io 3 o FOREST AND STREAM. (Dec. 29, 1906. 
RETROSPECT. 
With the closing of this year of grace and 
the beginning of a new at hand, a look back¬ 
ward over the season's sport is of interest. 
Certainly since the real close of yachting, when 
the boats were laid up and the crews paid, much 
has been accomplished that gives indication of 
even a better season in 1907. The summer’s 
racing, and interest therein has been manifest, 
many hard fought contests are recorded; and 
even though the glamor of former races, cast 
by time on all great events, is very bright, this 
season in no way suffers by comparison with 
those that have gone before. The season was 
one of very real excitement and interest. 
The cruisers came in for their innings. Cruis¬ 
ing and long distance races, either by sail or 
power, were not the least interesting events. 
This school of amateur sailor men is growing —- 
men of short purses, but of an ability that stops 
neither at discomfort nor work. To refrain 
from mentioning the Block Island race, would 
be to overlook an event that attracted many 
and proved very successful. The island itself 
is interesting in aspect — a miniature Ireland 
close at home and an ideal spot for the goal 
in a race for small vessels manned by Corinthians. 
Recreation-loving people have taken to the 
water in the past season as at no other time in 
the history of our country, and this has been 
possible only through the inexpensive means 
provided by many flourishing concerns all over 
the country whose products have led many 
further upon the rivers, lakes and arms of the 
sea than could have been accomplished by any¬ 
thing else than a motor boat or dory. The uni¬ 
versal rule has come at last, and bids fair to 
place yachting from a racing point of view in 
its proper sphere and deprive the one-design 
classes of some of the great popularity they en¬ 
joyed as a result of the chaotic conditions in 
the question of rating yachts. The prospects 
for the new year are bright. 
The publication of the conditions of the sail¬ 
ing and power races to Bermuda has aroused 
much interest of a kind that will produce entries 
and results which will be of great value in the 
construction of both boats and motors. 
The motor has grown in popularity, and a great 
deal of time and energy has been expended in 
its development. But it will not be till spring, 
at the time of the shows, that the manufacturers 
will permit us to look upon the result of their 
labors. As far as the vessels or yachts them¬ 
selves are concerned, the art has progressed, for 
we see in the drawings of some of the fine ships 
building a better conception of artistic merit and 
a better appreciation of the engineering possibil¬ 
ities. There are many things about a vessel, 
however, that are never seen or appreciated ex¬ 
cept in bad weather, and that is behavior 
under adverse conditions. This point is receiving 
attention, and the seagoing abilities, of our re¬ 
cent yachts are far superior to many of the pro¬ 
ductions of previous years. Taken all in all, the 
retrospect is satisfactory. We have made way 
toward a goal of high ideals and thorough ac¬ 
complishment. We might wish closer relations 
between yachtsmen, but that, too, will come, for 
as in all other sports, numbers have proved 
strength, and by biding our time the fraternity 
of yachtsmen will come to its own. 
In bidding this good year farewell, we do not 
do so with any sorrow. We have moved on a 
step in the right direction, which cannot but be 
pleasant to remember, each having done his part 
in the advancement of a great and good sport 
that makes better men of those who are its 
devotees. 
Henrietta, Fleetwing and Vesta. 
By permission of the New York Y. C. and its 
model committee, composed of Mr. Albert Brad- 
lee Hunt, Mr. Paul Eve Stevenson, and Mr. 
James D. Sparkman, Forest and Stream pub-* 
lishes the photograph and deck plans of the 
models of the yachts that took part in the fist 
ocean race sailed between New York and the 
Needles. The race came as the result of a dis¬ 
cussion of the merits of Fleetwing, owned by 
Messrs. George and Franklin Osgood, and Vesta, 
owned by Mr. Pierre Lorillard, the owners of 
both yachts being members of the New York 
Y. C. The race to determine the superiority of 
the yachts was for a stake of $30,000 a side, the 
race taking place from New York on Dec. 11. it 
being agreed that at this season a better test of 
the yachts would be obtained. No sooner than 
the conditions had been made known, Mr. James 
Henrietta. • Fleetwing and Vesta. 
FINISHED MODELS AT THE NEW YORK Y. C. 
