846 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Dec. 9, 1911. 
manager of Bell’s Life forget that his news¬ 
paper was first and foremost a business con¬ 
cern, and he could not be persuaded to accept 
a farthing for the insertion of it.—Yachtsman. 
Reducing Skin-Friction in Ships— 
Many suggestions have been put forward 
suggesting some method or another for reduc¬ 
ing the resistance to propulsion in ships and so 
secure a higher speed from a given power in 
a certain hull. The resistance to propulsion is 
(in a manner of writing) a three-fold one, be¬ 
ing composed of wave-making, eddy-making, 
and frictional resistance in more or less equal 
proportions. The modern hydroplane is really 
one of these suggestions; such vessels owe their 
diminution of resistance to the fact that their 
displacement is reduced to the absolute mini¬ 
mum when the boat is traveling above a cer¬ 
tain speed. One of the oldest suggestions is 
to pump air (through a suitably arranged sys¬ 
tem of piping) on to the wetted surface of the 
hull; it is a scheme which has been proposed 
several times and even rigged up in an experi¬ 
mental way. The latest development is that a 
provisional installation of this kind is to be 
fitted to the Belgian Government’s cross-chan¬ 
nel mail steamer, La Flandre, which has been 
placed at the disposal of the inventor—a certain 
M. Gustave Quannone—by the Belgian Ad¬ 
miralty. The inventor has been working on the 
scheme for over eight years and has had two 
full-sized installations at work already—one 
aboard a powerful tug and another on the 
Belgian Hydrographic Survey steamer, La 
Belgique. The trials of the latter boat proved 
sufficiently conclusive to induce the government 
to place a larger and faster vessel at the in¬ 
ventor’s disposal to- make further tests with a 
view to obtaining more conclusive data. Al¬ 
ready it has been clearly shown that a con¬ 
siderable economy is possible, even when all 
allowance be made for the power necessary to 
work the air-blowing machinery. The tests 
carried out on La Belgique showed something 
like 12 per cent, coal economy for the same 
speed when the air-blowing apparatus was 
working. The inventor’s contention is that if a 
film of air be interposed between the hull and 
the surrounding water the molecules of water 
immediately in contact with the hull cannot 
adhere to it and be dragged along by it. It is 
a known fact that this dragging along does take 
place; the film of water next the hull travels 
practically at the same speed as the ship; the next 
layer at a reduced speed, and so on outward for 
a certain distance until the water is no longer 
affected. 
—AND IN HYDROPLANES. 
Apart from the experiments to be conducted 
on a large steamer, the inventor is stated to be 
considering an installation on a fast motor 
launch of the displacement type. It is not im¬ 
probable altogether that modern hydroplanes 
owe some proportion of their phenomenal speed 
to the automatic interposition of a film of air 
between the hull and the surface of the water. 
Even the ordinary flat-bottomed “skimmer” 
most probably does so to a quite appreciable 
extent. This suggestion is confirmed, in a way, 
by a peculiarity in the build of one of our 
newest and fastest multi-step hydroplanes. Just 
aft of the vertical end of each step a couple of 
tubes are fitted, one on each side, which extend 
up inside the hull to well above the load water¬ 
line (if, indeed, a hydroplane can have a load 
waterline) and appear to serve no other pur¬ 
pose than either to prevent a vacuum forming 
just aft of each step or else to allow air to be 
sucked in—which amounts to very much the 
same thing. Just as lubricating a revolving 
shaft is nothing more than interposing a film 
of oil between the shaft and the bearing brasses, 
the blowing or aspiration of air along the 
wetted surface of the boat separates it from the 
water. If the tests show that for the same con¬ 
sumption of fuel an increase of speed can be 
obtained, there can hardly be any great objec¬ 
tion to the invention. The disadvantages ob¬ 
jected in the past have been that the piping 
on, or orifices in, the vessel’s skin would tend 
to show the boat and (more weighty, perhaps) 
that the air would form bubbles, which would 
cling to the sides of the vessel and interfere 
with the efficiency of the propeller. The last 
suggested disadvantage can apparently be got 
over by arranging the piping so that the air 
flows along the buttock lines, in a way, and 
comes to the surface underneath the ship’s 
counter and clear of the propeller. Anyway, 
the invention has received the official recog¬ 
nition of a government which is not given to 
precipitate action in this way and the tests on 
La Flandre are likely to be watched with great 
interest. 
Lipton and the Cup. 
The following report of the annual dinner of 
Temple Y. C. appears in Yachting World. Sec¬ 
retary John H. Clutton, in his speech, said, 
“that he was certain that all present were glad 
to welcome Sir Thomas Lipton, who was with 
them again that evening after an absence of 
several years. They were also glad to hear that 
Shamrock would be out again racing in the 23- 
meter class next season, and he trusted that 
there would be another addition to the class in 
the near future. With regard to the contest 
for the America’s Cup he had heard that there 
was a possibility that the New York Y. C. 
would accept Sir Thomas Lipton’s conditions 
for another contest, and should such prove to 
be the case he was certain that Sir Thomas 
would have the best wishes of the members of 
the club and all British yachtsmen for his 
success. 
