FOREST AND STREAM 
May 25, 1912 
GG6 
Yacht Columbia a Houseboat. 
With her polished decks denuded of spars 
and her keel removed, the old schooner yacht 
Columbia, one-time defender of America’s Cup, 
is now rated as a houseboat and owned by a 
Baltimorian. This old ship, built in 1871, a 
testimonial to the grade of workmanship to be 
had at that time, is in perfect repair. She is 
owned by Charles A. Tucker, and is his perma¬ 
nent summer residence. 
American Power Boat Association. 
On May 15 the American Power Boat Associ¬ 
ation went into session at the Waldorf, New 
York, and after ten hours’ debating, voted to 
establish a commission for power boat racing. 
This commission shall have control of all rac¬ 
ing matters, and shall harmonize the conflicting 
interests and methods of racing throughout the 
country; shall tabulate and record all events for 
reference, inspection, and use of every club rep¬ 
resented in the board; shall adjust the represen¬ 
tation on an equitable basis and shall extend 
its membership to include the adoption of rules 
for measurement, classification, rating, and con¬ 
trol the whole field for the government of trials 
of speed and endurance between them, and dis¬ 
putes arising therefrom. In short, every branch 
of racing shall eventually be brought under the 
jurisdiction of this commission, and it shall have 
complete sway of all matters relating to its field 
This commission shall have absolute power and 
independence of action. On this basis only can 
an effective organization for control operate 
for the best interests of the \vhole sport. 
The simplification of all racing rules and the 
division of boats, with proper definitions as to 
the types, occupied the attention of the council 
until nearly midnight. The definition included 
the cruisers, open boats, racers, and hydro¬ 
planes. Under the new rules any boat is eligible 
to compete against a hydroplane, but the latter 
is not permitted to enter the same class as the 
cruisers, open boats, and racers or any other 
displacement boat. The hydroplane is now di¬ 
vided into four classes in accordance with the 
over-all length. These classes are 20, 26. 32 and 
40 feet. Anv boat is permitted to race with 
boats of gre'ater length, but no boat will m 
future be allowed to compete with boats of less 
over-all length without handicap. This ruling 
gives owners of boats a chance to compete with 
larger boats if they desire to do so, but pro¬ 
tects the smaller boat from unjust handicapping. 
No restrictions have been placed on beam or 
horsepower, and the class is regulated by length 
only. Should the owner of a three-cylinder boat 
desire to race against a boat of double horse¬ 
power he can do so under American Power 
Boat Association reasonable rules. 
In order to prevent future disputes, the 
seniority of the vice-presidents have been de¬ 
termined. The seniority will apply according 
to date of application for admission of section, 
giving the oldest section the right to the first 
vice-presidency, and continued down the line. 
At present there are three sections, with two 
forming, and the new vice-presidents are: 
First Vice-President. Charles M. English, One 
Thousand Islands; Second Vice-President, Al¬ 
fred F. Dohn, Buffalo, and Third Vice-Presi¬ 
dent, Dr. C. S. Street, Delaware Y. R. A. This 
establishes the date of entry and gives the oldest 
sections the right of seniority according to ex¬ 
perience. The fourth and fifth of the vice-presi¬ 
dents will be appointed according to the appli¬ 
cation from the two sections to be formed. 
The deed of gift of the Gold challenge cup 
race has been extended to allow any boat under 
40 feet to enter. Heretofore the length was 
placed at from 32 to 40 feet. The race will be 
held on the St. Lawrence River, Aug. i, 2 and 3. 
Opposition to the date of the annual meet has 
been met by changing the season from Febru¬ 
ary to November, the actual date to be an¬ 
nounced later by the council. It was felt that 
February was too near the racing season to 
allow members to build new boats to comply 
with the changes in the rules. The agitation to 
change from early spring to late fall has been 
going on for six years. The new date will give 
owners six months to prepare for the racing 
season. 
Great Lakes P. B. L. 
The third annual regatta of the Great Lakes 
Power Boat League will be held under the 
auspices of the Hamilton Y. C., at Hamilton, 
Canada. The races will extend over a period of 
three days from Aug. 8 to 10 inclusive, and the 
program is as follows: Aug. 8, 5-mile race for 
boats with two cylinders or less; 2-mile free 
for all; lo-mile handicap race. Aug. 9, 20-mile 
races for the following classes: 40-foot, 26-foot 
and 20-foot, as well as a 20-mile race for the 40- 
foot class open to displacement boats only. 
Aug. 10, 14-mile race for cruisers; 20-mile race 
for the 32-foot class, and the annual Interna¬ 
tional motor boat handicap race of 20 miles, 
open to any boat capable of 15 miles or better. 
The final event of the meet will be the Great 
Lakes power boat championship, the distance 
of which is 25 miles. 
An interesting feature in connection with the 
selection of Hamilton for this race meet is the 
fact that the course over which the boats will 
compete was accurately surveyed on the ice last 
winter by the Dominion land surveyors. The 
Scripps’ reliability cruise will also finish at 
Hamilton on Aug. 7, being scheduled to leave 
Detroit on July 30 and reporting at the follow¬ 
ing places en route: Toledo, Rocky River, Erie. 
Buffalo. Dalhousie, Charlotte, Niagara and 
Toronto. 
Motor Boat Speed. 
