9 86 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Dec. 19, 1908. 
Field Attacks N. Y. Y. C. 
The London Field recently published a long 
criticism of the New York Y. C. and accused 
that organization of refusing to accept a chal¬ 
lenge for the America’s cup because of its per¬ 
sonal objection to Sir Thomas Lipton. The 
article is as follows: 
“There is no prospect of a race for the 
America’s cup in 1909. This event is undeniably 
the most attractive international yacht race of 
the world, and it is therefore a matter for re¬ 
gret that it has been set upon one side. It can¬ 
not be said that the New York Y. C. has shown 
any particular anxiety to encourage international 
yacht racing in recent .years—indeed, had that 
body wished to put a damper on the sport it 
could scarcely have succeeded in so doing with 
more definite effect. We cannot understand the 
reason of this. Surely all yachtsmen are agreed 
that international yacht races are of great in¬ 
terest and are most enjoyable. Why, then, 
should the New York Y. C. draw back into its 
shell and hold aloof both from the America’s 
cup and from European racing also? We can 
assure its members that their action is looked 
upon by British yachtsmen with sincere regret. 
“British yachtsmen do not know the private 
reasons why the New York Y. C. should have 
held aloof. They do not care to know them. 
Probably if they were aware of them they would 
neither be found very interesting nor edifying. 
They are alone concerned with the facts (1) that 
the New York Y. C. has not had anything to 
do with racing under the rules of the Interna¬ 
tional Racing Union, and (2) it does not encour¬ 
age international races under its own rules. As 
we have said, they regret these facts extremely; 
they only hear vague rumors as to the reason 
of their existence, and they look forward most 
anxiously to the time when these supposed rea¬ 
sons will no longer exist. This means that 
British yachtsmen hope that these two points 
will be dealt with. First, that the New York 
Y. C. will take some part in European racing 
by sending an American built vessel across the 
Atlantic to compete in one of the classes of the 
International Yacht Racing Union. This might 
be either with a large schooner of ‘A’ class; i. e., 
over 23 meters (75.4 feet), or a cutter yacht of 
23 meters (75.4 feet). Second, they hope the 
New York Y. C. will encourage a race for the 
America’s cup under their own rules. 
“When we say that the New York Y. C. has 
held aloof from European international yacht 
racing, we make the statement with the recol¬ 
lection that in January, 1906, when the inter¬ 
national conference on yacht measurement was 
held in London, the New York Y. C. failed to 
attend the conference. Delegates were appoint¬ 
ed, their passage booked, but at the last moment 
the New York Y. C. held a special meeting and 
decided not to send its delegates. This was their 
first, course of action. The effect upon British 
yacht racing has been very sad. There are thou¬ 
sands of sportsmen in this country who know 
nothing about rating rules, and do not care two¬ 
pence about conferences; but all these men would 
have been delighted to see an American yacht 
racing against British yachts. These sportsmen 
are disappointed; 1907 and 1908 have passed and 
nothing has been seen of an American racing 
yacht in British waters. So much for the effect 
of the action of the New York Y. C. on British 
racing. 
“Now, what has that body done in its own 
country meanwhile? The chief reason, the only 
valid reason, for the New York Y. C. not join¬ 
ing the 1906 conference in London was that the 
universal rule had been brought in in America, 
and thus any discussion upon other rating rules 
it was feared would tend to shake the American 
nation's confidence in the newly established uni¬ 
versal rule. _ The New York Y. C. wanted to 
give the universal rule a fair trial. We quite 
recognize the genuineness of this excuse. We 
liked it. We should have said somewhat the 
same thing ourselves had we been placed in the 
same position. But, looking back over two years 
of international sport in Europe and America 
we may ask: ‘Has not the universal rule now 
had a fair trial? Has yacht racing flourished 
under it in the United States? Is the New York 
Y. C. perfectly content with it?’ If the same 
questions were asked in relation to the interna¬ 
tional rating rule in Europe, the answers would 
be in each case in the affirmative. Of course, 
we are only speaking of large yachts; no doubt, 
generally both rules in Europe and America have 
worked as well as can be expected for little 
boats. Little boat men will always have their 
petty differences and their several axes to grind 
at various ports, and it must be a wondrous rule 
indeed that satisfies them all. But we speak now 
particularly of the larger cutters. 
“In England we can show White Heather, 
Shamrock, Brynhild, Shimna, Marislca, Maloona 
and two others building on the Clyde to point 
to the success of the international rating rule 
and the scantling rules. What has America in 
the way of cutters built to the universal rule to 
compare with these vessels? She may be able 
to point to an equal series of vessels to prove 
the complete success of the universal rating rule 
of the New York Y. C., but we doubt it. If she 
can then we admit that the New York Y. C., by 
holding aloof from the 1906 conference, has done 
great things toward the encouragement of yacht 
racing in America. If she cannot, then the policy 
of the New York Y. C. has failed. The greater 
body of American yachtsmen can judge best. 
The issue is simple enough; it is decided by the 
yachts themselves. By looking at the yachts any 
man may form judgment for himself whether 
the policy of the New York Y. C. has encour¬ 
aged big cutter racing or big sloop racing in 
American waters among American vessels. 
“The next question is: Does the attitude of 
the New York Y. C. in regard to the America’s 
cup tend to encourage races for* that trophy? 
