Sept. 19, 1908.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
463 
British Yachting. 
The two classes that have furnished the best 
ra'cing in British waters this season have been 
the 23- and 15 metre classes, and of these two 
the 2.3-metre with Shamrock, White Heather, 
Brynhild and Nyria, on account of their size, 
have been the most spectacular. The racing in 
this class has been very keen from the opening 
of the season, and Shamrock, Sir Thomas 
Upton’s yacht—the first he has raced in home 
waters—has proved herself to be the best. 
“If the performances of the 15-metre class 
have been somewhat eclipsed by the particularly 
fine sport between the 23-meter cutters this sea¬ 
son, it is not because there has been any want 
of keenness among the smaller vessels,” says 
the Field. “The new Fife boat Mariska has 
hammered her way round the coast, and Mr. 
Stothert has had great success with her. It is 
a matter of great regret among all lovers of 
racing that she carried away her mast at 
Plymouth regatta. Fortunately, no one was in¬ 
jured when the whole lot went overboard, but 
it was a sad sight to see the hull rolling in the 
trough of the heavy sea off the Eastern rocks 
of Plymouth Sound a complete wreck with the 
mainsail like a bladder with the wind beneath 
it on the water. With reference to the collapse 
of her mast, the spar is made in three pieces, 
cemented together. It has stood perfectly 
throughout the season, and has given Mr. 
Stothert no anxiety whatever. The new mast 
ordered will be a duplicate of the old one. The 
reason of the mast going overboard was that 
the shrouds burst. Mariska had started thirty- 
five times, winning sixteen first prizes and six 
seconds, a total of twenty-two Hags. Mr. 
Burton has completed his fourth season in 
Britomart, for she was built in 1905, and start¬ 
ing forty times she has secured twelve firsts and 
six second prizes, total eighteen flags, a wonder¬ 
fully good record for a boat which is decidedly 
outbuilt by the new type in the matter of dimen¬ 
sions. Of Shimna and Ma’oona the great rivals 
of 1907, the Mylne boat Ma’oona in twenty-five 
starts has won seven firsts and nine other prizes, 
sixteen flags, while Shimna, we believe, leaving 
the handicaps in which she has competed out 
of the question, can claim eight firsts and six 
seconds or fourteen flags. So it will be seen 
that the division of the prizes in the 15-metre 
class has been very equal.” 
When the regatta of the Royal Western Y. 
C. was to have been sailed off Plymouth, there 
was a strong wind and rough sea, and the big 
yachts remained at their moorings much to the 
disappointment of these who wished to see the 
big boats in a fresh wind. The Field in com¬ 
menting on this says: 
“Of course the weather toward the end of the 
season has been extremely roqgh, and the 
yachts have had a hard time of it making the 
passages as well as during the racing. A good 
deal of correspondence appeared in the local 
newspapers at Plymouth about the yachts, and 
particularly the 23-metre class, not hoisting rac¬ 
ing colors in the Royal Western Y. C. regatta, 
and some enthusiasts went so far as to suggest 
that owners, sailing masters, and men were 
afraid to put to sea. As a fact, on this par¬ 
ticular occasion, the state of the sea in 
Plymouth Sound at the hour when the class 
should have got ready for racing, was unfit for 
match sailing. The strength of the wind had 
nothing to do with the case-. As an instance of 
this there was more wind in Torbay on the day 
of the Royal Torbay Y. C. regatta, but h.ere 
the sea was smooth—that is to say, there was 
no danger of men being swept off the deck by 
the waves when the yachts were romping along 
through the huge white clouds of spindrift at 
some twelve to twelve and a half knots. _ At 
Plymouth, in the sea that sometimes rolls into 
the Sound, it is very easy, to say the least of it, 
to lose a man overboard from a 75ft. waterline 
racing cutter when going twelve knots. From a 
larger and more powerful yacht—a 90ft. racer 
going the same speed, or 100ft. or 120ft. cruiser 
going the same speed also—the risk is not so 
great. Similarly from a smaller yacht going at 
less speed the risk of losing men overboard is 
not more than in the 75ft. waterline boat. This 
is just what cruising men are apt to forget. It 
would be easy enough to sail a racing cutter 
round the course under a trysail, and with such 
canvas she would go better and faster than 
most cruisers, and would completely outsail all 
old-fashioned vessels turning to windward. It 
is, however, not very good seamanship, inas¬ 
much as it is rather foolhardy, to drive a 75- 
fooler through a very heavy sea under racing 
canvas, Sybarita and Kariad which went from 
Rothesay round Ailsa Craig in the famous 
match of 1901 in a gale of wind and a sea like a 
cliff were between 85ft. and 90ft. waterline. 
