140 
FpR^ST AND STREAM. 
[Aug. 13, 1904, 
Seawanhaka Ctjp Races, 
BY WILLIAM Q. PlilLLIl'S. : ' : ■•'"' 
The present match is the tenth which "ha^ been sailed 
for the cup, the trophy having been -offered in 1895. The 
original medallions on the cup itself have ^11 been filled 
with records of races,, and this year sees a^ new; iseriesebe-)-- 
gun on the base. In the first and second. Snatches, r,the~ 
Seawanhaka Y. C, as the original trustee, assumed the do- - 
fense, the Royal St. Lawrence Y. C. winning the cup in 
1896. Since then they have defendend .it against the follow- 
ing successive challenges : Three from the.; Seawanhaka 
Y. C, and one each from the White , Bear Y. - C, the 
Island Sailing Club, the Bridgeport Y. C, and the Man- 
chester Y. C. It, will be seen that with the, exception of 
the first White Bear match and the. , English challenge, , 
that the challenges have been from the Ka stern seaboard;;; 
and in deciding to accept the challenge of the White Bear , 
Y. C. for this season, there was a frank recognition of the. 
fact that the West ought to have another chance, particu- 
larly as the special type of boat, required for the work 
has been more highly developed on the small western 
lakes than elsewhere. Again, the White Bear people, more 
than any others, have kept closely in touch with the; racing 
for the Seawahanka' cup, one or two of their men always 
being present; and finally, it may be added, that "the White 
Bears are very popular at Dorval, both afloat and ashore, 
and as the social side of the match is by no means unim- 
portant;; the present event has been attractive in many 
ways outside of the racing. ; 
The boat finally selected to represent the. challenging 
club was known as Sigma in the. trial races, and finally 
named White Bear. She comes from the shop of Jones &. 
Laborde, Oshkosh, Mr. Jones being. present at Dorval to 
look after her, and is a typical scow of the Oshkosh type, 
with more beam, and, if anything, fuller "ends than;, the 
Tecumseh of two years ago. She is noticeably well built,' 
her framing being heavier than the rules demand.. She 
is fitted with bilge boards of the normal type, and port 
and starboard rudders working together. While maintain- 
ing the flat, lowsided appearance of her predecessors, she. 
is really quite powerful and able to carry sail in a breeze; — 
a quality lacking in the last two or three challengers.' In; 
light airs she is perhaps too stiff, and even with, the crew 
to leeward does riot get down to her best form. Her 
strong point is all-around work in moderate to fresh 
breezes with fairly smooth water. : 
The Noorna, selected for the defense, is one of two" 
boats built this year from designs by Mr. F. P. Shear- 
wood, and is of the same general type as his previous 
creations. Two details claim attention, however; the 
main halliards are of flexible wire, leading down through, 
the deck, where they are wound on drums operated by 
large wooden hand wheels. The arrangement is* very 
neat, and reduces the amount of loose gear both on deck 
and below. The bilge boards, now an .established .feature 
of the Shearwood boats, are not flat, but shaped like a, 
spoon oar, and in adition are of a' compound type. ; The. 
upper half of each board is • a sheath or case, through 
which the lower blade Works, the ; same 'gear controlling; 
both. In lowering, the board, the sheath drops' first; and 
then discharges the single blade, the concave side of the 
spoon being to leeward. The arrangement works very 
smoothly, and is a clever piece of mechanical design and 
construction, but — beware of the weeds ! ' , 
Noorna is regarded as a good all-round performer, and 
a fair match for Thorella, the boat of last year. This 
perhapr, is enough, -for Thorella is quite an exceptional 
boat, and the selection of a hew boat for the defense this 
year has been as much a matter of sentiment as of 
necessity. 
The races, as usual, Were managed by three judges: H. 
P. Clark, appointed' by the White Bear Y. C. ; W. Q. Phil- 
lips, appointed by the Royal St. Lawrence- Y. C. ; and W. 
