§0 
FOREST AND STHEAM.' 
tOct. t, 1904- 
British Letter, 
The negotiations between Sir Thomas Lipton and the 
New York Y. C. are apparently at a standstill. 
Naturally everybody in this country who understands 
the dimculties which the old rule imposed upon the de- 
signers of recent Cup challengers, is anxious that the 
next races should be sailed under the new rating rule, 
and the reason for this is obvious. The old rule en- 
couraged such a thoroughly bad type of boat, from every 
point of view except that of actual speed, that it was 
considered imperative in the interests of American yacht- 
ing to alter the formula and place such restrictions upon 
the skimming dish type — of which Reliance is by no 
means the most extreme example — as would effectually 
give the death-blow 7 to any future attempt to produce 
such unseaworthy and dangerous vessels. This being the 
case, it seems hardly fair that a rating rule which has 
received such sweeping condemnation should be kept 
alive for use in what is far more important than any 
inter-club fixture, namely, an international series of races. 
Whichever rule is used, the advantages are all on the 
side of the defenders, but if the old rule is adhered to, 
it would simply mean that the challenger's chances 
of success are nil. Even supposing Reliance were con- 
sidered good enough to defend the Cup, it is evident that 
the challenging boat must be of a more extreme type 
still to have any reasonable prospect of winning. Such 
a boat, however, would be quite unfit to make the passage 
across the Atlantic, and from what one can gather, 
neither of our leading designers will undertake the de- 
sign. Matters seem, therefore, at present to be at a 
deadlock, but it is persistently rumored that Sir Thomas 
is so anxious to race again that he will sail under the old 
rule rather than not at all. The general opinion on this 
side is that he would be very ill advised to do so, and it 
is hoped that the difficulty of enlisting one of our leading 
designers into his service will not be overcome unless 
the New York Y. C. agrees, in common fairness, to 
future races being sailed under the present rule of 
measurement. It has never yet been definitely stated that 
the club wall not agree to this, but apparently it will not 
give its decision until a challenge has been forwarded. 
If this is the case, the best course for Sir Thomas Lipton 
to pursue would be to issue the challenge, and if he finds 
the races are to be sailed under the old rules, he can 
withdraw it. The latest rumor is that Mr. Watson, with 
whom Sir Thomas has been in consultation for some 
time past, has definitely declined to undertake the work 
of designing a new challenger. If this be true, and Mr. 
Fife also cries off, then the soundest plan would be to 
postpone all ideas of the contest until a more favorable 
opportunity arises. Some people are in favor of one of 
our younger designers being given a cfrance, and Mr. 
Mylne's name has been freely mentioned. It is, however, 
too big a jump for a man, no matter how clever he may 
be, to thus suddenly bridge the gap between a 52-footer 
and a 90-footer, and it is very doubtful^ whether Mr. 
Mylne would undertake such a responsibility. That Mr. 
Watson's pupil is a very able naval architect, there can 
be no doubt whatever; but so far his efforts have been 
chieflv confined to the small classes on the Clyde, the 
South Coast one-design boats, the Clyde one-design 20- 
ton class, and a couple of 52-footers. We have only two 
men capable of turning out such large cutters — Watson 
and Fife, the former of whom has turned out one boat 
as good as her opponent — namely, Shamrock II. — and 
another which would have been a great deal better had 
she not been fiddled about with just before she left Eng- 
land. The latter boat referred to is of course Valkyrie 
II. In her first season, 1893, she beat Britannia twice 
out of every three times they met, and yet she was 
altered just before she crossed the Atlantic to meet Vigi- 
lant without any trial having been made to see whether 
she was an improved boat or not. The result was dis- 
astrous, although, tinkered up as she was, she would have 
beaten Vigilant in the last race had it not been for the 
tearing of her spinnakers in the run home. When Vigi- 
lant came over to British waters the following year, she 
met more than her match in Britannia, which was mani- 
festly an inferior boat to Valkyrie II., and the last named 
boat showed by her poor sailing in 1904 how nr.ich she 
had been spoilt the previous year by the iil advised 
alterations. Fife has never produced a boat so neirly 
equal to the Cup defender she had to meet, but, like Wat- 
son, he has had plenty of experience, and has, like him, 
been over to watch the races, and it is to one or other 
of these men that Sir Thomas Lipton naturally looks 
for the lines of his new boat. It is to be hoped that all 
difficulties may yet be swept away, and that a new chal- 
lenge will be issued under conditions which will put the 
challenging side on more equal terms with the d Tenders 
than has been the case during the past few years. 
