FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Oct. 13, 1906. 
582 
THE POWER BOAT RULES. 
There has been much complaint since the end 
of the power boat racing season, that the rules 
formulated some two years ago, and adopted by 
the American Power Boat Association, are in¬ 
adequate and unfair. 
There have been protests, and their decision 
has brought up questions that seemed out of the 
reach of the committee to solve. The power of 
the boats produced under the rules is very much 
an unknown quantity. The handicaps have elimi¬ 
nated, before many of the races, some of the 
largest and fastest boats. These large boats- are 
in many cases better adapted to test and show, 
for purposes either of commerce or of pleasure, 
the possibilities of explosive motors. Under the 
rules some of the 6o-footers would, according to 
their ratings, have to make forty or fifty miles 
speed to beat a 25-footer with a 20 horsepower 
engine. All this is ridiculous. That the racing 
of power boats is not as popular to-day as it was 
hoped it would be, is not denied. Many people 
interested in boating willingly would have taken 
to power boats, but for the idle talking, and 
promises of great but never realized speeds. 
Fortunately the meeting of the Motor Boat 
Club and A. P. B. A., on the Hudson, changed 
by its success a result which would not have 
looked very bright along with the summer’s 
record of yachting under sail. 
The power question is one that cannot be 
dodged. Moreover, it is time it should be fairly 
looked at for its own sake. The power derived 
from an explosive motor as applied to driving 
hulls, may be said to apply in four distinct ways: 
To supply a low auxiliary power to sailing ves¬ 
sels. To appjy power to open or semi open boats 
or launches. For power in trading boats and for 
racing. 
T hese four uses seem to cover all the purposes 
that can be conceived of for this machine. It 
is manifest that the small power is the one in 
greatest demand because of its- economy of fuel, 
convenience and simplicity of parts. 
For racing purposes big engines of extreme 
lightness and strength are required; they must 
also be reliable, assuming conditions of good 
management. 
The racing boat is light. It must be to obtain 
the greatest ratio of horsepower to displacement. 
Every boat in the speed class should be cut to 
the last inch, then when something goes, it can 
be traced to its proper cause. We do not recom¬ 
mend recklessness, but we want to see better 
watermanship and less beating of the rule, more 
faithful attention to mechanical perfection in 
design of hull and engine. We want a rule, under 
which the winning of a prize by a boat may 
demonstrate to the public that such an engine, or 
boat or combination of both, is good,, safe and 
reliable. A revision of the present rules in the 
light of data now available should clarify the 
situation. It will place the maker, builder, in¬ 
dividual and the clubs in a better condition even 
than they enjoy at this time, and help an in¬ 
dustry which, though promising some develop¬ 
ments and improvements in the future, has come 
to stay, and has earned in the last ten years a 
place for a legitimate product and one invaluable 
in the pursuit of trade, exploration and pleasure. 
Let us then get at the rule, bravely, for the 
betterment’ of our motors and boats, that they 
may take their place as they should, -as safe, 
reliable and cheap contrivances to do their work 
under a rule which takes fair account of the 
dimensions and power and will yet not stifle 
competition. 
Boston Letter. 
Mr. Louis B. Goodspeed, secretary of the Eigh- 
teen-Foot Knockabout Association, has called a 
meeting of that association for Tuesday, Oct. 
9. Efforts will be made to revive interest in the 
class with the hope that it will once more re¬ 
gain its high estate. The boats are too well 
known to need a description, or a recapitulation 
of the class restrictions, at this time. They were 
admittedly a perfect success in the results which 
they were planned to obtain—the,y were easily 
handled, comfortable boats for afternoon sail¬ 
ing and speedy little racers. It is hard to con¬ 
ceive of any material changes in the rules that 
would be an all-ronnd improvement. More sail 
might make them faster, but would surely make 
them more of the scow type; heavier construc¬ 
tion would be advantageous, but would handicap 
any new boats. Possibly by limiting the ex¬ 
penses the boats might regain popularity—this 
might be done by prohibiting the use of hollow 
spars, limiting the number of times a boat might 
be hauled out for cleaning and painting, barring- 
professionals from the crew, as well as from act¬ 
ing as helmsman (which is at present the only 
restriction on professionals), allowing the use 
of balloon jibs as well as spinnakers, thus per¬ 
mitting a wider range of judgment in sail selec¬ 
tion, and prohibiting double-planking and the 
use of mahogany for planking. 
The cause tor the waning interest in the class 
has not been, due, however, to any particular 
fault with the boats. They have merely gone 
out of fashion. It was the same story with the 
21 ft. knockabouts, the raceabouts, and the cat- 
boats. Racing classes are subject to as many 
whims and passing fancies as is milady’s dress. 
