4S6 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
[Nov. 30, 1901. 
ters? The reply is simple — that such a rule will at all 
events give those yachts which are heavily constructed 
(and they can be built far more cheaply than the light 
displacement boats) a m.uch better chance of w^inning 
prizes than they have had for the past ten years, and if the 
rule also taxes sail area in a reasonable manner, the 
present cost of a racer's annual upkeep v^^ould be greatly 
reduced, both as regards hands and gear. 
I, for one, deny that an L., S. and D. rule would pro- 
duce a wide hull and shallow depth at quarter beam, al- 
though five leading English designers apparently antici- 
pate such a result, and I base my disbelief on the com- 
parison of Pente and Flat Fish, the former designed by 
myself and built for a very moderate sum, indeed, and 
the latter built in a great hurry, and therefore of good 
scantling. 
In the following year, Sea Shell, designed by Mr. Wat- 
son and built in the north, of light scantling, cost more 
than twice as much as Pente, and raced on very level 
terms under the L. and S. rule. Had they raced under a 
rule giving a reasonable premium on displacement, Pente 
would have beaten Sea Shell handsomely by the time 
allowance, or have carried more sail and have beaten her 
actually. Pente was not designed to give "good living 
accommodation" — far from it — but she was an ideal day 
boat, very handy, fast (for her sail area) and weatherly. 
A man and a boy for paid crew was ample, whereas the 
36-footers, which have replaced the old S-raters, now 
carry four paid hands, and want them. 
If wide hulls are to be discouraged, the introduction of 
a tax on beam in her formula is perhaps advantageous. 
Thus, comparing Ed'e with Heartsease, two 36-footers 
built when the late Y. R. A. rule (the girth rule) was 
first introduced: 
Edie. Heartsease. 
Sail ■ 1499.00 1804.00 
'^'Sail 88.90 86.12 
Length 88.41 31.28 
Beam 8.2T 9.14 
iJisplacement , 9.87 5.10 
8. Late Y. R. A. rule, L rating 86.00 86.00 
10. Thalassa's rule without B tax 88.55 88.40 
12. Thalassa's rule with B tax. 88.45 42.02 
Edie is the type of yacht to be encouraged in the 36ft. 
class, and it is therefore evident that from this point of 
view a tax on B. is advantageous. But care must be taken 
not to unduly encourage a very narrow beam, with the 
deep hull of the j'achts evolved by the early Y. R. A. 
rules, which gave enough "living accommodation" in all 
conscience, and too much of the article, the cavernous 
space of 8 or loft. depth below the cabin floors, which 
those vessels carried in the large classes being useless for 
comfort, and the whole ship producing a most wet and 
comfortless dwelling place in windy weather, and a slowly 
moving one in light breezes. 
A heavily ballasted, narrow boat is a terror whether as 
a cruiser or as a racer, whether a 90-footer or a 19-footer. 
On the whole, therefore, I think that the simpler for- 
mula containing only the three variables — L., S. and D. — 
is preferable. 
If American 3^achtsmen are thinking of introducing a 
new rule, let them try some special classes under different 
rules for a year and see how they answer. It is really the 
only way to get at a good rule. The ablest yachtsmen and 
the most profound mathematicians are not able to- say with 
certainty what a rule will or will not bring forth as the 
most successful type or tj'pes under its taxation. 
Then try two or three of the most promising rules in 
two or three different localities in small and special classes 
and note carefully the apparent evolution produced by 
each rule. Compare these types and then decide which is 
the best to encourage. Unfortunately one year is often 
quite insufficient for this purpose, and the real child of 
the parent only appears after an incubation of several 
seasons of hard, competitive racing. 
Of one thing, however, we ought to be fairly sure — 
viz., that an international rule, if such a desideratum be 
ever achieved, imtst be simple and deal with the prin- 
cipal elements of a yacht in a broad manner, leaving de- 
sign unhampered by the rule as much as possible. It 
should also be constructed so that it will be applicable to 
differing climatic conditions, and even to differing national 
types of vessel, so that the same racing rule might be used 
with equal sufficiency on American, European and Asiatic 
shores, for the competitive sailing of yachts. 
Thus, to take a very extreme example, I think a good 
rating rule should be applicable for the racing of a cata- 
maran against an English or American yacht; should be 
applicable for the competition of centerboard boats against 
keel boats, or of barges with lee boards against fishing 
boats of equal size. 
All this can be done by my simpler form of rule; but 
the addition of a tax on B. would at once prevent the 
catamaran from racing against an English yacht, or a 
barge against a fishing boai. — . 
These, of course, are only stated as extreme examples. 
But m designing to a new rule, a knowledge of such ex- 
tremes, and of their speeds under various conditions, is 
essential for the production of, for instance, either the 
modern scow, or the up-to-date Cup challenger. 
As regards difference of climatic conditions, it is ab- 
solute nonsense to suppose, as some l^ave done, that a rule 
vvhich succeeds in producing a good tvpe of yacht on one 
side of the Atlantic may fail on the other, or, on the con- 
trary, that a rule which on trial has failed, say, in Long - 
Island Sound, will ever succeed on the Solent. 
Different climates will cause small variations in type 
under the same rule, but a good rule anywhere is a good 
rule everywhere, always assuming that the main objects 
of attainment are acknowledged. 
The British Y. R, A., curious to relate, is the main 
obstruction to an international racing rule. The Council 
of this Association occasionally has expressed an aca- 
demical desire for such a rule, but this wish is invariably 
accompanied by the idea that the British rule should be 
adopted by other yacht racing peoples. Directly any out- 
side attempt has been made to commence a pow'wow on a 
new rule for universal adoption, the Council has managed 
by various excuses to avoid the discussion. 
It, therefore, aooears that if the American dubs really 
desire an international rule, the best procedure will be to 
scientifically examine the subject with the as'^istance of 
efhcient mathematicians and to adopt a rule founded on 
broad principles, which would probably last much longer 
than the usual life of a rule, which averages only five to 
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