“On being called upon, Sir Thomas Lipton 
said he was grateful for the kind words which 
Mr. Clutton had given expression to. He was 
very glad to be with his fellow members of the 
Royal Temple again. With regard to the 23- 
meter class he was looking forward to racing 
against White Heather next season. It would 
be impossible, he said, to find a better or more 
honorable gentleman to sail against than Myles 
B. Kennedy, the owner of White Heather. Like 
Mr. Clutton, he had reason to believe that there 
would be an early addition to the 23-meter class, 
and he did not need to tell them that it would 
be a welcome one. 
“He did not despair of being able, with the 
assistance of public opinion on both sides of 
the Atlantic, to induce the New York Y. C. to 
alter the conditions governing the America’s 
Cup so as to enable him to race with an equal 
chance. All he wanted was a sporting chance 
of winning. He asked for no favors and did 
not want any. He was willing to issue an¬ 
other challenge the moment the holders of the 
cup announced their willingness to adopt the 
universal rule of rating as the basis of the con¬ 
test. The universal rule had had the approval 
of all the leading clubs and yachtsmen in 
America, and he was authoritatively informed 
that they were solidly in favor of a contest 
under the simple and reasonable conditions he 
asked for. The only stumbling block in the way 
of another race for the cup was the New York 
Y. C., or rather a small section of its members.” 
A Royal Yachtswoman. 
The Princess of Pless, yachtswoman, is called 
the Sailor Princess of England. She has been 
fond of the sea ever since she was a child. The 
princess has a yacht of her own, and has 
traveled along the coast of Europe and through 
the Suez Canal. She can handle the yacht with 
as much skill as her licensed captain. She 
knows the coast line of Europe well, and is 
familiar with the winds and the tides and the 
ocean currents. In her traveling she has picked 
up a fund of sea lore. By her study of the 
stars and navigation she has won a pilot’s 
license. Her fondness for the sea has caused 
her to gather a library of books dealing with 
the sea. She has a collection of poetry telling 
of the deeds of sailors, and she has memorized 
famous songs and lyrics of the sea. 
Muskegon (Mich.) Y. C. 
The Muskegon Y. C., on the ways for many 
months, has been launched. With one of the 
best harbors on the lake and with fine facilities, 
Muskegon has been without a yacht club for 
years. When the Muskegon Country Club was 
organized, a finely equipped boat house was 
built on Muskegon Lake. The idea of estab¬ 
lishing a yacht club in conjunction with the 
Country Club was approved. Members of the 
Country Club were also to be members of the 
yacht club as the Country Club furnished the 
boat house. The plan has been talked over for 
several months and finally officers for the 
new club were elected as follows: Com¬ 
modore, Harry Nelson, Eric Zachau; Captain, 
W. J. Bachelder; Secretary, George Wood- 
stock; Treasurer, M. E. Saunier. 
Club Elections. 
BENSONHURST Y. C. 
Commodore, G. R. Le Sauvage, sloop Joy; 
Vice-Commodore, Dr. C. L. Atkinson, sloop 
Cyrie; Rear-Commodore, H. A. Robbins, yawl 
Waukau; Secretary, W. W. Roberts; Treasurer, 
William Wilson; Measurer, Alfred Mackay; 
Board of Directors—C. B. Clayton, R. W. 
Rummell, J. W. Cherrie, Robert Dingman, C. 
H. Basler, R. B. Moore, W. M. Kettner; Dele¬ 
gate, Y. R. A., G. B.—H. D. Scribner; Dele¬ 
gates, A. P. B. A.—Samuel Cochrane, Walter 
M. Bieling; Regatta Committee—J. F. Doutney, 
W. V. Collins, H. D. Scribner; Auditing Com¬ 
mittee, F. L. Billingham, H. Hawkins; Nomi¬ 
nating Committee—George L. Beston (chair¬ 
man), D. S. Holcomb, F. L. Billingham, A. H. 
Hawkins, C. W. MacKrell. 
ARTHUR BINNEY 
(Formerly Stewart & Binney) 
Naval Architect and Yacht Broker 
Masen Building, Kilby Street, BOSTON, MASS. 
Cable Addre»», “Designer,” Boston 
COX STEVENS 
Yacht Brokers and Naval Architects 
15 William Street - New York 
Telephones 1375 and 1376 Broad 
GIELOW ORR 
Naval Architects, Engineers and Yacht Brokers 
Plans, Specifications and Estimates furnished for Construction 
Alteration and Repairs. Large list of Yachts for Sale, 
Charter or Exchange; also Commercial Vessels. 
52 BROADWAY Telephone 4673 Broad NEW YORK 
Hollis Burgess Yacht Agency 
15 Exchange Street, Boston, Mass. 
Telephone 23 Main 
SAILING, STEAM, GASOLENE AND AUXILIARY YACHT* 
OF EVERY TYPE AND SIZE FOR SALE AND CHARTER 
Mail 10 cents in stamps Jar a Copy oj our 
Magazine and Catalogue. _ 
YACHT and BOAT SAILING 
1 By the late Dijeon K.emp 
Tenth edition. Published 1904. We have a copy in 
fairly good condition, published at $12, which we will 
sell for $9.00. 
FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO. 
Canvas Canoes and How to Build Them 
By PARKER B. FIELD 
The book gives very precise instructions by which a 
man with ordinary mechanical bent may build a service¬ 
able canoe at slight cost—a plan and all working direc¬ 
tions. Paper, 50 cents. 
FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO. 