Then, too, as the rules of any class come to be 
understood, the boats approach a mono-type in 
design, a little knot of expert helmsmen corral 
all the prizes and their less experienced compet¬ 
itors (or those with less time to ddvote to 
tuning-up their boats) scarcely get a look in at 
the money. But with the more prominent 
helmsmen all interested in the sonderklasse and 
about to become enthusiastic over class Q, per¬ 
haps this is the very time to resuscitate class I. 
Just as the whirligig of fashion swings into new 
favor some old forgotten style, so the Cape cat- 
boat, after a long period of unpopularity, again 
reached its former prominence. Why not the 
18ft. knockabout association? The wares that 
it offers are wholesome, attractive and meri¬ 
torious, their prices are reasonable; let us hope 
that they will find a good market. 
A certain member of the Boston Y. C., whose 
name is inevitably linked with its Hull station, 
is endeavoring to organize a one-design class 
of 15-footers to revive the racing at Hull. The 
move is commendable, especially as the intent 
is to provide a wholesome model with a fair 
amount of outside ballast and of either the keel 
or compromise type. The Massachusetts Y. R. 
A. class of restricted 15-footers, formulated in 
the autumn of 1903, never attained popularity, 
chiefly because of the extreme features possible 
in the hull and the somewhat excessive rig. As 
there is then no desirable class of this size to be 
built for. and as a one-designed class can be 
built with the most economy, there is every 
reason to believe that the plan may be success¬ 
fully realized. It is a “consummation devoutly 
to be wished” in order that Hull may again 
witness the keen racing that she saw in 1901, 
1902, 1903 and 1904, but which was very nearly 
extinguished last summer. 
The air is vibrant with orders for designers, 
and the yards are already beginning to show 
signs of activity. Lawley has commenced work 
on the Crane 1.40ft. steel auxiliary schooner. 
He is about to close orders for a 110ft. and a 
90ft. schooner, one designed by A. S. Cheese- 
boro, and is figuring on an 85ft. fast steam yacht 
of the Scout type. With these, a number of 
smaller boats, a 60ft. now nearing completion, 
and a probable 86ft. auxiliary, the Lawley coj- 
poration bids fair to begin the winter with 
orders amounting to $1,000,000. 
Messrs. Small Bros, have every reason to an¬ 
ticipate a busy winter. They now have orders 
for an 81 ft. auxiliary schooner for a Chicago 
yachtsman, a 22ft. yawl for A. M. Blinn, Esq., 
of Boston, a 60ft. power cruiser for a Mr. 
Asseleck. of Toronto, a 25ft. sloop for use in 
Maine by a Mr. Pratt, a 35ft. cabin power launch 
and a, class A boat for Lake Geneva, 38ft. over 
all, 26ft. waterline, and having 500 sq. ft. of 
sail. The marked success on the Great Lakes 
this summer of their 1904 designed 21-footer 
Spray in winning the practical championship 
of her class over the new boats should increase 
their hold on Western business and bring them 
many new orders. 
William Lambart Barnard. 
The Quincy Cup. 
Commenting on the account of the Quincy cup 
affair,' as given in our Boston Letter, Mr. S. 
N. Small, a member of the firm of Small Bros., 
of Boston, writes: “We wish to call your at¬ 
tention to the articles published in your B’oston 
Letter by W. L. Barnard, describing in a biased 
way the races for the Quincy cup at Manchester. 
Mr. W. L. Barnard writes a very unfair and unjust 
criticism of Windrim Kid, my brother, J. F. 
Small, who saiTed her in these races, and her 
owner, F. G. Macomber. Our yachtsmen in 
Boston and vicinity will tell you that there is 
no fairer racing man in the game than J. F. 
Small, or one who knows the rules better, 01 
whose word is more respected. There is also 
no fa'rer sporting yachtsman than F. U. 
Macomber; and there is no faster boat in the 
sonderklasse than. Windrim Kid, designed by us. 
In reference to the protest that Mr. Barnard 
lays so much stress upon, it was adjusted fairly 
and as it should have been, by fair men who 
had heard evidence and decided the matter from 
a right interpretation of the rules, which rules 
are properly made for the sake of the sport and 
to protect each boat from unfair tactics. It is 
the man who sails unfairly who should be 
criticized, instead of the victim of such fouls— 
that is why the rules are made and enforced. 
“S. N. Small.” 
This having been referred to our corre¬ 
spondent, ’Mr. Barnard writes: 
It was with the most sincere regret and the 
utmost hesitation that I wrote my criticism 01 
the Quincy cup controversy. I was tempted to 
gloss over the affair or to dismiss it with scant 
attention—as did the daily papers. I had no 
desire to alienate the friendliness of men who 
stand well in our yachting world, and whom 1 
have many reasons to admire. But I felt, and 
