Rule Question Settled. 
The delegates to the Atlantic Coast Confer¬ 
ence, which met at the New York Y. C. on 
Dec. 2, settled for some time the rule ques¬ 
tion. The delegates adopted all the changes 
suggested by the committee, which were pub¬ 
lished in Forest and Stream last week. A few 
other changes were made in order to make the 
rules agree with the new formula, and then the 
delegates passed a resolution which should do 
much to establish confidence and induce yachts¬ 
men to build for next season’s sport. This 
resolution expressed the opinion that the rule 
of measurement as finally adopted should stand 
for some years. On the other side of the At¬ 
lantic rules are adopted to stand for a specified 
number of years, but in the different countries 
of Europe they have associations that are gov¬ 
erning bodies and not as they are here simply 
advisor}'-. Here the work of the conference has 
to be endorsed by all the clubs and associations 
represented and these clubs will at their meet¬ 
ings this winter take action on the changes 
suggested by the conference. 
It is thought that the change that has been 
made in making length on the load waterline 
a factor instead of quarter beam length, and 
governing this waterline length by the quarter 
beam, will do much to boom racing next sea¬ 
son, and that yachts built before the quarter- 
beam length rule was adopted, will be able to 
race again and have fair chances of success 
against the newer yachts. The change in the 
rule will reduce the rating of such yachts as 
Elmina. Yankee, Mineola, Weetamoe, Neola, 
Gardenia, Mimosa III. and other fast craft, 
and it will increase the rating of Queen, 
Aurora, Istalena, Effort, Avenger, Dorello, 
Seneca, Eleanor and others that have 
been built under the quarter-beam rule. In the 
big schooner class Elmina will get time from 
Queen instead of giving time, and with Queen 
allowing, the racing should be very interesting. 
It is the same in other classes. Effort will not 
get the big allowance from Weetamoe she had 
under the old formula, and Avenger will rate 
so much higher that it is doubtful if she will be 
able to gather in all the big prizes of a season 
again. 
In order to fit the rule the draft limit was 
changed, so that it is 16 per cent, of load water¬ 
line plus 1.75. 
As originally suggested by the committee the 
size of the smallest class was to be under 16 
feet. This was changed to 17 feet, so that the 
classification now is: 20-foot class, R, not over 
20 feet and over 17 feet; 17-foot class, S, not 
over 17 feet. 
The committee that reported in favor of the 
change—Clinton H. Crane, chairman; Louis M. 
Clark, R. W. Emmons 2d, H. deB. Parsons 
and Charles Lane Poor—was continued for the 
work of putting the rules as amended in proper 
shape, and this committee has to define what 
is a schooner and what is a yawl. 
W. Butler Duncan, Jr., presided, and Charles 
Lane Poor acted as secretary. Among the del¬ 
egates present were: Louis M. Clark, Stuy- 
vesant Wainwright, Robert W. Emmons 2d, H. 
deB. Parsons, Clinton H. Crane, William 
Gardner, F M. Hoyt, C. Sherman Hoyt, J. D. 
Sparkman, William Hallock, Aemelius Jarvis, 
Victor I. Cumnock, John R. Brophy, H. L. 
Maxwell, George Owen, Walter C. Kerr, 
Charles P. Tower, Henry J. Gielow, H. E. 
Boucher, and Addison G. Hanan. 
Before adjourning, the delegates adopted this 
resolution: 
“Resolved, That it is the sense of the Con¬ 
ference that the measurement rules as now 
adopted should stand for a sufficient number of 
years to warrant confidence in those intending 
to build yachts and to that end no changes 
should be made until such time as the benefit of 
a change clearly outweighs the disadvantages.” 
One-Design Fifteen-Footers. 
The plans published herewith are of the one- 
design class of 15-footers which are being built 
for members of the Manhasset Bay Y. C. The 
plans and specifications have been prepared by 
Henry J. Gielow. The boats are to be built 
by Robert Jacob, of City Island, in the best 
possible manner, and are to be equipped with a 
suit of Ratsey brown Egyptian duck sails. The 
total cost will be $1,025. 
The principal dimensions are: Length over 
all 27 feet 9 inches, length on load waterline 
19 feet 5 inches, beam 6 feet 7 inches and draft 
4 feet iiRj inches, rating at the top of the 
15-foot class. They will have 2,500 pounds of 
lead ballast bolted on keel, and will have a 
sail area of 435 square feet, showing that they 
will be extremely fast and powerful boats that 
should have no trouble in winning from any 
boats built at the present time. They will be pro¬ 
vided with two watertight bulkheads, and a 
watertight, self-baling cockpit, so that they are 
practically non-sinkable, even if the hull should 
be stove in and one compartment filled with 
water. 
Four of these boats are now started, one be¬ 
ing partly planked. 
The idea in getting up this class is to have 
races in the bay every Saturday and holidays, 
when not taking part in the open races on the 
Sound; sailing the boats as a one-design class 
in all races. It is intended to limit the class 
to ten boats, and to have a managing committee 
elected by the owners in the same manner as 
the New York Y. C. one-design class. 
There has been some talk of other clubs tak¬ 
ing up this class, and members of the New 
Haven Y. C., the Sachem’s Head Y. C. and the 
Stamford Y. C. have been considering the ad¬ 
visability of building. It is very probable that 
before the season opens a fleet of twenty of 
these boats will be ready for racing, and they 
will furnish the very best of sport. 
The 15-foot class has for two years been a 
most successful one on Gravesend Bay, and 
the seven boats will race there next season. 
Those yachtsmen who contemplate building 
will do well to place their orders early, as it 
will be a case of first come first served, and 
boats out early in the season will have a great 
advantage over those that come out late. 
Lake Yacht Racing Union. 
The annual meeting of the Lake Yacht Rac¬ 
ing Union was held recently at Toronto, and 
at that meeting the delegates adopted the 
changes to the rules of measurement agreed on 
at the Atlantic Coast Conference. Another 
meeting will, however, have to be held to pass 
on the changes passed by the conference at its 
last week’s meeting. 
An amendment to the rules offered by the 
Kingston Y. C. was passed. This makes it 
compulsory for yachts of class R, 18-footers, to 
have a cabin house, and allows a crew of four 
instead of three. This class under the new 
classification will be 17 to 22 feet. 
The question of association racing was dis¬ 
cussed, and a committee appointed to make 
arrangements for the season of 1909. It is 
probable that a race will start from Hamilton 
to some point half way down the north shore, 
and at the same time another race start from 
Kingston for the same place. The fleet will 
have two days’ racing over a lake course, and 
then race to Charlotte, getting there in time for 
the Canada’s cup races, if there are any. 
The clubs and representatives at this meet¬ 
ing were Crescent Y. C., Watertown, George 
W. Reeves; Rochester Y. C., Rochester, 
Thomas B. Pritchard; Oswego Y. C., Oswego, 
John T. Mott; Sodus Bay Y. C., Sodus Bay, 
Thomas B. Pritchard; Kingston Y C., Kings¬ 
ton, Ont., J. A. Dalton, R. H. Waddell; Royal 
Hamilton Y. C., Hamilton, Guy R. Judd, 
Samuel Vila, Stewart McPhie; Queen City Y. 
SAIL PLAN OF ONE-DESIGN CLASS—DESIGNED BY H. J. GIELOW. 
