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FpaE ST^AND_ STREAM. 
10 
MINNESOTA. 
The Y« R. A» of Long Island Sound. 
The November general meeting of the Yacht Racing 
Association of Long Island Sound was held at the 
Yachtsmen's Club, 47 West Forty-third street, New York 
city, on Nov. 8, to discuss several amendments to the 
racing rules suggested by the Executive Committee. 
Of the several amendments submitted, that of abolish- 
ing time allowance, excepting in the first classes of 
schooners, sloops and yawls, brought forth a heated dis- 
cussion. Mr. Frank B. Jones, who was among those 
members who wished to see time allowance abolished, 
said he believed that it would be better to begin a new 
century with cleaner and better racing in the smaller 
classes, and that the abolition of time allowance would 
bring about this result, and that the out-built boats could 
be better taken care of by a system of handicapping, the 
■old boats seldom winning a race and often hindering the 
modern boats under the present system. Mr. Seward 
was in favor of retaining tim.e allowance until a satisfac- 
tory system of handicapping cotild be organized,, for he 
was of the opinion that the old boats were entitled to some 
consideration. It was finally decided to put the amend- 
ment before the members for a vote, and when it was 
found out that several members were absent and their 
colleagues did not have the proxies made necessary by the 
rules of the Association, it was decided to allow this 
amendment to go over until the March meeting of the . 
council. 
The amendments that were adopted without opposition 
are as follows : 
In the measurement of the sail area of yawls, to meas- 
ure the base line without regard to main topmast or mast- 
head and gaff. 
To abolish the requirement that metal plates be affixed 
as permanent marl-s at the ends of the load waterline. 
To provide that official certificates of measurement 
shall be shown to the race committee when so requested. 
To abolish the special allowance for schooners, yawls 
and catboats in mixed rig races. 
To allow yawls to, sail in the relative sloop classes at 
option of owners, if alone. 
To allow raceahouts to sail in the 25ft. class of cabin 
slooos at option of owners. 
To limit the number of professionals in the crews to 
four in the 43ft. classes, three in the 36ft. classes and two 
m the 30ft. classes. 
To allow the removal of doors, provided they are kept 
on board. 
To provide as a signal for shortening course a red 
Taall hoisted under flag B. 
To provide that the spinaker boom shall be carried on 
the mast when in use. 
To revise the tables of scantling restrictions and sim- 
plify the general specifications. 
To introduce in the definition and limitations of the 
raceabout class the cabin restrictions of the 21ft. load 
waterline class of knockabouts of 1899. 
As there were some changes to be made in the re- 
strictions of the raceabout class at this meeting, several 
of the owners of these boats were present. Among those 
who attended the meeting were : Chairman C. T. Pierce 
and Sec'y Charles P. Tower, of the Executive Commit- 
tee of the Yacht Racing Association; Clinton H. Crane, 
Allen Whitman and H. M. Crane, Seawanhaka Cor- 
inthian Y. C. ; Edward M. McLellan and C. D. Mower, 
Manhasset Bay Y. C. ; F. M. Hoyt, Stamford Y. C. ; T. 
H. Macdonald, Bridgeport Y. C. ; O. H. Chellborg and 
Harry Stevenson, Knickerbocker Y. C. ; Ward Dixon, 
Hempstead Harbor Y. C. ; F. S. Sullivan, Harlem Y. C. ; 
Frank Bowne Jones and C. F. Kirby, Indian Harbor Y. 
C. ; J. D. Sparkman, New Rochelle Y. C. ; H. C. Ward, 
Huguenot Y. C; M. R. Durham and W. H. Childs. 
Pequot Association ; E. C. Seward, Sachem's Head Y. C. ; 
C. E. Silkworth. Sea Cliff Y. C.-; Charles Lane Poor, 
Shelter Island Y. C, and H. H. Gordon, Huntington 
Y. C. . 
The Ballasting of the 70-Footcfs. 
The Yachting World of Nov. i, which we have just 
received, comments further on the ballasting of Rainbow 
and publishes the two following letters from Mr. Cornelius 
Vanderbilt, one to Mr. H. B. Duryea and the other to 
Capt. Parker. 
iliL. 
Metropolitan Club, Oct. 5. — My Dear Duryea: I am 
in receipt of your letter of the 29th ult., which came to me 
as a very, great surprise. 
You say that you, have found that ballast was added 
to Rainbow during the past season, and you assume that 
Capt. Parker put it on board without my knowledge. I 
desire to acquit Capt. Parker of all blame in the matter 
and to say that extra ballast was put on board by my 
order, and I wish to assume the responsibility. 
It was my general understanding of the special agree- 
ment entered into by the owners of the 70-footers that I 
had the right to take in ballast, until the waterline of my 
yacht became equal in length to that of the longest of 
the four yachts. As soon as I signed the agreement I 
sent it to you and did not keep a copy of it, and had 
not seen it again until after receiving your letter, when I 
obtained a copy of it from one of the other owners. 
As Mineola and Virginia were considerably longer on 
the waterline than Rainbow, I added ballast for the pur- 
pose of making her waterline equal to theirs, but for ne 
other purpose. 
It never occurred to me that it was necessary for me 
to give notice of this increase in ballast or to request a 
remeasurement. I find now, however, much to my sur- 
prise, that in this I was mistaken, and I therefore wish to 
express my deepest regret at having committed this 
error. I am sincerely sorry that I should have been 
-guilty of such a blunder, and I wish to say that I was 
entirely wrong. 
Of course, under these circumstances, I shall return 
all prizes won by Rainbow during the season, and shall 
at once notify the other owners of these facts. I shall also 
write to the various committees in charge of the races 
which I have sailed and inform them of my error. I beg 
to thank you for having called my attention to the mat- 
ter. Yours very truly, ' 
C. Vanderbilt. 
New York, Oct. 12. — Capt. George Parker: Sir — ^A 
communication from Mr. Duryea, one of the owners of 
Yankee, was published in the New York papers last 
Monday, in which Mr. Duryea set forth a copy of a letter 
which he had addressed to me. He did not, however, 
publish my reply. I inclose a copy of this communication. 
I think it is only fair to you that you should be informed 
of the fact that I answered Mr. Duryea's letter to me by 
saying that I acquitted you of all blame in the matter ; 
that the extra ballast was put on board Rainbow bv my 
order, and that I wished to assume th'^ re -n-^nsibility 
myself, and to this end I inclose you a cooy of my letter 
to Mr. Duryea. of which you are at liberty to make sucb 
UFe as you please. Yours truly, 
C. Vanderbilt. 
Tfie N. Y. Y. C. and the Cttp Defense, 
No official announcement has yet been made bj^ the 
N. Y. Y. C. of the names of the men who will compose 
the syndicate for the new boat. That the syndicate has 
been f'^-med and all necessary money svibscribed there is 
no doubt, and the delay in making a formal announce- 
ment as to the identity of the men is a reasonable one, 
considering the great task on hand for the selection of the 
best po^jsible manager and skipper for the new boat. That 
the cup will be ably and safely defended there is no 