The West of England regattas began this year well and 
ended badly. Quite a respectable gathering of boats 
graced Weymouth Bav on the occasion of the Royal 
Dorset Y. C. regatta on August 20, though much disap- 
pointment was expressed at the absence of the South 
Coast one-design class which had been catered for right 
away on to Plymouth. Unfortunately a light, unsteady 
wind prevailed at Weymouth, and there was some fiuk- 
ing Rosamond and Merrymaid found a lucky start 
which put them far ahead of White Heather at the be- 
ginning of the race and so enabled Rosamond to save her 
time for first prize, Merrymaid taking second and Creole 
third In the 52ft. class, Maymon sailed in her peerless 
light weather style, and in spite of a big fluke which put 
Lucida in the van, the new boat wore her down and won 
handsomely. With the exception of Gauntlet, the ex-S2ft. 
cla^s finished up the season at this regatta. The six big 
handicap boats which had sailed at Weymouth went on 
to Torquay, as did the four 52-footers. A hard wind 
rrrang up on August 22 at the Town regatta shortly 
after racing commenced, and one of the mark boats 
broke adrift, so that the big race was rendered null and 
void. Creole lost her bowsprit and Merrymaid her spin- 
naker boom in the squalls. Maymon won the 52ft. race, 
Lucida taking second prize. The big race was re-sailed 
011 August 24, Zinita winning in a light air, with Rosa- 
mond second and White Heather third. On August 23 
the regatta of the Royal Torley Y. C. was carried 
through in light airs. The big handicap boats were split 
into two divisions, exceeding 100 tons and over 50, but 
not more than 100 Ions Thames measurement; White 
Heather won the first race and Zinita the second. May- 
mon gave another inimitable display of light weather 
sailing in the 52ft. class, Moyana taking second prize. 
There was only one day at Dartmouth this year, August 
26, the regatta of the Royal Dart Y. C, where there 
were matched for two classes the big handicap boats and 
52-footers. White Heather sailed the forty miles at an 
average pace of 1 1.5 knots, but in such a quickly sailed 
race she could not save her time from the others. Rosa- 
mond, Valdora, and Merrymaid being the prize winners. 
Lucida had left for home, but the other three 52-footers 
were joined by Gauntlet. They sailed a very close race, 
Maymon beating Moyana by im., which in turn defeated 
Gauntlet by im. 40s. The subsequent channel races from 
Dartmouth to Plymouth and the regattas at Plymouth, 
do not call for comment, excepting to say that they were 
not as successful as might have been hoped, owing to the 
scarcity of yachts there. The season on the whole has 
been more successful than was anticipated, and the 
weather has been quite exceptionally fine throughout. 
E. H. Kelly. 
Seawanhaka Cotmthian Y. C. 
Oyster Bay, Long Island Sound — Saturday, Sept. 17. 
The day set aside for a club reunion was Saturday, 
Sept. 17, 'and a goodly number of the older members 
of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Y. C. turned out. The 
gathering was an interesting one, as many of those 
on hand have been closely identified with the history 
and development of American yachting. 
The races for the 15-footers, in which only the older 
members could participate, were the star attraction. 
The race sailed in the morning was for the Alfred 
Roosevelt memorial cup. The wind was very light from 
the S.W., and the actual racing was anything but ex- 
citing. The interest was not allowed to lag, for the 
participants and the onlookers, who followed the racing 
boats in launches, kept up a running fire of suggestions 
and comments. 
The boats covered a 6^-mile course. Cayenne was 
first around the outer mark. On the next leg Bairn, 
Sabrina and Chipmonk were all dangerous at times. 
Cayenne managed to hold the lead and she finished a 
winner by 27s. Bairn was second. The morning race 
was for members who joined the club previous to 1883. 
The summary: 
Special race fcr old members who joined prior to 1883; inside 
course, 6% miles. Start, 11:05: 
Boat. Crew. Helmsman. Finish. 
Cayenne— Wm. Foulke, Chas. E. Willis 2 19 04 
Bairn— J. W. Beekman, F. de P. Foster 2 19 31 
Sabrina— C. A. Sherman, H. W. Eaton 2 19 46 
Chipmonk— Thos. S. Young, J.r., Fred Tarns 2 20 34 
Fly— W. E. Roosevelt, J. E. Roosevelt 2 20 59 
The afternoon race was open to members who joined 
between 1883 and 1893. The boats covered the same 
course, but under different conditions, as the wind had 
increased to a fresh sailing breeze. 
