, with auxiliary power, 
and he has already under construction two larger 
ones, both yawls. One of these, to be named Regina, 
is for W. E. Barrett, of Melrose, Mass.; she will 
be 78ft. 8in. over all, 50ft. l.w.l., 17ft. sin. beam, 7ft. 
draft without board, and 13ft. with board, iron keel 
15 tons, sail area 3,ooosq.ft. She will carry mainsail, 
jib, staysail, mizen and topsail. Her main cabin will be 
12ft. 6in. long, with three fixed berths, three transoms 
and space for a piano. The owner's room is 8ft. long, 
with bath and toilet room adjoining; on the port side is 
an extra stateroom, with passage; forward is the gal- 
ley, 7ft. by 7ft. 6in., with a room for the captain on star- 
board side. The forecastle will be quite roomy, with . 
four hammock cots. The construction will be strong 
and durable. Rice Bros., of East Boothbay, Me., are the 
builders. The dimensions of the spars are: Mainmast, 
deck to hounds, 46ft.; masthead, 9ft.; topmast, 29ft. 
6in.; mizenmast, 34ft.; bowsprit outboard, 12ft. 6in. ; main 
boom, 46ft.; gaff, 29ft; mizen boom, 24ft. 
The other yawl is for Francis H. Bacon, of Boston, 
65ft. over all, 43ft. l.w.l., 16ft. beam and 3ft- 9i"-. draft, 
with iron keel and polemasted rig. The main cabin will 
be 13ft. long, with three berths and piano, the headroom 
being 7ft., under a high house. The owner's room will 
be 10ft. long. 
In addition to these, Mr. Crowninshield has a 55ft. 
l.w.l. cabin launch for Dr. Wm. R. Powell, of Erie, Pa.; 
a 25ft. keel cruiser for F, J. Bradlee, a 25ft. deep center- 
board cruiser for Emor H. Harding; a 28ft. 6in. cruiser, 
deep centerboard, for W. B. Rogers; a 21ft. keel race- 
about for John D. Minton, and a 21ft. keel knockabout 
for James Lawrence. 
The Royal Victoria International 
Challenge Cup. * 
The following editorial from the Field reads very 
much like the obituary notice of the Royal Victoria 
Gold 600 Guinea International Challenge Cup, estab- 
lished by the Royal Victoria Y. C. in 1890. This cup 
was won by Britannia in a race across Channel against 
Navahoe in 1893, the only occasion on which it has 
been raced for; and it was afterward withdrawn from 
further competition for an indefinite time. 
We have drawn attention to the fact that the gold cup of the 
Royal Victoria Y. C. has been withdrawn by the club from com* 
petition, and that it therefore is absolutely the property of the 
Prince of Wales, who won it with his yacht Britannia from the 
American yacht Navahoe. Two or three correspondents have writ- 
ten privately to us, stating that the withdrawal of the cup from 
competition was an illegal act, but, unless the whole of the sub- 
scribers to the fund interfere in the matter, we do not see what 
can be done. The cup was. in possession of the club, and the 
committee of the club, on their own authority, withdrew it from 
competition, thereby practically, as far as we can judge, leaving 
the trophy in the possession of the Prince of Wales as the right 
owner. This abrogation of rights over the cup we understand 
was entirely the act of the flag officers of the club and the 
committee. Of course, the Prince of Wales could alter the 
awkward predicament by informing the club that he would re- 
present the cup for competition; but why should he do so? 
We said that the fact of the withdrawal of the cup from com- 
petition was an illegal act, and we consider this _ a correct 
statement of the case, as in the original deed it was enjoined that 
it should always be subject to challenge subject to nine months' 
notice. — 
The cup has thus far proved entirely useless in pro- 
moting international competition, and it is a pjty that it 
was ever established. Considering the widespread feel- 
ing of disgust which prevailed in 1890 on both sides of 
the Atlantic over the action of the New York Y. C, in 
arrogating to itself the sole ownership of the America 
Cup, there was every opportunity for the Royal Victoria 
Y. C. to have successfully established its new cup as the 
premier yachting trophy. This, however, it has failed 
to do. The original terms on which the cup was offered 
were fair enough, but the management of the trophy has 
been very poor indeed, the effort apparently being to 
discourage instead of encouraging competition. 
Had the R. V. Y. C. in the first place offered the cup 
on such fair terms as to have induced American com- 
petition, but stringent enough to prevent all tampering 
with them in the interests of a temporary holder, and 
then judiciously lest the cup to the first American 
challenger, it could in the following year have had a 
race in American waters that, with the America Cup 1 
locked nip in a safe and under the ban of public opinion, | 
would have altered the whole course of international 
racing. < 
As matters now are, however, while the New York 
Y. C. has striven for some years to rectify the mistake < 
of 1887, and to cut away the numerous strings that have 
long been tied to the America Cup, the R. V. Y. C. has 
tied up its cup in such a way that it is now discredited 
and worthless. The moral is a perfectly plain one, and 
well worth the attention of all clubs interested in in- 
ternational racing; cups with strings tied to them in the 
interest of any parties can never be successful as in- j 
ternaticnal trophies, however useful they may be in 
promoting local racing. 
Mr. F. Bovie was fishing for eels in Wimbledon Park 
Lake, in 4ft. of water, using as a bait a small dead 
roach on a double gorge hook. During the whole 
morning Mr. Bovie did not get a single run, and went 
away at 1 o'clock. On returning he saw an unusual com- 
motion 30yds. from the bank, and looking more closely 
noticed that the disturbance was .caused by a young 
crested grebe floundering about in the water near where 
he estimated his bait would be. Mr. Bovie picked up 
his rod, and discovered that the bird was hooked, and 
on reeling in found that the grebe had literally gorged 
the roach, so much so indeed that it had to be killed. — 
London Fishing Gazette. 
