Feb, r, tyo2.j 
FOREST AND STREAM." 
TWIN-SCREW YACHT ZAIDA. DESIGNED BY GEO. SIMPSON, M. & N. A. 
Our Boston Letter. 
Boston, Jan. 27. — It would seem that about all the 
orders for yachts to be turned out before the coming sea- 
son opens have been placed with the different designers. 
The orders for new ones are now coming in straggling one 
at a time, where before they came in twos, threes and 
often in greater numbers, so for the present at least things 
may be said to be quiet among the designers. Nothing 
more has been heard about restricted 25-footers, nor has . 
there been any open declaration in regard to any new 
restricted 21-footers, although I have a very good idea 
that one more is coming. This, if true, will make the 
total number of new ones in the restricted class to be 
built before or during the spring, fifteen. The prospective 
owner of the new one has kept very quiet in regard to 
his intentions, and I hesitate to state who he is for fear 
that any premature announcements may cause _ him to 
change his mind. I can say, however, that he is not a 
Marlilehead yachtsman, and that, if he should build, his 
boat will follow the circuit for the greater number of 
races during the season. There may be something more 
definite coming to light about this new boat within a 
few days. 
It may or may not seem strange that almost every one 
of our Boston yacht designers are trying their utmost 
to get all the work possible in the merchant service. 
Arthur Binney long ago took this step, and he has, within 
the past few years, turned out several coasters and fisher- 
men. Crowninshield, too, has been doing something in 
both of these lines. He turned out the fisherman Rob 
Roy, which proved a very fine vessel. She has fair speed, 
which the designer thinks can be much improved, as her 
present sail plan is much smaller than she is able to 
carry. He has turned out the lines of another fisher- 
man this winter, and the owners of this boat expect great 
things of her. His greatest venture has been the greatest 
taken by any designer of coastwise vessels, that of turn- 
ing out a seven-masted steel schooner. This vessel is 
now well under way at the Fore River Engine Works. 
His latest order has been for a four-masted schooner, of 
great carrying capacity, which will be built "down east." 
The progress made by Starling Burgess in all lines 
since his venture into the field of naval architecture has 
been wonderful. He and Crowninshield rose to the top 
of the ladder probably more quickly than any other two 
yacht designers in America. Burgess has had his greatest 
success this winter, having in the neighborhood of thirty 
new ones to turn out. He, too, has been anxious to tackle 
the merchant service, and has been fortunate in getting 
the orders for two fine vessels. The first of these was 
for the largest six-masted schooner afloat, to be called 
the Edward Burgess, after his illustrious father. The 
second order came"last week for a four-masted schooner 
for F. L. Pigeon et al. This one will have a carrying 
capacity of about 3,000 tons. She will be 222ft. on the 
keel, about 250ft. over all, 23ft. beam and 22ft. 6in. depth 
of hold. She is expected to go around Cape Horn to the 
Pacific coast. F. L. Pigeon, who will head the syndicate, 
is a well-known yachtsman, a member of the Annisquam 
Y. C. He has owned several editions of yachts, bearing 
the name of Circe, and was the owner of Thelma, chal- 
lenger for the Quincy cup in 1899. He is one of the firm 
of famous spar makers, and it is expected that many 
cargoes of the new vessel will be Oregon pine. 
The supporters of the restricted classes of the Yacht 
Racing Association of Massachusetts are jubilant over 
the recent decision of the Columbia Y. C, of Chicago, to 
adopt the restricted 21ft. class, as governed by the rules 
of the Massachusetts Association. This is an important 
move, as the class is sure to be adopted by the Lake 
Michigan Yachting Association. Not only is the feeling 
good over this matter, but Secretary Bliss is also further 
rejoicing because of the receipt of a letter from Mr. J. 
Lungley Neame, Honorable Secretary of the Freemantle 
Sailing Club, of Western Australia, asking about this 
particular class. In the case of the Columbia Y. C, it 
was desired to get a yacht of small size, which would 
have good accommodations and speed, and which could 
cruise comfortably in the rough waters of Lake Michigan. 
The choice seemed to lie between our raceabout, which 
has been popular from New York to Bar Harbor, and the 
Massachusetts Y. R. A. restricted 21-footers. Secretary 
Harry P. Simonton, of the Columbia Y. C, sent out a 
letter to prominent builders, designers and yachtsmen in 
the East, asking their opinion, and I think that this letter 
and the conservative answer by Small Bros., the Boston 
designers, and official measurers of the Massachusetts 
Y. R. A., will bear repeating, as there might be many 
others who would be interested in the same classes. 
Secretary Simonton's letter of inquiry was as follows: 
"Dear Sir: A committee has been appointed by the 
Columbia Y. C. and one by the L. M. Y. A. to decide 
upon the respective merits of the 2rft. 'raceabout/ with 
7ft. cabin trunk, its width being 60 per cent, of greatest 
beam, with height forward 6^in. and height aft 9m. 
above deck, as compared with the '21ft. cabin yachts' un- 
der Massachusetts Y. R. A. rules. The committee is 
divided and desires your opinion on the following points: 
"1. Which is the most seaworthy boat? 
"2. What is the relative cost? 
"3. What are relative cabin accommodations ? 
"4. Which is the fastest boat? 
"5. Can a fast freak be built under either rule? 
"6. Which has proved the best boat all-round in your 
locality? 
"7. Which class would be 'the easiest and best to de- 
velop? 
"The conditions here on Lake Michigan are heavy 
weather, harbors twenty-five miles apart, and no shelter. 
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