397 
doubt, but it is a ma Iter of great delicacy to decide on' 
the man who is best fitted in every particular to have 
charge of the defender, particularly vi'hen there are sev- 
eral excellent men in the field who are available. At 
present writing it looks as if Mr. Morgan would head the 
syndicate, with Mr. August Belmont as his right hand 
man, and Mr. E. A. Willard as manager and skipper of 
the boat. There is a persistent rumor that Capt. Wringe 
is to act as sailing master. This hardly seems credible, 
because the placing of an English skipper on an American 
Cup defender would raise such a storm of criticism that 
it would necessitate his removal, even though he would 
act only as Mr. Willard's advisor. Mr. Willard has 
done little yachting since he had charge of Vigilant in 
the trial races against Defender in 1895, although he sailed 
on Mineola with Mr. Belmont several times during the 
past season. He is a good yachtsman and his selection 
would meet with general approval. Mr. Herman B. 
Dur3'ea and Mr. Wm. B. Duncan, Jr., have been sug= 
gested as good men to assume the responsibility, and as 
they are -both very popular and have had extensive ex- 
perience in sailing these big boats, the selection of either 
one would meet perhaps with even more general satisfac- 
tion. Now that Mr. C. Oliver Iselin has consented to 
take charge of Columbia during the trial races, he will 
in all probability act as an advisor in the sailing of the 
defender. In view of the satisfactory outcome of the Cup 
races since they have been in the hands of the N. Y. Y. C. 
perhaps it would be well to withhold criticism of the action 
on the part of those men who are in charge of the de- 
fense of the Cup. 
The Payne Law Again. 
Although a number of steam and sailing yachts, some 
of large size, have been brought into American waters 
by American owners within the past two seasons, nothing 
has been done to disturb them or to enforce the law 
originally known as the Payne bill. It seems from the 
following, in the Sun, that the United States is now 
in chase of poor old Lady Evelyn, the little schooner 
imported by the late Sir Roderick Cameron nearly ten 
years ago. Just why this 'boat, imported long before fhe 
law was passed, should be picked out, after being so 
long undisturbed, in preference to some of the more 
prominent ones recently imported in defiance of the law, is 
something which we are unable to understand. 
The Treasury Department at Washington has just 
notified the Collector of Customs of the law regulating 
foreign-built yachts in - these waters. The matter was 
(brought up through the sale of the yacht Lady Evelyn 
to David Dunlop, Jr., by Major J. Fred Ackerman last 
month. The Lady Evelyn was brought to this country 
by the late Sir Roderick Cameron, and in 1892 was 
purchased by A. E. Tower, of Poughkeepsie, who in turn 
sold the boat to Major Ackerman. The yacht is not en- 
rolled in any regularly organized yacht club of a foreign 
nation. The Treasury Department rules that she must 
be entered and cleared at each port under the laws gov- 
erning vessels not of the United States, must on entry 
from a foreign port pay an alien tax of 50 cents a ton, a 
tonnage tax of 6. cents or 3 cents per ton according to 
the port from which the yacht is entered, and comply 
with all the laws regulating the entry and clearance of 
vessels. It is also ruled that as she is owned by a citizen 
of the United_ States she does not have the privilege ex- 
tended to foreign yachts of entering or leaving port with- 
out clearing at the Custom House or paying tonnage 
tax. 
Model Yachting. 
The members of the New York Model Y. C. held a 
series of races off Steinway on Nov. 6. The Sirdar won 
the special race for the Smythe prize. There were three 
starters. The Ripple won the race for second class 
sloops. 
Off the club house of the American Model Y. C, South 
Brooklyn, there were races in the. afternoon. Meta won 
for schooners, Ella for third class sloops, and Wasp for 
second class sloops. 
The Wave Crest Model Y. C. held its last regatta of 
the season off Bay Ridge. The Nellie C. G. won for 
second class sloops in two heats, Tam O'Shanter for 
third class and Nanska for first class sloops. 
The Brooklyn Model Y. C. held its last events of the 
season on the lake near the Reservoir at Prospect Park, 
and though some of the craft will remain in commission) 
Nov. 6 closed the season for all practical purposes by 
the club members until next spring. 
White Bear Trophy Winners. 
Chicago, III, Nov. 3.— Keewaydin, owned by Messrs. H 
A. Merrill and Geo. Ring, has been awarded the Gotzian 
cup of the White Bear Y. C. of St. Paul, emblematic of 
the open class championship of the season. This trophy 
f ^^s* y^ar by H. Van Vleck. Jennie R., owned 
by Mr. Geo. W. Rodenburg, wins the Dellwood cup 
H. 
YACHTING NEWS NOTES. 
At the Herreshoff yard, Shark, 46-footer, hauled out in 
the north shop, had the greater number of her outside 
planks stripped off both above and below the waterline 
Ihe steel plates are now being fitted to her underbody 
in the same style as the Yankee's plates. 
Nothing has been done to the sloops at Walker's Cove 
that were badly burned in a fire two weeks ago The 
whole forebody of the 35-footer Effort is blackened and 
charred. The sloop Sirocco, lying beside her, is in still 
worse shape, as her deck and top of cabin trunk have been 
badly eaten by the flames. Another boat in the same yard 
Evelyn, a yawl owned by Perkins Bros., is burned to the 
timbers in places. She is offered for sale. Both J B 
and Nat Herreshoff evidently think that a firebug is at 
work, as, since the fire at Walker's Cove, two watchmen 
or policemen have been engaged to examine their premises 
and their residences at intervals during the night to see 
that no mischief is being wrought. 
In the Walker's Cove yard the designer's steam yacht 
Squib was hauled out for the winter a few days ago The 
sloop yawl Spalpeen, owned bv R. M. Riddle, was laid up 
there Wednesday. Other craft laid up there recently are 
