r f 
I 
International Yachting. 
is 1 ^ t , at Probable now that the Atlantic 
A. C. will be successful in its efforts to arrange 
a race with British yachtsmen for a vessel about 
25 teet in length, or, to be exact, the 8-metre 
class, according to the European rating. The 
Atlantic Club is to be commended for its efforts 
in arranging such a race, and there is little 
.doubt that if the proposition were made di¬ 
rectly to some British club instead of through 
the London Field, such a race could be 
arranged. 
When the Seawanhaka cup was first offered, 
the. members of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Y. 
C. induced Arthur Brand to say he would send 
: \v a J eng j ^° r l * le tro Phy as soon as it was 
ottered and a race was arranged at once. The 
Eastern Y. C. members, when they had the 
idea ot arranging the Sonder class races with 
Germany, negotiated directly through Henry 
Howard, who visited Germany, and were sue- 
cessful. 1 he London Field has poured cold 
water on the proposition from the time it re¬ 
ceived the cablegram from Horace E. Boucher, 
the chairman of the regatta committee, of the 
Atlantic Club, and the only point that it made 
was that no club in this country was allied with 
the international Union, and consequently the 
yachts could not be officially measured here. 
i he idea of the Atlantic Y. C. members was 
that an international race would be for the good 
ot the sport, and if yachts were built here to 
conform to the requirements of the British or 
European rules, yachtsmen here would have a 
practical demonstration of what- that rule would 
produce. It is not at all improbable that if it 
were found that the 8-metre yachts are of a 
better type than our Class Q boats, that the 
rules here might be changed and ultimately the 
European rule adopted. It is possible, too. 
that it might be shown that our rules are the 
i matc ^ race m 'S ht resuIt in 
what the Field thinks wise to bring about, an 
international rule under which all yachting- 
countries might race. That certainly would be 
an ideal condition, and then those who favor 
unernational racing could indulge in their 
tavorite sport as much as they liked 
Since sending, the cable, Mr. Boucher has 
written to. the Field, and his letter follows: 
1 was. induced to. send the cable by a feeling 
at exists on this side, especially in our 
club, to. inaugurate and continue a series of 
international races between British yacht clubs 
and ourselves. They would undoubtedly prove 
very popular and. a great boom to yachting 
generally and to international contests in par 
lcular. l ou are no doubt familiar with the in¬ 
ternational races for Sonder class boats be¬ 
tween Germany, and the United States the last 
•one was held this summer in Boston waters and 
turned out to be a very successful event The 
next Sonder class race is to be held in Germany 
season of 1911. 
“The proposed series of races for 8-metre 
boats would undoubtedly attract a great deal 
more attention than the Sonder class ones. 
■ ey are a more popular type of boat and are 
m no sense a freak. Our races could be con¬ 
victed on the same general lines as the Sonder 
-lass races if this were agreeable, or we would 
J e glad to have you suggest any other general 
’Cheme; these details of course would be 
nrashed out a little later, and no doubt to 
mutual satisfaction. 
^ undoubtedly realize that the time is 
cry short for us to build a new tvpe of boat 
ueh as the international rule would develop as 
ar as we are concerned, and if this race is to be 
irought about some positive answer should be 
abled. to us not later than Nov. 15. The reason 
or this is that four gentlemen who have given 
orders for pur Q class boats would build to 
the international rule if there were an assur¬ 
ance of a race. 
“We would be glad if you could induce one 
ot your prominent yacht clubs to challenge us 
for a series of races as described above to be 
held in New York waters, season of 1910. We 
would undoubtedly accept it, and carry it 
through to a successful issue. 
“Allow me to urge you to do the best you 
Ca 'u m .,, e 'Merest of international yacht racing 
and will hope to receive a favorable cable from 
you Nov. 15. 
lo this the Field editorially replied: 
. 'Those who read the kind letter of invita¬ 
tion. to British yacht clubs issued by the At¬ 
lantic Y. C. to.send over yachts of the 8-metre 
class to race in the United States and then 
turn to our article on the subject, which un¬ 
doubtedly throws cold water on the prospect 
of a sort of unofficial proposal to build 8-metre 
yachts under the international rating rule in 
America, may at first sight think that we at¬ 
tach rather too much importance to what may 
appear to many practical yachtsmen to be 
mere matters of form and procedure. We can 
assure.them, however, that these issues are of 
grave importance. Nothing is more objection- 
able than the rush into a race on the spur of 
the moment, throwing the conditions on one 
side. as. mere trifles and details to be dealt with 
by individuals or club committees on the eve 
of the event. The America’s Cup, with its 
deed of gift and its additional mutual clause, 
‘or whatever it is called, which is used to waive 
or not. to waive, to vary or modify conditions 
according to taste, should be sufficient ex- 
ample to British yachtsmen of the importance 
of fair conditions. 