P. Stephens, unanimously selected as third judge. 
On Wednesday, and Thursday morning, August 3, and 4, 
the judges were busy measuring; both boats carried prac- 
tically the full sail area of 500 square feet, but were well 
inside the. limit of. waterline, the figures biting White Hear. 
25ft. /in. ; Noorna, 25ft. 5!, 'Jin. The crews weighed in as 
follows: White Bear, L. P. Ordway ^helsmin ), !<". M. 
Douglass, T. L. Warm, Jack Ordway; total, 636 pounds. 
Noorna, Chas. Ror.th (helmsmen), M. C. Finley, Thorn- 
ton Davidson, Huntley Gordon.;: total, 645 -pounds. _ . - 
Thursday, August ,|.- ' 
The skipper of Noorna won -the toss, and elected that 
the first race should- be to windward and return. There 
was a light breeze in the mdrrtihg, "but at one o'clock,; 
when the fleet arrived at the mark off Point Claire, there 
was not enough wind to warrant an attempt to lay a 
course. Except for fitful catspaws, ; this state of . affairs 
continued throughout the. .afternoon.., The sun was. hot, 
and^the general conditions uncomfortable \ the judges 
waited until after three o'clock, when all hope of a race 
was abandoned, and the red ball half-masted, showing 
that the race" was off. , -i.-.a 
.: --. Friday, .August 5. 
There was a moderate breeze from the. south all morn- 
ing, and at one o'clock it was working around to the west. 
The mark in Beaconsfield Bay was therefore selected as 
the starting point, and two miles to windward logged out 
by Sir George Drummond's steam yacht Wild Rose. The 
start was made at 2:10, White Bear leading over the line 
by a fair margin. The boats worked out in short tacks, 
and so long as the wind held true White Bear kept her 
lead. In less than half an hour, however, the wind 
dropped to about three of four miles per. hour, and very 
fluky. First one boat would get a puff and then the 
other. The luck favored Noorna,. and she gradually drew 
ahead, turning the weather mark with a -lead, of over 2m. 
From this to the completion of the second round Noorna 
continued to gain, but the wind was so soft that there 
seemed to be small chance of a finish in the time limit of 
X/2 hours. On the final -round, however, the .wind 
backed to the south, making a reaching course, and as ; it 
improved in strength,. White . Bear gained over a minute- 
It is therefore fair to 'say .that White Bear, lost the race in 
a. drift which. would never have allowed a finish, How : 
ever, this is The." luck of the gani'e; The .fifh'es.' were as 
follows : . '. - ; '-'.' ';" ■ ' ' " 
First Round. 
1st Buoy. 2d Buoy. 
Noorna . . . •. «,. . ... .... v.-,.., ..2 59 SO 2- 23 .06 
Whit*: Bear ... w.,,,...v3 01 : 45- " 3" 25 .10 ' 
^ T Second Round. 
Noorna , ., 4 13 04 4 40 05 
White Bear 4 20 30 4 46 20 
l , "'",'- ■' Third Round. 
Noorna R ! s . .-. ... 5 02 35 5 19 17 
Whiter. Bear ,i- , .v., 5 07 30 5 25 02 
; J"ust; after "the finish- the steam yachts Nama and Karma 
were in collision, Nama getting off easily, but Karma's 
stem f.Was"- split to the waterline. Fortunately the break 
was": outside' the- rabbet and left the plank ends uninjured; 
she was repaired the same evening at Dorval. 
' ■ ' Saturday, August 6. 
