434 
"sailing length" of the American rules was introduced 
as "linear rating," and this varied as 
7. h + B + HG + H^S' 
The division employed to bring it to feet was 2, the 
variables in the formula being exhibited in feet or square 
feet. 
This wonderful rule, the outcome of immense labor on 
the part of Mr. R. E. Froude, F,. R. S., was fully ex- 
pected by him and by most of the British professional 
experts to produce a wholesome and seaworthy type of 
craft, whereas during its six years of life it produced pre- 
cisely the contrary — a shallow-bodied, lightly ballasted and 
lightly built craft, with a large- sail plan. On the one 
hand the power to carry sail was attacked by the rule 
through G., and on the other hand an increased S. was 
encouraged, both by reducing the sail tax 50 per cent., and 
by adding other taxes to accompany it, so that its propor- 
tional reduction in taxation was much more than 50 per 
cent. The inevitable consequence was a crank and un- 
seaworthy boat that sailed on her side in anything but the 
lightest airs, and required a very competent crew and 
helmsman to sail her at all, even in smooth and landlocked 
waters. 
The resulting craft became speedily unpopular, and 
racing under the Y. R. A. rule of rating was soon re- 
stricted in the small classes to the Solent — all the small 
yachts racing elsewhere in England, Scotland or inland 
being either for restricted boats — in boats built to some 
local rule of restrictions, or for handicaps. In short, the 
Y. R. A. rule was inoperative so far as the small classes 
were concerned, except on the Solent, and there the num- 
bers of boats in the various classes became greatly re- 
duced as compared with those which came to the starting 
guns tmder the length and sail area rule. 
The rule was an evident failure — and the final out- 
come, say the Saknutala in the 36-footer class, although 
very speedy under a few favorable conditions, was simply 
a terror in a strong wind and loppy sea. 
Many men who had pioneered small yacht racing in 
England left the Y. R. A. classes and organized classes of 
one design, or of restricted design, or of one design as 
regards hull, but optional as to rig — like the Redwings on 
the Solent. 
In the large classes the change of rule and its effects 
were not so easily or quickly observable, but there can be 
little doubt that the same tendencies would eventually 
have worked in a similar manner as in the smaller 
classes. 
Such being the state of affairs, the Council of the Y. R. 
A. were urged to change or modify the rating rule, and 
after a somewhat hasty and hurried examination of ex- 
perts in camera, the present rule was pressed upon the 
Association and passed into law. Do a thing in a hurry 
and repent at leisure is an old English maxim, and the 
latest rating rule of the Y. R. A. will be no exception. 
It is a shape rule pure and simple, and quite throttles 
design. It is true that Mr. Herreshoff, Jr., has in Nevada 
produced a fairly successful boat that really defies the 
rule in all its apparently essential particulars, but it is 
extremely doubtful that she will continue to do so when 
other boats are built to profit by the peculiarities of the 
rule. She is for sale. The linear rating by this new 
Y. R. A. rule varies as 
8. h + B + %G + id + % '^S' 
all the variables being expressed as in the previous Y. 
R. A. rule and d. added — this new item being found by 
measuring chain girth and skin girth near the midsection, 
d. being their difference. 
A mathematical examination of this item discloses the 
fact that the tax is unimportant so long as the sagitta be- 
tween the hollow of the boat and the girth measuring 
chain does not exceed one-twelfth of the chord, but the 
tax becomes rapidly increased when this limit of hollow- 
ness is exceeded. 
The rule has only been in force for one year, and it is 
consequently no easy matter to foretell the evolution 
which it will produce in British racing yachts. It will 
heavily handicap yachts of hollow section, like Meteor, 
Sybarita and the two Shamrocks. In the smaller classes 
its worst effect will be the heavy tax it puts on any form 
of projecting keel, and the consequent loss of seaworthi- 
ness which small racers had attained under the L. and S. 
rules, both in England and America, and which they need 
so greatly. 
Mr. W. Fife, Jr., has so far been the most successful 
designer under the new rule, and an examination of the 
elements of his boats, as published in the Field tables of 
certificates, displays the fact that he takes plenty of L. and 
S. and reduces the other variables as much as possible. 
Probably he reduces G. by_^iying his hull a keel raking 
aft at a steep angle, like his K.ed Lancer, which, when 
beached for a scrub, looked like a terrier half down a 
rabbit hole. 
The same description of rating rule has been adopted for 
German and Scandinavian racing, and it is quite on the 
cards that the new British rule will be adopted for these 
northern waters. 
There is, however, a new French rule which has taken 
a novel departure, and has adopted the broad idea of Mr. 
Herreshoff's proposal in 1892, viz., to put a premium 
on tonnage. 
The new French rule rates by tonnage, which varies as : 
[(L - J< P) X P X S -i- Vm 
P. being extreme chain girth from waterline to waterline 
plus extreme beam, and M. being the area of the yacht's 
immersed midsection. 
The divisor employed in this rule ought to have an 
excellent effect. It will certainly give boats built of good 
scantling and possessing a fair amount of ballast a much 
better chance than was possible under any of the recent 
rules of rating. It is a good rule, but it might have been 
better. 
The manner in which M. must be measured is compli- 
cated and troublesome. I read over the. detail three times 
carefully, then lay the paper down with a sigh, as my 
head began to swim. Moreover, the emplojrment of ''^M 
s 
instead of ^ D (the cube root of displacement) is not to 
be recommended. A premium on M. tends to produce 
short hulls, whereas a premium on D, tends to produce 
long hulls. A little consideration will confirm this state- 
ment. Of course, they both tend to produce heavy hulls, 
whether the teii4encf hp strong e^feugH t9 ev^reoroe thi 