The apparent attitude of the New York Y. C. 
in regard to the America’s cup is as follows: 
The New York Y. C. admits that there is only 
one rule in America, i. e., the ‘universal.’ It 
was so anxious to give this rule a fair chance 
in 1906 that its delegates were not allowed to 
come to London on account thereof. Now, hav¬ 
ing thus adopted the universal rule and abolished 
all others, the New York Y. C. proceeds to say, 
‘Oh, no, _we won’t apply the universal rule to 
the America’s cup. That is a special race. You 
must compete in that race under one of the rat¬ 
ing rules, which for all other purposes we have 
abolished.’ This is the policy adopted by the 
New York Y. C. in relation to the America’s 
cup. Every yachtsman in this country, and prob¬ 
ably 90 per cent, of the members of the New 
York Y. C., will.be ready to add, ‘And a very 
rotten policy it is.’ 
“Finally, we are told it is freely rumored that 
the members of the New York Y. C. are only 
adopting this policy because they wish to tem¬ 
porize, and that they do not want another chal¬ 
lenge from the most recent challenger, because 
they do not. regard him as a sufficiently repre¬ 
sentative British yachtsman. If this is the al¬ 
leged excuse, or what we referred to as one of 
the so-called private reasons, why the New York 
Y. C. has shut up the America’s cup in a box 
we can only say it is extremely futile. It will 
deceive no one. It will not even deceive the 
small minority of members of the New York 
Y. C. who are now circulating the rumor, and 
who have for the present succeeded in locking 
the box which contains the cup and hiding the 
key from their friends. 
“The majority of members of the New York 
Y. C., like those of most ancient and dignified 
bodies, may be somewhat slow to move, but 
when they do become fully alive to the way they 
are being hoodwinked by a clever but small 
minority they will not be long making amends. 
For, on the face of it, the suggestion that a 
yachtsman who has built three 90-footers under 
their own rules to try to win the America’s cup, 
and who further has built a 23-meter cutter 
under Y. R. A. rules for the purpose of en¬ 
couraging class racing at home, is not fully 
represented of the British yachting interest, is 
unworthy of serious thought. 
“If the few member of the New York Y. C. 
who, figuratively speaking, have hidden the key 
of the box are under the impression that they 
can shelter themselves from the plain-spoken 
comments that have previously appeared in the 
Field on this subject by reverting to any side 
issue, they are entirely mistaken. The main 
issue is too simple to be even momentarily ob¬ 
scured. It is this: The New York Y. C. has 
adopted the universal rule. It should, therefore, 
be open for the Royal Irish Y. C., or any other 
recognized body, to challenge for the America’s 
cup under the universal rule. So long as this 
condition is not open, so long will it be felt by 
sportsmen all the world over that the New York 
Y. C. is not doing, its best to encourage inter¬ 
national competition in the shape of a further 
race for the America’s cup.” 
Se&wanhaka Cup Challenge. 
The Manchester Y. C. has received the chal¬ 
lenge of the Royal St. Lawrence Y. C. for a 
race next summer for the Seawanhaka cup, and 
the challenge will be accepted. Representatives 
of the two clubs are to confer over the con¬ 
ditions and as soon as these are arranged, they 
will be announced. There is a disposition on 
both sides to have yachts of wholesome type 
race for this trophy, and the Canadians are try¬ 
ing to induce G. H. Duggan and Fred Shear- 
wood, who,have taken prominent parts in form¬ 
er races for this trophy, to design the challengers. 
Poughkeepsie Y. C. Officers, 
The members of the Poughkeepsie Y. C. have 
elected the following officers: Commodore, 
William IL Frank; ViceCommodore, A 1 Traver; 
Rear-Commodore, Frank Hyer; Fleet Captain, 
Powell Hobart; Secretary, William Nagengast; 
Financial Secretary, Jacob Daubert; Treasurer, 
Harry Rifenburgh; Measurer, John Hauben- 
nestel. Trustees—Llerman von der Linden, 
William FI. Frank, Wiliam Boshart, George 
Bogardus, Frank Daubert, John E. Miller and 
Javey Ackert. 
Commodore Wilson Touring the World. 
Commodore Francis M. Wilson, of the Cres¬ 
cent Athletic Club, sailed on the Lusitania last 
Wednesday to tour the world. He will spend 
some time in London and Paris and then go 
to the far east and study Japan. He will return 
by way of Vancouver and be home in time for 
the opening of the yachting season. Commo¬ 
dore Wilson has again offered his cup for the 
championship of the Lower Bay, and has offered 
other trophies for which the regatta committee 
will announce the conditions shortly. 
Canoeing . 
A. C. A. Membership. 
NEW MEMBERS PROPOSED. 
Central Division.—Alexander H. Bovard, 915 
Jancey street, Pittsburg, Pa.; Harry P. Blair, 
254 Melwood street, Pittsburg, Pa.; R. Edson 
Emery, La Belle Steel Works, Allegheny, Pa.; 
S. Stewart Graham, Wilmerding, Pa.; Sidney 
R. Gittens, Wilmerding, Pa.; Edw. D. Kaulback, 
Kendall avenue, Bellevue, Pa.; John F. Miller, 
care of Westinghouse Air Brake Co., Wilmer¬ 
ding, Pa.; G. F. Naught, 52 Twenty-first street, 
Pittsburg, Pa.; W. W. Patterson, 54 Water 
street, Pittsburg, Pa.; John McC. Price, 1105 
Century Building, Pittsburg, Pa.; Edwin H. 
Riggs, 5908 Rural avenue, Pittsburg, Pa.; Chas. 
A. Rowan, 109 Mifflin avenue, Wilkinsburg, Pa.; 
C. I. Miller, East Pittsburg, Pa., all by C. Harry 
Smith. 
NEW MEMBERS ELECTED. 
Atlantic Division.—5629, Frank Mcllvaine,. 
Beverly, N. J. 
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