There was a. fresh south wind all morning, working 
round to southwest in the afternoon, its strength varying 
from 15 to 25 miles per hour. The triangular course was 
used, all marks to starboard giving windward work on the 
first leg and two, reaches home. A start was made at 2 
P. ,M., the wind and sea being quite vicious at the time; 
both, boats were under three reefs and small jibs. - White 
Bear led across the line 27s. after the gun, Noorna fol- 
lowing at 2:1:18. The windward work was very trying 
for both boats and crews, nothing but the finest of sea- 
manship keeping the boats going. The wind and sea were 
at their worst on this first round, and the club steamer 
St. Louis could not get near enough to take accurate times 
at the weather mark. Apparently White. Bear led by 4s., 
and in any Case her lead at the start had been considerably 
reduced.' On the two next legs, sailed with a full sheet, 
she pulled away again, the following times being, taken: 
... -, 1st Mark. 2d Mark. 3d Mark. 
White Bear .......... .'...' 2 23 34 2 29 38 2 36 32 
Noorna . .Y: ,2 23 38 2 30 45 2 38 25 
On the second round the wind was a little steadier, but 
the relative performances of the boats were much the 
sarii'e; - in fact, the elapsed times on the weather leg were 
alrrfqst identical with those of the first round, Noorna 
gaining as before, -but losing on the reaching. The tiriies 
were : 
1st Mark. 2d Mark. 3d Mark. 
White Bear 2 59 56 3 06 58 3 14 55 
Noorna .3 00 50 3 09 03 3 16 42 
On the final round, the wind moderated so that the 
reefed sails were carried more effectively, and in addition 
Noorna shook out a reef for the final reaching; thus 
showing a gain on every leg. As it was, the finish was 
close and exciting, both boats driving across the line at 
high speed. The final round was timed : 
1st Mark. 2d Mark. Finish. 
White Bear 3 36 13 3 42 40 3 49 29 
Noorna ..... 3 37 30 3 43 45 3 50 22 
White Bear wins by 53s. Lead at start, 51s. Difference in 
elapsed time, 2s. 
Both yachts sailed down to the club wharf with a fair 
wind, and until they arrived no one but the crew of 
Noorna knew that she had met with a mishap that nearly 
put her out of the race just before the second gun. Each 
of her two rudders carries a short tiller, and these are 
connected by a wooden rod, to which the main tiller is 
attached. This rod broke, putting the port rudder out of 
action. Fortunately the break was scarf-wise, and it was 
possible to effect hasty repairs by fishing it with battens. 
This cost valuable time at the start, and was a constant 
source of anxiety, and, to some extent, an interference 
with the handling of the boat throughout the races. 
When the fact became known there was much gossip and 
speculation as to what might have been, but this talk was 
entirely subordinate to the hearty congratulations to the 
White Bear crew, who had won a hard race in weather by 
rie-: means suited to the scow type. This race proved 
White Bear to be a distinct advance over Tecumseh, the 
Oshkosh boat of two years ago, which was hopelessly 
beaten under similar weather conditions. 
For this race Mr. Douglass and Mr. Wann, of the 
White Bear crew; were replaced by Commodore Elmer 
and Evan Rees. Mr. Douglass was merely out of sorts, 
but Mr. Wann had been nipped by sciatica on Friday dur- 
ing 'the race, and on his return was unable to climb the 
stairs, s Unwilling to miss Saturday's race, he was carried 
aboard- the Karma and made comfortable on the deck, 
although, unable, even to sit in a chair. 
Rhode Island Letter. 
Providence, R. I., Aug. 6.— Race week for the Narra- 
gansett , Bay Y. R. A., the most -important event of the 
season in Rhode Island waters, begins Monday, August 
15, and the arrangements for the series of five open re- 
gattas to be held are about completed. There are four 
clubs in- the Association, each of which will have charge 
of one; of the events of the week, and the fifth race will 
be an Association race, as the Conanicut Y. C, of James- 
town, is not in the membership this year. All the races 
are open to the yachts of any club of recognized standing 
anywhere, and a number of outside craft are expected to 
enter and compete with those of local fame for cups and 
honors. The executive committee of the Association has 
made careful plans to insure success, and the series is ex- 
pected: to eclipse the fairly successful race week instituted 
last year, both in the number of entries and in the smooth- 
ness : of management. The schedule for the week is as 
follows : • • . 