Cayenne proved herself quite as smart in a fresh 
breeze as in a drift and romped away from her com- 
petitors. She was im. 45s. ahead at the outer mark. 
Bairn fouled the mark and was disqualified. Cayenne 
won by im. 57s. Imp was second. The summary: 
Afternoon race for members who joined between 1883 and 1S93. 
Inside course, 6% miles. Start, 3:35. Wind S.W., fresh: 
Boat Crew. Helmsman. Finish. 
Caynne— McG. G. Foster, R. W. Gibson 5 04 38 
Imp— C. A. Sherman, C. W. Wetmore 5 06 35 
Bairn-Alfred Ely, W. C. Kerr 5 07 54 
Sabrina— H. C. Rouse, Colgate Hoyt 5 08 30 
Bobs— W. A. W. Stewart, A. P. Stokes 5 09 31 
Fly — R. A. C. Smith, W. J. Matcheson 5 14 10 
At the .annual dinner given after the race all hands 
gathered around- the festive board. The losers _ ex- 
plained why they didn't win, and the winners explained 
why they couldn't lose. The whole event was a great 
success, and the affairs of the club were brought to a 
close for another season. 
YACHTING NEWS NOTES. 
was accompanied by his wife and daughter and Mr. Lew 
Freeman. Lurline left San Pedro on February 15 last. 
Their first stop at Honolulu was made only after a voy- 
age in exceedingly rough weather. Quite a long stay was 
made at Honolulu, and the remainder of the time was 
spent in cruising arOr.r.d the islands. Leaving the 
Hawaiian group, the party sailed to the little-visited Mar- 
quesas Islands, and thence Lurline wended her way 
among the Society Islands, tarrying at Papete, the chief 
port of quaint and distant Tahiti. An interesting sojourn 
was made among the Fiji group, and also a call at Apia, 
German Samoa. 
A New Phase of the Case. 
He took the lady in his boat ; 
She was a buxom neighbor. 
She said : "It's really capital." 
He muttered, "It is labor." 
— Washington Star. 
$xnaqittg< 
For advertising relating to this department see pages ii »nd iii. 
Orders for New Designs.— Orders for designs re- 
cently received bv William H. Hand, Jr., of New Bed- 
ford, Mass., include the following: A 26ft. launch for 
Mr. J. Parker, of Mobile, Ala., for use in Buzzard's Bay; 
a35ft.W. L. (55ft. over all) cruising sloop for A. R. Meyer, 
of Kansas City ; a 17ft W. L. catboat for Oliver Ricket- 
scn, of Pittsburg, Pa., for use in Buzzard's Bay; an 18- 
footer for E. P. Hussey, M.D., of Buffalo, N. Y. ; an 18- 
footer for Edw. P. Hendrick, of Portsmouth, N. H. ; 
and a racing keel sloop to rate at 19ft. under the N. Y. 
Y. C. rule for George Stiinkel, of Wiborg, Finland. 
H H < 
Ingomar Arrives.— The American schooner Ingomar, 
owned by Mr. Morton F. Plant, arrived at New London, 
Conn., at nine o'clock Friday morning, September 23. 
She was 25 days out from Southampton, which port she 
left on Monday, August 29. Actual time of passage 
was 24 days, 22 hours, 37 minutes. Bad weather was en- 
countered pretty much all the voyage, and she was hove 
to on several occasions. The log-book gives the days' runs 
as follows: August 29, 129; August 30, 133; August 31, 
124; September 1, 124; September 2, 165; September 3, 
95; September 4, 100; September 5, 80; September 6, 78; 
September 7, 137; September 8, 84; September 9, 182; 
September 10, 130; September 11, 95; September 12, 75; 
September 13, 73! September 14, 73; September 15, 159! 
September 16, 158; September 17, 56; September 18, 80; 
September 19, 156; September 20, 190; September 21, 218; 
September 22, 237; September 23, 126. Ingomar is now 
being put out of commission, and she will be hauled out 
and put in winter quarters at the Riverside Shipyard. 
