784 
FOREST AND STREAM 
[Nov. 14, 1908. 
/ 
AURORA AT BRENTON’s REEF LIGHT VESSEL. 
Germania Highly Praised. 
The German schooner Germania, which 
showed up so well last season, has been very 
favorably commented on by yachtsmen gener¬ 
ally on the other side, and her success has 
made many think that the German Emperor will 
now have aspirations for the America’s Cup, as 
Germany has developed a designer who can turn 
out a fast yacht. As it is, the Emperor has 
placed an order with Max OeHz, who designed 
Germania, for a new yacht which will race next 
season. The Yachting and Boating Monthly 
of London, referring to the schooner and her 
designer, says: 
“Had Herr Krupp von Bohlen and Halbach’s 
magnificent schooner Germania not broken the 
Queen’s course record, comparatively little 
would have been heard of her and her doings. 
Yet the advent of this yacht marks a period in 
the history of German yacht building. She is 
not only the largest boat ever built in Ger¬ 
many, but she is the most notable. 
“For many years her designer, Mr. Max 
Oertz, has been steadily plodding a successful 
path. His success with small racing craft is 
well known throughout the world, and the de¬ 
sign of the Germania proves him to be worthy 
of the o r der which the German Emperor has 
placed with him for a large racing schooner. 
The difficulties with which Mr. Oertz has had 
to contend have been very great, and when they 
are considered his success is more than credit¬ 
able to his patient, painstaking methods. 
“I remember his telling me many years ago 
of the great difficulty he experienced in finding 
and training mechanics to turn out the neces¬ 
sary detail work always attached to yacht build¬ 
ing. He picked his men and trained them him¬ 
self, and he obtained his own training by the 
careful observation of the work of foreign de¬ 
signers. In the majority of the earlier German- 
built boats the source of inspiration was very 
noticeable. As an instance, the Commodore 
had Herreshoff writ large upon her hull and sail 
plan, and although the Germania suggests Fife, 
she is a boat highly creditable to any prototype 
she may have. 
“German yachtsmen with purses of sufficient 
length, have always been keen on the schooner 
class, and led by their imperial commodore, 
they have always owned the best craft which 
either this country or America could produce. 
The knowledge that they can now get from Ger¬ 
man yards and from the designs of German 
naval architects must be extremely gratifying 
to those who have so long supported the sport 
on the Baltic. 
“She is a magnificent ship, simple and clean 
in her lines and of great power, and with well 
designed sail plan. The fact that such a boat 
has been built with the workmen available puts 
us on our mettle. It proves that we have no 
monoplv, and can onlv retain our position as 
the leading yacht building country by continu¬ 
ally proving the fact to the world at large. 
“Germania’s time for the Queen’s course, 47 
miles, was 3h. 35m. ns., an average speed of 
13.1 knots.” 
Yacht Idler Sold by Court Order. 
By order of the United States District Court, 
the steam yacht Idler, said to have originally 
cost $76000, was sold in this city recently for 
$ 3)575 to pay a claim for sailors’ wages, Charles 
E. Harding, an attorney with offices in the 
Bailey Building, bought her. The bargain in¬ 
cluded the engine, boiler, tackle and apparel of 
a sea-going yacht. She was sold as she was 
lying at Pier 40, South Wharves. Mr. Harding 
said he bought the yacht to cruise in next sum¬ 
mer. 
When United States Marshal Robinson, who 
conducted the sale, took his stand on the deck 
of the yacht a large crowd had gathered, many 
of whom had gone over the boat and had ex¬ 
pressed their intention of bidding. 
The first bid was $500 and the next the $1,000 
figure was reached, when $25 advances were in 
order. 
When $3,425 was bid, and no advance could 
be secured, the marshal announced that he 
would not let the yacht go at that price. He 
then declared five minutes’ recess, so that, as 
he expressed it, the bidders might regain their 
nerve. 
When the sale was started again a Mr. Rider 
offered $3,550. Mr. Harding raised him $25, 
and after vainly calling for a raise, the marshal 
knocked down the yacht to Mr. Harding. Mr. 
Pfarding paid a deposit of $500 and then left in 
his automobile. 
Several months ago the Idler, which is 135 
feet long and of 250 gross tons, was purchased 
by W. W. Umbenhauer, railroad builder with 
offices in the Perry Building, from Colonel O. 
G. Staples, of Washington, for $55,000. 
Mr. Umbenhauer bought her subject to a 
sea trial from Philadelphia, and, claiming that 
the yacht did not come up to the expectations, 
refused to pay for her. The crew then libeled 
the vessel to recover their wages, and the sale 
was the result.—Philadelphia Press. 
Motor Boat Club Nominations. 
Secretary Walter M. Bieling, of the Motor 
Boat Club of America, has issued the follow¬ 
ing notice: 
The annual meeting will be held on Wednes¬ 
day, Nov. 18, 1908, at the Waldorf-Astoria, at 
8:30 P. M. 
The election of officers for the ensuing year 
will take place. 
In accordance with the constitution of the 
club, the following officers have been nominated; 
Commodore, Joseph PI. Hoadley; Vice-Com¬ 
modore, Wilson P. Foss; Rear-Commodore, 
Henry R. Sutphen; Treasurer, Charles Francis; 
Secretary, Walter M. Bieling. 
Nominators—John M. Shaw, Charles P. 
Tow'er, Andre Bustonoby, George McDonald, 
T. Fleming Day, Louis Neuman, W. B. Hayden, 
Melville D. Chapman, E. A. Riotte, James 
Craig, Jr. 
For members of the Board of Governors— 
John M. Shaw, Melville D. Chapman, Louis 
Neumann, E. J. Steiner, James Craig, Jr., Frank 
H. Ray, Charles P. Tower. 
Nominators—Andre Bustonoby, George Mc¬ 
Donald, T. Fleming Day, Joseph H. Hoadley, 
W. B. Playdcn, E. A. Riotte, John M. Shaw, 
Charles P. Tower, Melville D. Chapman, James 
Craig, Jr. 
To Help Power Boat Regulations. 
The American Power Boat Association has 
gone heartily into the matter of rules to regu¬ 
late the power boat which Surveyor of the Port, 
James S. Clarkson, so thoroughly explained at 
a recent meeting of the asociation. The rules 
as now on the statute book are ambiguous and 
antiquated, and efforts are being made to get 
new laws pased by the next Congress. J. N. 
Oliphant presided at a meeting of the associa¬ 
tion held last week at the Waldorf when the 
rules were very thoroughly discussed. It was 
decided to appoint a committee who are to 
confer with Surveyor of the Port Clarkson and 
others, and to present suggestions and recom¬ 
mendations that may be incorporated in the bill 
to be introduced in Congress. This committee 
consists of Henry J. Gielow, Atlantic Y. C.; 
Charles P. Tower, Motor Boat Club; J. Howard 
Wainwright, American Y. C.; Henry R. 
Sutphen, Columbia Y. C.; C. Andrade, Jr., In¬ 
dian Plarbor Y. C. 
AVENGER WINNING RACE FOR KING’S CUP. 
