The Knickerbocker Y. C. Dinner. 
To see them trooping into the Manhattan 
totel on the evening of Jan. 15 one would never 
nagine they were the same Knickerbocker 
achtsmen one meets on Long Island Sound each 
immer. But they were disguised, as they were 
1 their best bib and tucker. It was not long 
fter Commodore J. B. Palmer made his open- 
lg address before they were acting like thern- 
;lves. 
Seventy-seven covers were laid at eight or 
ine tables, the speaker’s table flanking one end 
sands' brothers on the ouananiche. 
t the room. When all were assigned their 
joper place a camera artist got busy and took 
snapshot. The flash and a startling boom 
ared some of the boys and soon dispelled all 
oubts about a suspicious looking muslin-covered 
mare object hung up on one of the pillars that 
>me suggested held a surprise for the diners. 
. did; it was the flashlight apparatus. 
Then the dinner was served and after that 
me the speeches and fun. Com. Palmer made 
e opening speech and then toastmaster Henry 
. Duncan took command and made a witty 
eech in which club jokes, brewed during the 
07 yachting season, were sprung on the various 
embers present. He told what a good fisher- 
an the commodore was, described a new coat 
arms he had designed for one member, warned 
; hands to plug up the rat holes, as Gus was 
the trail, and distributed little'knocks among 
e audience that brought forth rounds of ap- 
iuse ; All were on. He then introduced Mr. 
F. Tucker, whose dry wit was most amusing, 
d then Mr. Frank Moss and Mr. John J. Clark 
Gus js on the trait- 
kook/ny for teaks. 
each made a speech of wit and humor in proper 
proportions.. 
Toastmaster Duncan waxed somewhat senti¬ 
mental at times and went off into trances of 
classic poetry so eloquent that the speakers fol¬ 
lowing felt the influence of his rhetoric and 
spouted poetry in turn. 
When your mind has slipped its moorings to a port of 
dreams— 
that’s but one of them. 
Many people of note who should have been 
to the supper sent telegrams or letters of regrets 
which were read by Toastmaster Duncan. 
After the speeches came the presentations of 
prizes. The owner of Nautilus in the 43ft. 
class, was presented with a large silver vase. 
Rodman Sands, one of the many Sands, received 
a mixer and six very unique hand-painted cock¬ 
tail glasses, no two alike, all with a jag-like 
twist to the stems, presented by the commodore. 
Rear-Corn. Berrian, of the launch Iris, received 
a handsome silver cup. Commodore Palmer, of 
Naiad, and sometimes Nautilus, received a cop¬ 
per alcohol coffee pot, for the Labor Day race, 
and a silver cup for the cruise run from Nor¬ 
walk to Thimble Islands. 
The Mudon’s owner won, on Labor Day, the 
rear-commodore prize, a silver-mounted cigar 
jar, and in the small power boat fleet Elmere, 
L. B. Taber owner; Porpoise, Gus A. Deim; 
Helen M., M. E. Connolly, and Stump II., J. 
Sulzbacher each won a handsome silver-mounted 
THE COAT OF ARMS. 
black jack, as the leather-covered steins are 
called, made by the Gorham Co. after the origi¬ 
nal, said to have been used by Oliver Crom¬ 
well. 
The past year has been a very successful one 
for the Knickerbockers, and under their new 
officers they look forward to an equally good 
year in 1908. The officers for 1908 are as fol¬ 
lows : Commodore, John B. Palmer, M.D.; Vice- 
Commodore, Daniel Noble; Rear-Commodore, 
Louis C. Berrian; Treasurer, Geo. H. Cooper; 
Secretary, J. O. Sinkinson; Measurer, Geo. J. 
Stelz; Fleet Surgeon, Geo. D. Hamlen, M.D.; 
Board of Five Directors, Rodman Sands, Harry 
Stephenson, Louis H. Zocher, F. H. Stillman, 
Alfred Schoen, W. B. Beam, Oscar D. Dike. 
Roy A. Rainey’s new 228ft. steam yacht, one 
of the largest in the world, and now building 
on the Clyde, will probably fly the commodore’s 
flag of the Indian Harbor Y. C., as Mr. Rainey 
has just been nominated for that office. H. W. 
Hanan, sloop Aspirant, for Vice-Commodore. 
By Experience We Learn. 
It is a bad practice to poke sticks at a bee¬ 
hive; one is apt to get stung.. But if it will re¬ 
move a plague that has been a constant source 
of annoyance to many, perhaps the stir is worth 
standing. 
What -the yachtsmen want is good yacht rac¬ 
ing, and naturally good rules to govern them ; 
but have we got a good rule now? 
Look at the past season as an illustration. 
The report published recently in a daily paper, 
written by a man who has kept the record of 
last year’s sailing, shows that on Long Island 
On my Mothers side 
J am kiatfd/ry/n/an 
and iiatfdara/n/an. 
On my fat hers side 
/am fla/f. Yankee 
and hatf tr/sh- . 
Ov my oa/ncho/ee. 
tarn ha/htpeotch 
and ha// 6 'odd- 
Sound there were only one or two classes out 
of all the classes from A to T, where any kind 
of decent showing was made. 
In nearly every class where a championship 
pennant was awarded it was given to the one 
and only yacht which sailed enough races to 
qualify for a pennant. In many classes there 
were not enough boats sailed times enough to 
qualify, so no pennants were given. 
Think of it, Class N, for instance. No yachts 
sailed enough of the races laid out for them to 
receive a pennant. Look at the Lipton cup class 
in Gravesend Bay. Seven yachts race all sum¬ 
mer, and then when it comes to awarding the 
prize six of them fail to qualify under the rules 
and the seventh, which may get the cup, was the 
slowest of the lot. 
In Class Q there has been a lot of trouble. 
Manhassett and one or two of the Boston boats 
failed to measure into the class, the same as 
happened to the little Lipton cup boats. 
If the present rule is so complicated that men 
like Herreshoff and Gardner will trip up on it, 