Monday, August 15. — Edgewood Y. C. 
: Tuesday, August . 16. — Bristol Y. C. 
. Wednesday, August 17. — Fall River Y. C. 
Thursday, August 18. — Association race at Jamestown. 
Saturday, August 20.— Rhode Island Y. C. at Potter's 
Cove. ; -.. v; -i . ■ 
During the same Week the annual cruise of the Edge- 
wood Y. C. will take place, the itinerary being identical 
with that of the racing. The first race of the series is to 
be held with this club, and the plans are to make the day 
a gala, occasion. All the club fleet, except the boats en- 
gaged in racing, will dress ship for the day, and the hos- 
pitality of the club will be extended to all visiting yachts- 
men, "in the. evening there will be fireworks and an illu- 
mination, and the visitors will be welcomed to a dance 
in the club house. The cruise will begin Tuesday morn- 
ing; when the fleet will make a racing run to Bristol, the 
place of the second race. There will also be racing by the 
fleet on the runs from Bristol to Newport, and from 
Newport:, to .potter's Cove, . suitable prizes being offered 
the winners in all three runs. After the Association race 
at Jamestown, Thursday, the fleet will lay over at New- 
port until Saturday morning in order to witness the Astor 
cup races and the . illumiriation of the New York Y. C. 
fleet :in. the evening-, The fleet will ajso remain at Potter's 
Cove after the Rhode Island race Saturday, and the cruise 
will conclude Sunday with a clam-bake at that place, to 
which many of the craft of other clubs taking part ..in 
the^ Association races-will probably remain. 
Commodore H. G. Fossner will be in charge of the fleet, 
and will be assisted by Fleet Captain Benjamin Peck-ham. 
The idea of combining the Edgewood cruise with the 
Association race week is a happy one, and cannot fail to 
stimulate interest in both events. 
Mr. Frederic S. Nock has recently completed at his shop 
at East Greenwich a new cabin launch, The Buffalo, built 
as a demonstration boat for the Buffalo Gasolene Motor 
Company, of Buffalo, N. Y. Rhode Island yachtsmen 
who have seen this craft have found a type of boat seldom 
seen in this vicinity. The cabin and top sides present the 
same general appearance as the average cabin launch, but 
as seen out of water the peculiar shape of the underbody 
is very striking. The rabbet line is almost straight from 
the forefoot to the waterline at the stern, the latter being 
of the torpedo boat destroyer type. This is conceded to 
be the form of least resistance, and it is calculated that 
such a boat can be driven at good speed with a compara- 
tively small amount of power. The exterior finish of the 
craft is mahogany, and the interior is in light quartered 
oak. The pilot house and saloon are combined, and there 
are extension berths giving accommodation for a party of 
six. The engine room is aft, and there is a galley and 
a toilet room. The power consists of a Buffalo four- 
cylinder motor of 20 horse-power, capable of developing 
about 35 horse-power at its best, turning a 24-inch pro- 
peller 800 revolutions a minute. The general dimensions 
of The Buffalo are as follows: 43ft. over all, 41ft. 6in. 
waterline, 7ft. 6in. breadth, and 2ft. 6in. extreme draft. 
The letter of Mr. Gilbert Ray Hawes, published in a re- 
cent number of Forest and Stream, regarding his protest 
against Little Rhody and Newasi in the ocean race for the 
Lipton cup, aroused more than a little resentment here in 
Rhode Island, where it is felt that the little sloop bearing 
the State's pet name won the race fairly and squarely, and 
is entitled to all the honor thereof without detraction. 