* * * 
Schooner Lurline Arrives at San Pedro. — The 
schooner yacht Lurline, owned by Captain H. H. Sinclair, 
arrived at San Pedro, Cab, on September 11, after a six 
months' cruise in the Pacific. Lurline is 75ft. long and 
21.2ft. breadth; for such a small boat she has given a 
remarkably good account of herself. Captain Sinclair 
A. G A, Meet. 
The twenty-fifth annual camp of the American Canoe 
Association, held at Sugar Island, in the St. Lawrence, 
Aug. 5 to 19, marked another step in the progress of 
the A. C. A., being with one exception the largest camp 
on record, and, better still, being a camp where people 
stayed from start to finish, rather than merely "flitting" 
into camp and out again. 
It also marked an epoch in the Association's history, 
in that the executive committee re-elected the outgoing 
commodore, C. Fred Wolters, of Rochester, the first 
time that this has ever been done. It proved two things; 
that a man can be commodore and still have enough 
canoeing enthusiasn to assume the burden again, after 
the arduous duties prior to and during camp; and that 
the confidence reposed in Commodore Wolters last 
year was not misplaced. Seldom, if ever, have the men 
of the A. C. A. been so lucky in their choice of an 
executive, and if the sentiment of the camp just over 
counts for anything, 1905 will see probably the largest 
and best camp in the Association's history, with C. Fred 
Wolters at the helm again. 
The arrangement of camp was about as last year, 
except that the officers made their own camps where 
they pleased, and thus did away with the bothersome 
idea of official headquarters tents. Instead, there were 
but three tents at headquarters — the commodore's, the 
secretary-treasurer's and the store tent, where the 
ever-active and genial camp-site committee man, H. W. 
Breitenstein, made his headquarters. These tents, were 
in use by day, but at night officers and men all camped 
where they chose, making the various club centers far 
more attractive than they would otherwise have been. 
The committees were efficient, and all plans for the 
success of the camp were certainly carried out as well 
as they have ever been. 
The racing suffered for want of competitors, for the 
prizes were well chosen and the Regatta Committee 
worked hard for the success of the annual races, and it 
was not their fault that so few toed the mark in response 
to their husky megaphoned calls for entries. The entry 
of several open canoes with considerably less than 60 
sq. ft. sail area marked a new departure in the three 
"record" races, although the record, itself, was won by 
the regulation type of sailing craft — i6ft.x3oin.' The 
two open canoes that finished in all three races, how- 
ever, did well, and more of this class of racing may con- 
fidently be expected next year. Reg. Blomfield, of 
Toronto, carried off the paddling honors, being the 
best man by all odds that has attended camp in almost 
a decade. The sailing trophy was won by F. C. Moore, 
of N. Y. C. C. and the Dolphin trophy by D. B. Good- 
sell, of the same club. 
The mess arrangements were excellent, but while the 
general mess forms a central meeting place for the 
campers at large, and is for that reason a good idea, 
more than ever this year was noticed the disposition of 
the men to mess for themselves, and with the results 
of their day's fishing and the supplies from the camp 
store — the best one ever run at camp — those who 
camped for themselves lived well. 
All in all, Sugar Island in 1904 was a great big suc- 
cess — thanks to the officers and committees and to that 
never-failing spirit of good-fellowship that permeates 
the entire body politic of the A. C. A. This year saw 
a few of the old-timers who had failed to- show up 
last year — R. J. Wilkin, President of the Board of 
Governors; F. G. Mather, the "Last of the Mohicans;" 
Frank G. Palmer, of the N. Y. C. C, fresh from Bocas 
del Toro, Panama, and others were warmly welcomed 
. back to the fold. 
So long as officers are chosen with discretion and 
members do their share toward the success of camp, 
just so long will the Annual Camp be the Mecca of the 
summer for its jolly fellows and pretty girls, and so long 
will it stand for all that is clean and wholesome in the 
way of sport and recreation. 464. 
Proposed Amendment. 
Rochester, N. Y., Sept. 25. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
I hereby give notice that at the annual meeting of the 
American Canoe Association, I shall move to amend the 
constitution as follows : 
Article VI., Section 1, to read : "Executive Committee. 
In each Division there shall be elected one member for 
the first one hundred or fraction thereof, one member for 
the second hundred or fraction thereof," etc. If a 
Division has 90 members it shall be entitled to one mem- 
ber of Executive Committee, and if 390, it shall be en- 
titled to four members, and so on. 
This article has long been subject to different interpre- 
tations, and I propose this change to make it more 
definite. 
John S. Wright, 
