702 
[May 4, 1907. 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
ALABAMA—FLAGSHIP OF THE MOTOR BOAT CLUB OF AMERICA. 
Boston Letter. 
The formal opening of the Jamestown Expo¬ 
sition has served to focus attention upon the 
yacht racing carnival tO' be given in connection 
with that exposition. There is a growing senti¬ 
ment among the yachtsmen of Massachusetts in 
favor of participating in this national event, and 
this favorable sentiment is most noticeable among 
the cruising element. The racing boats that go 
will in all probability be shipped to Norfolk bv 
rail or steamer, that they may miss as small a 
portion of the local racing events as possible. 
But for the power cruisers and the larger sail¬ 
ing yachts the trip to Hampton Roads is not a 
formidable one either in the route to be traversed 
or the time likely to be consumed. And this 
steadily increasing tendency on the part of yacht 
owners to make the trip has led several members 
of the Boston Y. C. to propose a race thither for 
the larger sailing yachts. 1 wo members have 
already offered to provide prizes for such an out¬ 
side race and others will aid the movement if 
more trophies are thought desirable. It is known 
that the club’s regatta committee will favor such 
a race if entries promise to be forthcoming. 
• Among the many boats suitable for such a 
contest are the schooners Shiyessa, Dervish (al¬ 
ready entered for the Bermuda race), Agatha, 
Toarmina, Monataka and Nautilus, the auxiliary 
schooners Mariette and Barbara, the auxiliary 
yawls Comanche, Siesta and Alborak, and the 
sloops Doris, Gloriana and Irolita. Somewhat 
smaller than these boats, but eminently fitted for 
such a race are the schooner Black Hawk and 
the yawl Isis, ex Vidofner. There are many 
others not only eligible, but able to make a good 
showing in a race of this character where navi¬ 
gation and good judgment would play as im¬ 
portant a part as speed. 
Now that long distance racing has become 
popularized (and who can recognize the fact 
without also recognizing that it is due to the 
persistent and untiring efforts of Thomas Flem¬ 
ing Day) the Boston power boat owners are 
being roused to emulate their sailing brethren 
by organizing a local event of this nature that 
shall be to the launches what the Isles of Shoals 
race is to the wind driven craft. The course 
proposed is from Marblehead to the Portland 
Lightship and return, a total distance of approxi¬ 
mately 142^2 nautical miles. Starting at 6 o'clock 
of a Saturday evening all the boats should be 
home by noon of Sunday. From Thatcher’s 
Island to the Portland Lightship is a straight 
course of 56J/2 miles, and with the race begin¬ 
ning and ending in the entrants’ home waters 
(thus avoiding a long cruise before or after the 
race) the event should appeal to all the power 
men and become an annual fixture. 
The exponents of old conditions and of the 
present rule have locked horns at last and their 
respective ideas will be put tO' the test in as 
sporty a match as could be desired. The new 
Gay-Burgess 22-rater Dorothy Q and the old 22- 
footer Nutmeg have been matched to sail with¬ 
out time allowance. The latter is some three 
feet shorter on the waterline than the new Her- 
reshoff boat, but in every other way is much 
larger. It will be interesting to see how they 
compare, for opinion is quite evenly divided as 
to whether or not the Q boats are a retrogression 
in the matter of actual speed. 
The passing of Oweene has but recently been 
chronicled and now the schooner Alert has 
passed from the jmcht list. But with what a 
difference! For Alert, designed by the late 
Henry Bryant and built by W. B. Smith (now 
retired), at South Boston, in 1888, is not retir¬ 
ing to rot and die, but, with inside ballast re 
placing her 30 ton lead keel, will enter a new 
career of usefulness as a fisherman—“out of 
Gloucester.” 
Still another famous old boat is fated soon to 
pass from the lists. This is. the old aspirant for 
cup defending honors, the 90ft. sloop Pilgrim, 
designed by Stewart & Binney, for a syndicate 
of Boston yachtsmen in 1893 and later converted 
to a steam yacht by Mr. L. G. Burnham. She 
has now been presented by Mr. Burnham’s widow 
to the Boston floating hospital. Her boiler and 
engines will he installed in the new hospital ship 
and the hull will probably be broken up. Two 
dozen flying years are all that the jeweled ling, 
dropped' in the mast step as her big stick was 
first swung into place, brought the Pilgrim tor 
luck. 