It is, perhaps, late in the day to run up signals of distress 
to the masthead on this matter. The race has been de- 
cided by the committee and the cup has been awarded to 
Little Rhody on merit. As the good faith of the commit- 
tee is unquestioned, it is to be assumed that Little Rhody 
is a cruising boat, and that in every way she complied 
with the conditions of the race. Still, Mr. Hawes' state- 
ments on several points are sufficient, perhaps, to cause a 
misapprehension of the facts that might reflect both on 
the committee's good judgment and on the integrity of the 
owner of the winning boat. What Mr. Hawes insists 
upon in terming Little Rhody a "racing machine" is of 
small consequence, for, after all, what constitutes a 
healthy type of boat is largely a matter of personal 
opinion in many cases, and at all events that question is 
settled by the decision of the committee. The crew 
of Little Rhody were beyond suspicion of professionalism. 
Here are their pedigrees, presented for the enlightenment 
of those who may still entertain a lingering suspicion on 
that point: 
Charles F. Tillinghast, owner, graduate of Massachu- 
setts Institute of Technology, '95 ; in business in Provi- 
dence, R. I. 
James H. Thurston, Brown University, '06; lawyer in 
Providence, and representing the city in the Rhode Island 
Senate. 
George Owen, designer of Little Rhody, Massachusetts 
Institute of Technology, '94; formerly of Providence, re- 
cently engineer for the Hamilton Iron and Steel Com- 
pany, of Hamilton, Ont, and now with the General Elec- 
tric Company at Lynn, Mass. 
Irving O. Hunt, Brown University, '99; lawyer in 
Providence. 
S. Foster Hunt, navigator of Little Rhody, Brown Uni- 
versity, 1904; in business in Providence. 
George A. Fuller, Massachusetts Institute of Tech- 
nology, '97; home in Springfield, Mass., now with the 
Edison Electric Company, Boston. 
These men are all amateurs, although they have some 
knowledge of seamanship, as they proved, and they fin- 
ished the race on good time. F. H. Young. 
New Rochelle Y. C. Cruising Race* 
New Rochelle to Stratford Shoal. 
In the long distance race of New Rochelle Y. C, held 
on July 16, around Stratford Shoal and return, there were 
six starters ; La Cubana, yawl, J. H. Ives, Manhasset Bay 
Y. C, finished at 6:10 A. M., July 17, winning by a com- 
fortable margin over the yawl Sayonara, Commodore J. 
P. Donovan; H. T. Noyes's Ola third, J. B. Ricketts's 
Katherine fourth, and John Lambden's Gracie fifth. The 
Idler and Laddie Boy started, but they did not finish. 
The start was made at 3 :io P. M., and the times taken 
at the Stratford Light were: La Cubana, 7:10 P. M. ; 
Katherine, 8:00; Sayonara, 8:15 ; Ola, 8:32; Gracie, 9:10. 
A High Speed Cruiser.— Mr. Robert C. Fisher, N. Y. 
Y. C, expects to take possession of his new power yacht 
Aletes III. next week. She is from designs of Mr. Theo. 
E. Ferris, and was purchased from the Townsend-Downey 
Company through the agency of Stanley M. Seaman, New 
York. A 110 horse-power, six-cylinder Standard engine 
has been installed, and a speed of 17 miles an hour is 
looked for by the designer. She is 64ft. over all, lift, 
beam, 4ft. draft, and provides accommodations of pilot 
house, large engine room, two saloons, toilet room, galley, 
and cockpit. 
* *s «e 
A Correction. — One slight error appeared in Mr. 
Charles D, Mower's splendid story of the Brooklyn Y. 
C.'s ocean race and we are making a correction at the 
suggestion of Mr. Charles F. Tillinghast, owner of the 
winning boat, Little Rhody. It was stated that Little 
Rhody was entered from the Rhode Island Y. C, which 
was a mistake, for while Mr. Tillinghast is a member of 
that organization, the boat was really entered from the 
Bristol Y. C, which is Mr. Tillinghast's home club. 
K It R 
Adroit Sold. — Mr. Alfred G. Vanderbilt has purchased 
the high speed steam yacht Adroit (ex-Viven), which 
boat he has had under charter. She is 100ft. over all, 96ft. 
waterline,, raft, breadth, and 4ft. draft. 