A FEW years ago, a speed of 20 miles an hour 
for a motor boat was considered high mark for 
safety, as well as probability. In 1904 the motor 
boat world was set agog by the speed made by 
the Ving-Et-Un in a race with the Fiat III. 
for the auto boat gold challenge cup. She 
traveled at the rate of 22.31 statute miles an 
hour. In 1904 the Challenger in the qualifying 
trials for the boat to go to England after the 
Harmsworth cup, made 26.5 statute miles. In 
1908 Dixie II., in the race for the Harmsworth 
cup at Huntington Harbor, traveled at the 
speed of 32 statute miles, while a little later 
she made 36.05 miles. In 1910 Dixie III., in 
the Harmsworth cup race off Larchmont, made 
34.70 miles. In 1911 at Huntington Harbor in 
the race for the Harmsworth cup, Dixie IV. 
made what seemed to be about the height of 
motor boat speed, when she covered 45.22 
statute miles in an hour. This is the greatest 
speed ever made by a motor boat in an official 
trial; however, it is said that Oregon Wolf, with 
half the power of Dixie IV., on Feb. 25 last, 
made 42.73 statute miles. A few days ago the 
report came from Atlantic City that Crusader 
IT, a little chap of the Sand Burr 11 . type, 
made 52.94 statute miles. What may be expected 
of the French challengers for this year’s races 
for the Harmsworth trophy is a matter of con¬ 
jecture, but it looks as though 55 miles an hour 
is not beyond the range of possibility. 
Lady Betty—Yacht. 
Could there be a prettier or more euphonic 
name for a yacht than Lady Betty, which is that 
of a new power boat built for Walter Lippin- 
cott, launched at Morris Heights last week. 
Lady Betty is 123 feet over all, 112 feet on 
the waterline, 18 feet 6 inches beam, and 5 feet 
9 inches draft. The hull is built of wood. The 
deckhouse, skylights and all wooden deck fit¬ 
tings are of teak. The joiner work below is of 
white pine panel work, finished in white. Doors, 
bureaus, fronts of berths, lockers and furniture 
are of polished mahogany. Lighting is by elec¬ 
tricity and the vessel is equipped with a heating 
plant. 
She will be driven by two lOO-horsepower 
Twenty Century motors and twin screws. Lady 
Betty is the largest and one of the most attrac¬ 
tive and conveniently arranged motor boats 
launched this year. 
Huntington Harbor Gets Harmsworth. 
As was predicted generally, the Harmsworth 
cup races, emblematic of the world’s motor boat 
speed championship, will be held on Hunting- 
ton Bay, Long Island, Aug. 29 and Labor Day. 
Sept. I. Should a third race be required it will 
be held on Sept. 3, over the same course. The 
elimination trials to select the American team 
of three boats will be held over the Huntington 
Bay course on Aug. 26, 27 and 28. In selecting 
the three last-named dates the committee con¬ 
sidered the interests of the entrants so that their 
boats would be in proper condition and on the 
scene to begin the contest for the International 
cup as soon as the elimination trials are de¬ 
cided. 
The Motor Boat Club of America will, of 
course, manage the competitions, and the rules 
governing the contest will be the same as last 
year. 
The .meeting which was held May 15 was at¬ 
tended by Commodore H. H. Melville, Com¬ 
modore August Heckscher, Commodore J. 
Stuart Blackton, A. E. Smith, P. F. Chesbrough, 
Morris M. Whitaker, and Henry R. Sutphen. 
Nothing has been heard from the French 
motor boating authorities, although it is under¬ 
stood that a French entry is probable. Three 
British owners are entered, and reports speak 
highly of the speed of the entries of Mackey 
Edgar, of the Royal Motor Boat Club, and Fred 
May, of the Sussex Motor Boat Club. 
A. C. A. Membership. 
NEW MEMBERS PROPOSED. 
Atlantic Division.—Chas. V. Beaver. 288 East 
164th street. New York city, by Henry Berning; 
John S. Hallman. 502 West 173d street. New 
York city, by A. D. Berning. 
Western Division.—William M. Thompson, 
M.D., 32 North State street, Chicago, Ill., by 
A. M. Callman. 
NEW MEMBERS ELECTED. 
Atlantic Division.—6420, Clemens Schroeder, 
3056 Perry avenue. New York city; 6421, Harrie 
Fortye, 547 West i42d street. New York city. 
Western Division.—6417, Frank W. Coolidge, 
Jr., P. O. Box 545, Kenilworth, Ill.; 6418, Adolph 
A. Henkel, 3824 Sheffield avenue, Chicago, Ill.; 
6419, Milton H. Trigg, 643 East street, Rock¬ 
ford, Ill. 
BUILD STEEL BOAT 
From paper patterns and printed instructions. Work easy 
and delightful. Material furnished. Also completed boats. 
Send tbday for catalogue and prices. 
F. H. DARROW - 515 Perry Street, Albion. Mich. 
ARTHUR BINNE Y 
(Formerly Stkwakt & Binnev) 
Naval Architect and Yacht Broker 
N&aen Building. Kilby Si.. BOSTON, MASS. 
Cable Address. ‘‘Designer,” Boston 
COX (Si STEVENS 
Yacht Brokers and Naval Architects 
IS William Street - New York 
Telephones 1375 and 1376 Broad 
