t7B 
l^ov. §, 1902.1 
I 
20-FOOT OPEN LAUNCH DESIGNED BY FRED S. NOCK, 1902. 
- OUTBOARD PROFILE N°80 — 
ScaVe ' August 1902 .- 
— fRCD' S NOCIj. JlM igner — 
— XKAWiNC f/1 59S . - 
20-FOOT OPEN LAUNCH OUTBOARD PROFILE DESIGNED BY FRED S. NOCK, 1902> 
Boston [Letter. 
Boston, Nov. 2. — The adoption of new measurement 
rules for rating is still the subject of debate among the 
yachtsmen of Massachusetts. A meeting of the Yacht 
Racing Association of Massachusetts -was held last Thurs- 
day evening, at which it was proposed- to adopt a rating 
rule similar to that which has been recently adopted by 
the New York Y. C. The fact that this rule was adopted 
by the Eastern Y. C. at its last meeting gave it more sup- 
port than it had at the special meeting of the Association, 
held two weeks previous; but the majority of the dele- 
gates were still in doubt about adopting any radical 
changes without further consideration. On this account 
the matter was held over and will be acted upon at another 
special meeting to be held Nov. 13. Mr. Louis M. Clark is 
the champion of the proposed new rule in the Yacht Rac- 
ing Association, and, while he was not successful in hav- 
ing it passed at the last meeting, he did get some minor 
rules adopted, which will probably affect the greater ques- 
tion when it is again brought up. 
The new 22ft. class was brought up for adoption at the 
last meeting of the Association, but failed in passing. The 
vote, however, showed that opinion is pretty well divided 
upon the merits of the class. It requires a two-thirds vote 
of the Association to change any of its rules, and the 
vote upon the question of adopting the 22ft. class stood 
- six for and six against. It may be said that it is the 
hardest possible thing to get the necessary number of 
votes to make a change in the Association's rules, espe- 
cially when a new class or rules which will cause the 
establishment of a new class are considered. The yachts- 
men look with disfavor upon anything that looks like a 
change. This was the condition when the present re- 
stricted classes were adopted. A howl of indignation was 
sent up and it was some time before sufficient confidence 
was felt to insure the building of new boats in any num- 
bers. The rules which were then adopted fitted the con- 
ditions which then existed, but it has been since shown, as 
has been the case with most measurement rules, no matter 
how commendable, that certain conditions have _ arisen 
which make the rules, which were then to the point, in- 
sufficient. Since the first talk of adopting some rules 
similar to those of the New York Y. C, opinions have 
changed greatly. The inconsistency of the present rules 
are being realized and the result has been that more 
vachtsmen were favorable toward the adoption of the 
ISTew York rule at the last meeting of the Association 
than at any time previous. Whether the rules will grow 
in favor before the next meeting is a matter of conjecture. 
But the refusal to adopt the 22ft. class and the fact 
that the maintenance of the old rules, or the adoption of 
new ones, for the restricted classes, is causing an apathy 
from which yachting will be slow in recovering. As it 
2O-FOOT ONEN LAUNCH — BODY PLAN. 
Designed by Fred S. Nock, 1902. 
is, everything is in the air. Designers have provisional 
orders for new yachts, but the prospective owners are not 
disposed to go ahead in the present unsettled condition of 
affairs. The designers feel the same way about the mat- 
ter. They do not feel that it would be consistent to turn 
out yachts only to find that they might be barred or re- 
ceive new classification under new rules, which would 
be detrimental to their chances of winning. It is said 
that there are certain of the yachtsmen who have been 
ir'terested in the formation of the new 22ft. class who will 
build for that class anyway, but it is not likely that the 
number would be as great in any event as it would have 
been had the Association adopted the class. If sufficient 
number of boats should be built for the 22ft. class the 
clubs would undoubtedly give them races. 
The prospects for a brilliant season among the smaller 
restricted classes in Massachusetts Bay do not appear to 
be as bright as the majority of the yachtsmen would 
wish. There is a movement on foot to revive the race- 
about class, and already two meetings have been held, one 
by the yachtsmen interested, who may possibly build for 
the class and another by the Knockabout Association, to 
consider the advisability of changing some of the rules. 
Some of the prospective owners of raceabouts desire that 
a balloon jib should be added to the equipment. If the 
yachtsmen will agree upon this point there is no doubt 
that the Knockabout Association will do everything _ in 
its power to give them what they want. The objection 
made to the addition of a balloon jib is that there are 
now sufficient sails used in proportion to the size of the 
crew, and that the spinnaker, as used at present, can 
be poled forward until it takes the place of a ballooner. 
To this the advocates of the ballooner claim that it would 
be much easier to set and take in a ballooner, with the 
same crew, than it is to flow the spinnaker forward ; that 
the addition of the sail would make the boats faster, a 
regular balloon jib having more shape than one improvised 
from a spinnaker. They also claim that' it would be better 
in produc ng skillful skippers as it requires considerable 
judgment to know just when to set a spinnaker and when 
to set a balloon jib. Raceabouts were very popular in 
Massachusetts Bay a few years, but the decline of the 
class was as swift as its rise. The class is popular in 
other sections, and it is thought that there should be no 
reason why it should again be popular here. It is the hope 
of those interested in reviving the class that interclub 
lacing may be had with the clubs of Long Island Sound, 
Buzzard's Bay and Bar Harbor. 
John B. Killeen. 
20ft* Open Launch, 
The plans of the 20ft. open launch that appear in this 
issue were designed by Mr. Fred S. Nock for a day boat. 
Comfort was the first consideration, as she was to be 
used mainly for a family boat: and speed was a secondary 
consideration, but with a three-liorse-power motor she 
has shown very fair results. The dimensions follow : 
Length — 
tu 
20ft. 
oin. 
L.W.L 
i8ft. 
iiin. 
Overhang — 
oft. 
7in. 
Aft 
oft. 
6in. 
Breadth— 
• : Sft. 
oin. 
L.W.L 
4ft. 
8in. 
Draft- 
oft. 
gin. 
I ft. 
6in. 
Freeboard — 
2ft. 
sin. 
Aft 
Ift. 
Sin. 
ift. 
5in. 
The keel is of white oak sided 3in., the frames are of 
oak lin. square, spaced Sin. on centers, and the planking, 
is of cedar ^in. thick when finished. The cockpit is 15ft. 
long. ^ I 
New Yoffc Y. C. i 
Com. Lewis Cass Ledyard presided over the adjourned 
meeting of the New York Y. C, held on Thursday even-, 
ing, Oct. 30. The meeting was well attended, and aften 
the routine business had been disposed of, Com. Ledyard- 
announced that the contract was signed for a new yachi. 
