SEPTEMBER, 1917 
FOREST AND STREAM 
405 
on the steering paddle, one at the end and 
the other holding the haft against the gun¬ 
wale, will be safest. Never leave the lee- 
board down when running before the wind. 
•The common impression that it steadies the 
canoe is erroneous. It will either force 
you to run up into the wind, or cause the 
sail to jibe with a crash. 
Jibing in itself is a ticklish job. It is 
the process of changing the sail from one 
side of the canoe to the other while run¬ 
ning free, in order to take advantage of 
a shifting wind astern, without altering the 
4 \ 
not 
they 
A craft that can speed away with the grace of a 
frightened deer 
course. Wait for a lull in the breeze— 
the best moment for jibing. Draw the 
sheet in until the sail crosses the canoe, 
when it will run out freely as the wind 
catches hold of the other side of the sail. 
The paddle will have to be shifted over 
just as quickly in order to hold the canoe 
.on its course. 
Never try jibing in a heavy blow. The 
event may have no terrors for you, but it 
may weaken and possibly wreck the frail 
canoe equipment. For an alternative, the 
canoe can be brought up into the wind, 
turned about and filled away to fair again. 
T HE only thorough test for a sailing 
canoe is over a triangular course, in 
rounding which the canoe must beat 
to windward, reach, run on the quarter and 
run free. It is thus in competition with 
the elements on all sides. If you succeed 
in steering it wherever you wish it to, and 
if you get genuine pleasure in the process, 
the canoe is worth all the trouble and 
mone3 r > r ou have spent on it. And you 
have a craft with advantages no other 
yachtsman can boast of, for you can ship 
it by freight or express at slight expense, 
and at a moment’s notice, overland to a 
distant port for a cruise or a race. 
In cruising, the average sixteen-foot 
canoe will conveniently carry two people 
and a ver>^ comfortable outfit when under 
sail. The larger canoes of course allow 
more room. The stowing of the outfit de¬ 
pends upon the quantity of duffle carried. 
A convenient method will be to start by 
packing all the smaller bags in the extreme 
ends, and then the larger parcels fit in the 
wider parts of the canoe. Take care to 
leave the two middle compartments open 
for the cruisers, with the aftermost space 
free for the skipper. If this arrangement 
does not provide for all of the outfit in 
the ends, you can spread the tent and sleep¬ 
ing bags out flat in the bottom of the two 
sitting spaces in the center. When pad¬ 
dling must be resumed, } - ou can drop the 
sail and the paddlers can take their places 
on the seats with legs a-straddle the duffle. 
If you are alone in the canoe, of course 
3^ou can manage the paddle from where 
you are in the center. 
In stowing the unrigged sailing equip¬ 
ment, when preparing for a long paddle, 
place the mast, leeboard and leeboard- 
thwart in the canoe on top of the duffle, 
and the spars on top of the thwarts along¬ 
side the paddlers. See that the ends do 
extend beyond the gunwales, where 
might interfere with the stroke. 
There is probably no bet¬ 
ter opportunity to acquire a 
knowledge of sailing than in 
competition. No better dis¬ 
play of the art can be staged 
than a race of twenty or 
thirty canoes in a one-de¬ 
sign class, over a triangular 
course. Such a race is a 
keen battle of wits from 
start to finish. Each canoeist 
is his own captain and crew, 
and is responsible to no one 
but himself and the rules. 
Observe the few accompany¬ 
ing regulations chosen from 
the year-book of the Ameri¬ 
can Canoe Association and 
3-0U will see that they speak 
clearly the experience gathered b} r experts 
from countless races. 
Rule XV, Sec. 1. The Start: The start¬ 
ing signals for all sailing races shall be 
as follows: 
Warning: One gun, and the hoisting of 
a blue flag. 
Preparatory: One gun four minutes 
after the warning gun, and the lowering 
of the blue flag and the hoisting of a yel 
low flag. 
gun one minute after the 
preparatory gun, and the 
lowering of the yellow 
flag and the hoisting of 
the A. C. A. burgee. 
A suitable audible sig¬ 
nal may be substituted 
for a gun, wherever 
gun” i s mentioned. 
Sec. 2. The race 
shall be considered 
started exactly 
minute after 
the firing of 
the prepara¬ 
tory gun, and 
regardless of 
any failure or 
delay in the 
Start: One 
starting signal, any canoe whose bow shall 
cross the starting line after the lapse of 
the minute shall be deemed to have made a 
fair start. In case of a failure or delay 
in the final signal the starter shall at once 
notify all competitors that the race has 
started. 
Rule XVI. A canoe shall be amenable 
to the racing rules from the time the pre¬ 
paratory signal is made, and shall con¬ 
tinue so until her entire hull and spars 
have passed across the finish line. After 
crossing the finishing line, a canoe shall 
not interfere with an>- canoe still in the 
race. 
Should any canoe meet with an accident 
at the start of a race through no fault of 
its own, the regatta committee shall have 
power to recall the entire fleet and order a 
new start, allowing time, if they deem it 
just, for repairs to be made. 
Rule XVII (Start and Finish), Sec. 1. 
The start shall be when the bow first 
crosses the line after the starting signal 
has been made. 
If this point in any canoe be across the 
line when the starting signal is made, she 
shall be recalled by the regatta committee 
and must return and start again. A canoe 
so returning, or one working into position 
from the wrong side of the line, after the 
signal for starting has been made must 
keep clear of and give way to all com¬ 
petitors. 
Sec. 2. The finish shall be when the bow 
crosses the finish line. 
Rule XVIII, Sec. 1. The Course. A 
green flag displa\ r ed signifies that turning 
marks are to be left to starboard, and a 
red flag signifies that they are to be left 
to port. 
Sec. 2. All races shall be started to 
windward when practicable, and under a 
time limit. 
Sec. 3. A contestant may be disqualified 
for accepting pilotage or direction except 
from the officials, or a mate in a team race. 
Sec. 4. A canoe shall go fairl> r round 
the course, rounding the series of marks 
specified in the instructions. 
Sec. 5. No mark shall be deemed to be 
rounded unless the canoe’s track, from the 
preceding to the following mark, shall en¬ 
close the given mark on the required side. 
Rule XIX. The paddle shall not be 
used in a sailing race after the preparatory 
signal except for steering, when no rud¬ 
der is used, or when the rudder is dis¬ 
abled ; or by back strokes; or for shoving 
off when aground; or afoul of anything; 
or in extreme danger. 
(continued on page 438) 
Keep your seat in the bottom but shove your legs out to windward 