The Bath Marine Construction Co., a new con¬ 
cern, but one that is fairly flooded with work, 
has an order for a cruising launch from designs 
by Martin Coryell Erismann, for Mr. F. 
H Percy, of Bath. She will be 33ft- over all 
with a breadth of 8 ft. 4111., a blunt V transom 
and a high flaring bow. Her cabin accommoda¬ 
tions are surprisingly large for a boat of her 
dimensions. 
At North Plymouth, Mass., Frank N. Cole has 
finished a 24ft. launch equipped with a S l A horse¬ 
power Lothrop engine for Miss Kennedy, of Ply¬ 
mouth. and has completely rebuilt a 25ft. sloop 
for Brockton parties. During the past season 
Mr. Cole has turned out fifteen dories and done 
much repair work including a new conterboard 
trunk and new floors in Mr. Gideon Holmes 
lug-foresail lobster boat Thelma. He has also 
built a very attractive little tender for his cat- 
boat Twister, recently purchased of Mr. Will- 
field M. Thompson. Asked if he did not intend 
to use the Twister’s own tender, celebrated by 
Mr. Thompson’s published description, Mr. Cole 
smiled wisely and said, “Sure. I’m going to put 
a lid on it and use it for a fish car.” 
And thus does the iconoclast ever deal with 
the creations of our fondest dreams. 
William Lambert Barnard. 
The current number of “Shipping Illustrated 
has an excellent portrait of the friend of all 
yachtsmen and lovers of sea literature, Mr. W. 
Clark Russell, who, as very few of his readers 
know, is a native of New York where he ^was 
born Feb. 24, 1844. 
When but six months old he was taken across 
the ocean, receiving his education in England, 
and at thirteen entered the merchant marine in 
Duncan Dunbar’s ships. 
After eight years of hard sea life Mr. Russell 
gave it up for a literary life and his produc¬ 
tions in this line are well known to all yachtsmen. 
A Notable Motor Boat Cruise to the 
Jamestown Exhibition. 
When the idea was conceived of making motoi 
boat races one of the principal sport events t( 
be held in connection with the Jamestown Ex 
position, officers of the Exposition consulted end 
of the officers of the Motor Boat Club 0 
America. The outcome was that the matter 0 
holding races and getting up a cruise received 
the hearty support of the Motor Boat Club 0 
America, and their co-operation ha*d to male 
the events a grand success. Courses were gon-J 
over carefully and one finally selected, one tha 
will give all who attend the Exposition, whethei 
on land or on the water, every opportunity 0 
seeing the numerous daily events. 
In taking up the matter of a cruise in thi 
early part of last August, it was decided tha 
the club’s cruise for 1907 would be to the Expo 
sition, and in order that it might include al 
who wished to join in the cruise, aside from tli j 
many boats enrolled in the club, that an invita 
lion should be extended all yacht clubs to pir 
ticipate as well as owners of motor boats no 
affiliated. 
A hearty response has been made and it i 
expected that no less than forty or fifty boat 
will join with the Motor Boat Club members, thu 
not alone making it an event worthy of note 
but one that will surpass anything ever befor 
attempted in a cruise wherein motor boat 
formed a part. Nothing will be left undone b 
the Motor Boat Club to make this event anlenj 
joyable and interesting one, and the commttte 
in charge, assisting the officers, will leave noth 
ing undone for the comfort and convenience 0 
all who participate. 
All clubs or owners who desire to participat 
In the cruise will be gladly furnished all neces 
sary information by communicating with the sec 
retary of the Motor Boat Club of America, 31 
Madison avenue, New York city. The cruise wi 
start from the club station of the Motor Bo; 
Club of America, 112th street and Hudson Rive 
New York city, on Tuesday morning, Aug. 20 