At the present time yacht racing in the 
United States seems in a state of chaos. We 
are told that the racing there is under the 
universal rule, but then when we investigate 
matters, we find the America’s Cup cannot be 
sailed under the rules of the club which holds 
it because of the deed of gift. The members 
of the New York Y. C. sit tight, as it were, and 
say nothing officially. The only official state¬ 
ment on the subject of rules made by the New 
k Y. C. was that published in the Field and 
Times of Jan. 27, 1906, which contained the 
pronouncement: 
We could not, in justice to the interests of 
our own yachting, agree, to be bound by any 
international rule or rating, even though the 
one proposed should be that already adopted 
here. 
This finding, signed by W. B. Duncan, Jr., 
chairman of the committee, and G. A. Cormack 
secretary of the New York Y. C., is perfectly 
concise, It appears to us to be a bar to yacht 
racing between England and America and to 
turn the key of the box that holds the America’s 
Cup. 
Unless a country puts its own interests on 
one side, so far as they stand in the way of 
giving another country an equal chance, you 
cannot have a fair race. If you want to arrange 
international yacht races, then the countries 
which wish to take part in them must, tempo¬ 
rarily at least, forget their own interests and 
set to work to make conditions fair to both 
sides. This is what is done by European 
Rations, but it is precisely what the New York 
Y. C. does not wish to do. In fact, the extract 
from the letter, to which we have also referred 
m.our article on this topic, may be colloquially 
said to ‘give away the show.’ ” 
The Field has always criticized the New York 
C. for its rulings on the America’s Cup. 
There has not been a race sailed for the cup 
that the Field, has. not found fault with, and it 
would seem, judging from its comments, that 
having failed to bring the New York Y. C. to 
its way of thinking on America’s Cup matters, 
it has taken the stand that the New York Y. C. 
governs all yachting here, and that being un¬ 
able to arrange a match for the America’s Cup, 
it will do what it can to prevent a match for 
any other trophy. 
Yachting here is conducted differently from 
that on the other side. Here there is no gov¬ 
erning association as they have there. It might 
be well if the clubs holding open regattas could 
form such an association, flhe New York Y 
C. gives races only for yachts owned by mem¬ 
bers of. the club, and while it is a powerful or¬ 
ganization because of its large membership, its 
racing is not nearly as important as those of 
several other clubs on the Atlantic Coast. Rac¬ 
ing here is not in a state of chaos as the Field 
says. Since the present rules have been 
adopted, the sport has grown wonderfully, and 
't ls ,y er 7 doubtful if there are any clubs in the 
world that can start as many yachts in their 
legattas as the Larchmont, Corinthian of Mar¬ 
blehead, Boston, Indian Harbor, Seawanhaka- 
Connthian and several others that could be 
named. It is seldom that a fleet of fifty yachts 
crosses the starting line in . British waters, and 
there are comparatively few regattas 
sailed on the Sound or off Marblehead where 
the number of starters is less than fifty, and 
even down the Lower Bay, where yachting has 
been seriously interfered with because of the 
steady procession of commercial vessels up 
and down the harbor, the fleets starting in the 
regMtas are larger than those usually seen in 
a British regatta, except perhaps on the Clyde 
it is hoped that the Atlantic Club will perse¬ 
vere in its efforts to arrange an international 
race, and there is no doubt, that if the British 
yachtsmen are invited to bring their boats to 
these waters, that they will come just as the 
German yachtsmen went to Marblehead. 
Larchmont Y. C. 
There will be some changes in the officers 
°-i jT C Larchmont Y. C. next season. There 
will be three new flag officers and a new sec¬ 
retary. Commodore Wilson Marshall declined 
a renomination, as did A.. H. W. Johnston, the 
secretary. As was mentioned in Forest and 
stream a few weeks ago Commodore Leonard 
Richards, of the Atlantic Y. C., has been select¬ 
ed. to succeed Commodore Wilson. Commodore 
Richards helped put the Atlantic Y. C. in good 
shape, and will be a valuable officer at Larch- 
mont. The full tickets to be submitted to the 
members at the annual meeting this month is: 
Commodore Leonard C. Richards, steamer 
Carola IV. 
Vice-Commodore—Harry L. Maxwell, sloop 
Avenger. 1 
Edmee~ C ° mm0d0re — R J ' Schaefer - sloo P 
Treasurer—William Murray. 
Secretary—Frank Hardy. 
Trustees (to serve three years)—Wilson Mar¬ 
shall,. W llliam Knabe. 
’ s , sa '^ that Mr. Schaefer is to have a new 
yacht built this winter, which will be ready bv 
the opening of the racing season. 
Several members of the Larchmont Y. C. 
IaS j s Jh mmer were so pleased with the Jewel S 
and Manhasset Bay one-design classes that 
several of the members proposed having a new 
one-design class for the next season’s racing 
Seven members have promised to build, and an 
order has been placed with Robert Jacob for 
the yachts which have been designed by William 
Gardner. These yachts are to be 33 feet 7 
inches over all, .21 feet 4 inches on the water¬ 
line, 7 feet 10 inches beam and 5 feet draft 
they will carry 500 square feet of canvas. 
mcm™ 