They were larger and more powerful vessels 
than Shamrock, Brynhild and White Heather. 
The race was a great one and we look back 
upon it with pleasure, but to say that it would 
be prudent to frequently sail matches of that 
kind in similar weather would be altogether a 
mistaken view.” 
This also caused some remarks from The 
Yachtsman, which publication said: 
“Not for the first time this year, the 23-metre 
yachts refused to start in the race provided for 
the class bv the Royal Western \. C., although 
the 15-metre yachts were content to sail, and 
cruisers of ir tons braved the elements. Dover 
and Ostend saw the same thing, and it seems 
that there must be some fault either in the rule 
or -the crews. One would exnect the largest 
class of all to be the first to lead the way in 
bad weather, but, as a matter of fact, the big 
boats never seem quite comfortable in a hard 
blow. I11 the R. Thames match from the Nore 
to Deal, their lower sails was quite enough for 
them, while the 15-metre boats were carrying 
jib headers. The explanation appears to be 
that the 23-metre yachts are rigged for fine 
weather only. They have only one set of reef- 
eyelets in the mainsail and pole masts, so that 
in a bad breeze and a jump of a sea there is a 
great risk of something breaking aloft, and that 
means a very serious loss, not only of money, 
but of time, in replacing the spar. In the good 
old days, when the housing topmast was held 
to have its compensations, the loss of a top¬ 
mast was comparatively trivial, and it was then 
possible to start in bad weather with a light 
heart. If one or two of the present 23-metre 
yachts had been fitted with the old-fashion top¬ 
mast she would certainly have scored on many 
occasions this year, and need never have been 
afraid to start. We cannot really see why all 
our first-class racers are fitted in precisely the 
same way. It is true that a pole-mast has great 
advantages in certain conditions, but it is also 
true that it is a very doubtful blessing in others. 
Then why not let the would-be crack light- 
weather boat sport her pole-mast, and be con¬ 
tent to give her a thorough beating in anything 
approaching to bad weather? Many experi¬ 
enced sailing-masters will agree with us in say¬ 
ing that a pole-mast is not suitable for the 
average British season, and that to allow for a 
single reef only in the mainsail is the height 
of folly.” _ 
Newport Y. R. A. Officers. 
The Newport Yacht Racing Association, at 
its annual meeting, held on Tuesday. Sept. 8. 
elected the following officers: President, 
George L. Rives; Vice-President, Frank K. 
Sturgis; Treasurer, Charles L. F. Robinson; 
Secretary, Plenry F. Eldridge; Governors— 
Max Agassiz, John R. Drexel. Royal Phelps 
Carroll. Henry F. Eldridge, Ralph N. Ellis, 
Elbridge T. Gerry, H. O. Havemeyer, Jr., 
William Gammcll, Arthur ' 1 '. Kemp, George L. 
Rives, Charles E. F. Robinson, William G. 
Roelker, Frank K. Sturgis, Henry A. C. Taylor 
and Pembroke Jones. 
Thelema Wins Cumnock Cup. 
The 15-footers of the Seawanhaka Corinthian 
Y. C. sailed, on Saturday, Sept. 12, for a cup 
offered by Victor I. Cumnock, chairman of the 
race committee of the club. The race was over 
the inside course, and was sailed in a light N. E. 
wind. It was won by E. C. Henderson’s 
Thelema. The summaries: 
Victor I. Cumnock Cun Start, 11:10. 
Thelema . 1 11 58 Sabrina . 1 14 15 
1 r j s 1 13 ‘10 Crilse . 1 10 45 
Water’Baby . 1 13 33 The lien . 1 1<; 47 
Imp . 1 13 11 Alys . 1 10 58 
