886 
FOREST ANd ■ STREAM. 
{Oct. 2l 10^. 
SIXTY-FIVE RATING CUTTER SAIL PLAN DESIGNED BY MESSRS. HERRESHOFF & WELLS. 
Boston Letter. 
Boston, Oct. 20.— -.Outs'de of the natural interest that is 
always noted after a challenge for the America's Gup has 
been cpened and its conditions acted upon, there is little 
of anything new doing in actual yacht building around 
Boston, and what interest may be taken in the smaller 
restricted classes, wilK without doubt depend entirely 
upon the action taken by the Yacht Rac ng Association 
of Massachusetts at its special meeting, to be held Thurs- 
day evening, Oct. 30. The regular October meeting was 
held last Thursday and it must be said of that gathering 
tthat there might have been niore delegates of clubs pres- 
ent. The matter of changing the restricted 25ft. and 21ft. 
da.S:S.es was brought up. and it was voted that the Execu- 
tive Committee bring in rules for new classes of those 
dimensoas, at the com ng special meeting, to correspond 
with the present restricted classes on rating. 
Considerable objection was offered by Mr. Louis M. 
Clark to the adoption of the proposed new 22ft. class. 
Mr. Clark argued against its adoption at some length, and 
it was finally decided to lay the matter of adoption over 
-until the special meeting. This course was sens ble in 
two ways : First, because it would seem that the matter 
should receive more than passing attention before being 
voted upon, and second, it was probably reasoned that 
the motion to adopt would fiave been lost, as a two-thirds 
vote would have been necessary, and the attendance of 
delegates was small. 
There is considerable speculation in regard to the pos- 
sib lity of the 22ft. class being adopted, although it is 
thought likely that, at the next meetmg of the Associa- 
tion, the majority will be for adoption. It is realized by 
the majority that something must be done with the rules 
of the present restricted classes, although there is_none of 
the racing yachtsmen who would care to see the- classes so 
altered that existing yachts would be barred. An nterest- 
iug feature in regard to this position is the present con- 
struction of a yacht of 2Sft. waterline which is 48ft., or 
thereabouts, over all. It can hardly be said that such 
extreme overhangs are desired by the majority, and it is 
not considered 1 kely that many of the yacht owners in 
the 25ft. class will care to race against a yacht which 
has such an immense advantage in length to commence 
with. But, on the other hand, the construction of this 
yacht was commenced before any changes were made of a 
radical nature in the present rules. Technically, under 
^the rule of the Associati'-n, she should be allowed to go 
Wo the class as an existing beat, and there is where 
the rub comes. 
The adopt on of a new measurement rule, under much 
■ the same formula as proposed for the New York Y. C, 
; h&s been considered by more than one of the Executive 
Committee. The adoption of such a rule would un- 
doubtedly alter the measurements of many existing yachts 
in the restricted classes, and might have more or less 
bearing upon what might be considered otherwise exist- 
ing boats. The adoption of this measurement rule is not 
favored by all, and there are some delegates who are 
dec dedly opposed to it. It is realized, by the conservative 
yachtsmen, however, that something must be done, if the 
racing classes in Massachusetts Bay are going to be con- 
tmued. There must be some rules provided that will put 
the yachts of different types on something near an 
equality, rules which will not make it necessary for a 
yachtsman to build only one type of boat, if he wishes 
any kind of a show n the racing. It is, however, the 
hardest kind of a task to get the majority of yachtsmen 
tn favor any direct change of rules. When the present 
restricted classes were formed, there was such a howl 
went up that future racing seemed in doubt for a while; 
but, with time, it was discovered that there were many 
merits in the rules, and the disposition to build in the 
Y. R. A. of M. restricted classes has been apparent to all 
during the past three years. 
There has been considerable talk of a possible Cup de- 
fender coming from the board of a Boston designer, but it 
can be stated positively that no order for any such boat 
has as yet been received. It may be possible that some of 
the m.embers of the Eastern Y. C. will get together and 
form a synd cate for the purpose of building a defender, 
but prorninent members of the club have expressed the 
belief that such a syndicate is not a probability. 
MacConnell Bros, have sold the auxiliary 43-footer 
Anna to H. B. Stcne, of Ilion, N. Y. ; the i8-footer, Aspin- 
quid, to Channing Williams, and the power launch, Namet, 
to J. F. Mackell, of Phikdelphia. 
John B. Killeen. 
English Letter 
Nothing has been heard of late in reference to the 
projected new one-design class for the Solent, but it is 
not likely to have fizzled out. This is the time of year 
when owners, or. rather, intending owners put on their 
consider ng caps for the following season, and, so far, they 
are all still hard at work thinking, for not a single order 
for any type of boat, handicap or racer, has as yet been 
given. ' There are only three open classes likely to attract 
an owner if such a person be forthcoming — viz., the big 
class, the 52-footers and the Clyde 36-footers. The most 
successful of the last-named class was designed by Alfred 
Mylne, though the Fife boats ran her close. Therefore, in 
that class there are all the elements of good competition, 
and if the boats were a little more to the liking of the 
Clyde yachtsmen there would certainly soon be a hot class; 
But the tendency of our rule is to cut down draft, at i 
point three-fifths the loadHne length from the stem, until 
it is just one-half the beam — this giving the best girtt 
m.easurement^ — and aft of this draft is obtained by a drag 
at the heel, the underwater profile being almost a perfed 
triangle. The mistake in the rule is that one can get thii 
extra draft without paying for it, and another fault 
that sail is taxed too heavily. If these matters were ad<; 
justed, I think the New York Y. C. would look far enougF 
before they get a better rule. 
For some reason or other we have had a 42ft. class oi 
our statute books for very many years, and nobody half 
ever built a boat for it. iFrom time to time one hears oil 
a combine among owners to start it. but the enterprfse h] 
never carr ed out, originating, apparently, only in mo 
ments of exaltation. If this class had ever come intc, 
existence, it would probably have proved far more popu 
lar than either the 36-focters or the S2-footers. iBut il 
seems idle nowadays to discuss these questions when thil 
conviction is rapidly being forced upon yachtsmen thai 
the absence of any check on expense has given the deatf 
blow to yacht racing as hitherto conducted. Even thi 
daily papers have failed during the past fortnight to 
up to the Lipton challenge. These international race 
have no effect whatever on our season, and people ove 1 
liere find it hard to understand why they should provil 
disastrous to yours. If we won the Cup, I don't think ou 
other racing would be in the least degree disturbed by ; 
challenge. It is rumored here that the new Herreshof i 
schooners, supposed to be building, will be of 90ft. water 
line, which looks more like business than the dimensic 
of Meteor. This is the length of Cicely, but it should 
be remembered that she was not built for the prime pur 
pose of racing, iftad that been so, her draft won' d pi' 
ably be more and she would hardly have been built to cl 
at Lloyds. By the way, I think I am not indiscreet 
mentioning that Lloyds' new scantling tables for yacii; 
will be published at no d stant date, and I shall be snt 
prised if they are not found exceedingly satisfactory. 
There is some talk of founding an Institute of Yacl; 
Architects, on the lines of the Institute of Naval Archij 
tects. The organization would be of very great use t ' 
builders and designers alike. At present the value of th 
I. N. A. to yachting is absolutely nil, and indeed some c 
the observations on yachting attributed to members c 
that body are ludicrous. 
Motors are still in the yachting atmosphere with uy 
Several new American engines have lately been placed 
the market, and the distinctive feature of these is 
favor shown to two or more cylinders over the q| 
cylinder engine, and also the gradual recognition by A^ 
ican makers that the 4-cycIe engine has virtues all its 
