six years. A great market is often captured in commerce 
by the production of an excellent article. So, in yacht 
racing, a really good rule, when so acknowledged, might 
be universally adopted. But it must be tried and proved 
for several seasons before such adoption can be hoped 
for, and in the meantime any attempt to produce a rule 
by international "pow wow" is highly improbable, the 
various cooks differing so greatly in their ideas on the 
required taste of the ragout. 
In America many classes race, I believe, under the 
sole rating of the length of hull on waterline, as we did 
on the Solent many years ago, and for all such classes I 
would urge the expediency of allotting sail area according 
to same function of the displacement, so that a heavy boat 
might in that length class carry more sail than a light 
boat. Such a rule removes all difficulties re the scantling 
question, for men would indeed be foolish to build weak 
hulls under the restriction suggested, which for the small 
classes might follow the equation 
13. 
s = 
s 
300 I^D" 
and ' 
inear R 
= L.W.L. for classification. 
Thus, 
if D = 
10 tons, S = 
1,392 
sq. ft.. 
etc., as shown in the following 
table 
D. 
S. 
D. 
D. 
S. 
D. 
S. 
sq. ft. 
tons. 
sq. ft 
tons. 
sq. ft. 
tons. 
sq. ft. 
. 
. . . 189 
2.5 • 
• • •552 
5.0. .. 
. 879 
7-S- 
...1,150 
0 :S. 
. . .201 
2.6. 
•••567 
S^i^ •• 
890 
7.6. 
. . .1,160 
0 6 . 
• • .213 
2.7. 
••.582 
5-2. . 
. 901 
7-7- 
. . . 1,170 
C65. 
. . .225 
2.8. 
.. .596 
5^3^.^ 
. 912 
7.8. 
T 180 
0.7 . 
•• -237 
2.9. 
. . .610 
5.4. .. 
• 923 
7.9. 
. . .1,190 
0.75- 
. . .24S 
3.0. 
. . .624 
S^5^ ■• 
• 934 
8.0. 
. . . 1,200 
0.8 . 
.. .259 
3.1- 
...638 
5^6... 
- 945 
8 T 
. . .1,210 
0.85. 
. . .270 
3^2. 
. . .6^2 
S-7-.. 
• 956 
8.2. 
. . .1,220 
0.9 . 
. . .280 
3-3^ 
.. .666 
5.8... 
. 968 
8.3 • 
. . .1,230 
0.95 ■ 
. . .290 
3-4- 
. . .680 
5.9. .. 
. 980 
8.4. 
. . .1,240 
I.O . 
.. .300 
3.S^ 
•.•693 
6n 
■ 991 
8.S. 
. . .1,249 
Ifcl . 
.320 
3.6. 
. . . 706 
6.1. .. 
.1.002 
8.6. 
. • .1.259 
1.2 . 
•• -339 
3-7. 
.. .719 
6.2. .. 
.1,013 
8.7. 
. . .1.269 
1-3 • 
•• -357 
3.8. 
•■•732 
6.3^.^ 
. 1 ,024 
8.8 
.. .1,279 
1.4 . 
•• -375 
3-9^ 
•••744 
6.4. . . 
• 1,035 
8.9. 
. . .1,289 
1-5 ■ 
•••393 
4,0. 
• • -756 
6.5^.. 
. 1 .046 
9.0. 
.. .1,298 
1.6 . 
. . .410 
4.1. 
...768 
6.6... 
.1.057 
9.1. 
...1,308 
1.7 . 
...427 
4.2. 
.. .780 
6.7... 
.1,068 
9.2. 
.. .1,317 
1.8 . 
• • ^444 
4^3 • - 
• ■792> 
6.8. . 
. .1,078 
1.9 . 
. . .460 
4.4. . 
..805 
6.9. • 
. .1,088 
2.0 . 
.. .476 
4^5 • • 
..817 
7.0. . 
. . 1,098 
2.1 . 
. . .492 
4.6.. 
. .829 
7.1. . 
. .1,108 
2.2 . 
...507 
4.7.. 
. .842 
7.2. . 
. .1,119 
2.3 • 
.. .522 
4.8.. 
..854 
7^3 • • 
. .1,129 
2.4 . 
•■•537 
4.9. 
. .866 
7.4. . 
. .1,140 
9.3. . . .1,327 
9.4 — 1,336 
9.5 — 1,346 
9.6... •1,355 
9.7. .. .1,365 
9.8. .. .1,374 
9.9.... 1,383 
For the small classes, under a L.W.L. rating, the above 
table would probably fulfill all requirements, and it avoids 
the necessity of making calculations. Thus, if a boat in 
racing trim weigh 30cwt., and carrying three hands, then, 
allowing i^cwt. for each hand, her D. is 1,72 tons, and 
the S. she would be allowed is 427 + 0.2 (444 — 427) ~ 
430 sq. ft., which figures are seen at a glance on the above 
table. 
This method of allotting sail in a pure L.W.L. rating 
class differs in no es.sential detail from the rating rule'de- 
scribed in doggerel verse. It would' be somewhat less 
elastic, because all boats in a class would be of the same 
length on waterline, whereas under the rating rule they 
might differ in L. considerably, although rating at the 
same sailing length. 
In either case, a special scantling rule would be un- 
necessary, and therefore avoidable, and in either case a 
healthy amount of ballast would be encouraged and would 
certainly be carried. 
Mr. Watson, for whose opinion on all matters con- 
nected with yachts I have greatest respect, fears that there 
might be some difficulty in discovering displacement by 
official measurements. No doubt he refers to boats larger 
than the small class day boats, all of which can readily 
be hauled up and weighed. With the big fellows it would 
be necessary to abide by an approximation (just as in the 
case with sail area measured by the American plan), such, 
for instance, as D (tons) = L. X M. divided by 60 
where L. = L.W.L. and M. = area of immersed mid- 
section in square feet, found by any of several different 
methods of measurement, each of which would be 
sufficiently accurate for the purpose, and one of which is 
followed by the French in connection with their new 
rule ; or. it would be necessary to accept a certificate from 
the designer of the yacht's D. at a given calculated water- 
line, and her correction per vertical inch at that water- 
line. This certificate should, I think, be subject to the 
scrutiny of an official expert, who would examine draw- 
ings confidentially, countersign the certificate if correct 
and receive a fee from the Racing Association. 
Whatever may be the difficulties, they sliould be over- 
come, as the introduction of displacement into the for- 
mula for rating racing yachts has become an absolute 
necessity. 
Our Boston Letter. 
Boston, Nov. 25. — One. of the longest drawn out < 
championships in local waters has been that in the 
restricted 25ft. class of the Yacht Racing Association of 
Massachusetts. The ^fst-Teport 'giveti'X>at -aftefthe close I 
of the seas.c>JD--was to the -effect that Flirt had rece.ived 
the largest percentage. It later developed that a protest 
of Chewink, which had been decided against Calypso in 
the open race of' the Columbia Y. C. on July 3, 
had been appealed to the executive committee of the 
Associatica and that the fate of each boat hung upon the 
committee's decision. The committee refused to act upoii 
the , matter, and it was referred back to the judges of 
the race. Another hearing was given by them to the con- 
testing parties, at which new evidence was introduced. 
This turned the tide in favor of Calj^pso, and the original 
decision was reversed, and Calypso was given first place 
in the race, with 100 per cent. This, however, was far 
from being satisfactory to Chewink, who immediately 
appealed from the final decision of the judges to the 
executive committee of the Association. Last week a 
hearing was given on Chewink's appeal, with the result 
that the appeal was not sustained by the committee, and 
Calypso still remains champion of the 2S-foot restricted 
class for the season of 1901. 
There will be lots doing in the 21ft. restricted class 
next season from the present outlook. At present there 
are thirteen new ones which are known to have been 
ordered for the class. Starhng Burgess has five of these, 
Crowninshield four. Small Bros., two, and Fred Lawley 
and Hanley one each. One of Burgess's latest ones is 
for F. H. Adriance, of Hartford. It is likely that she will 
not be raced throughout the entire season in Massa- 
chusetts Bay, but will be in the waters around Bristol, 
R. I., part of the time. Mr. Adriance summers at Bristol, 
and spends much of his leisure time upon the waters of 
