Oct. is, 1910.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
623 
stroyed by the improvement wrought in Sham¬ 
rock’s form by her alterations and the green 
cutter almost invariably had the best of the en¬ 
counter. Given a strong wind with smooth 
water, Mr. Kennedy’s cutter could still hold 
her opponent, but as the breezes that obtained 
during the early part of the season were for 
the most part light she fared badly, and down 
to the end of June had only won three first 
prizes, of which one was taken on a protest. 
The dismasting of White Heather on the 
Clyde caused a break in the season’s sport, and 
a whole month elapsed ere tire white cutter was 
again in racing fettle. When she was refitted 
the opportunity was taken to slightly modify 
her sail plan, the yacht’s masthead being pulled 
forward a little. On making her reappearance 
in the Solent, White Heather showed much im¬ 
proved form and won five out of seven matches, 
but her success must in part be attributed to 
the superior local knowledge possessed by her 
skipper, Bevis, who was in his home waters. 
On leaving the Solent for the regattas in the 
West of England, Shamrock was again in a 
winning vein and won three matches off the 
reel, although her superiority was not so 
marked as in the early races. Then the season, 
so far as these yachts were concerned, came 
to a premature conclusion owing to an un¬ 
fortunate accident to the unlucky White 
Heather. As the cutter was being towed into 
Plymouth Harbor she collided with a floating 
target, damaging her stem below the waterline 
so badly that further racing this year was out 
of the question. Excluding the abandoned 
match in which Brynhild was lost, the class 
sailed twenty-eight races, of which one took 
place in conjunction with the A class for 
schooners, yawls, and ketches exceeding 23 
meters rating. 
The complete record of the yachts is: Sham¬ 
rock, 28 starts, 18 firsts, 1 second; White 
Heather, 27 starts, 9 firsts, 1 second; Brynhild, 
1 start. 
The 15-meter class corresponds very much to 
our 55-foot class, the British boats being just 
a little smaller or about 50 feet on the water¬ 
line. For several seasons this class with its 
predecessors, the 52-footers and 20-raters, it has 
furnished the best sport of the season. The 
yachts are 50 tons Thames measurement and 
of sufficient size to make passage around the 
coast in any weather likely to be met in the 
course of an average summer, and yet not too 
large to be handled by an expert- amateur 
helmsman. 
Amateur helmsmen of the caliber of W. P. 
Burton and J. R. Payne are capable of hold¬ 
ing their own with the best professional talent, 
and there is no move in the game with which 
they are not familiar, but nevertheless it is par¬ 
ticularly gratifying to find their vessels at the 
head of the class after a long and strenuous 
season. In the course of the summer no fewer 
than sixty matches were provided for the class, 
the yachts having sailed under weather con¬ 
ditions ranging from half a gale to the lightest 
of zephyrs, and it speaks well for both vessels 
and crews that no serious casualties have to 
be recorded. 
Two new yachts appeared in the class this 
year, the lines of both coming from the board 
of Alfred Mylne. Tritonia carried the colors 
of the late G. C. Lomer, while Paula II. was 
owned by a German yachtsman, Ludwig 
Sanders, and only competed during the Solent 
regattas. Tritonia, which bears a family like¬ 
ness to Ostara, has been only moderately suc¬ 
cessful but is without question a very speedy 
cutter. She has, however, been the victim of 
untoward Circumstances, 'and her record is no 
fair criterion of her capability. In the opening 
matches the yacht was leaking, and then, early 
in the season, Mr. Lomer had to go abroad, 
owing to ill-health. Missing the Irish and 
Scottish regattas, Tritonia competed in com¬ 
paratively few matches and never really found 
her form. On several occasions, however, she 
gave the cracks of the class a fair and square 
beating and when thoroughly tuned up should 
be in the first flight. Paula II., when she joined 
the fleet in the Solent, was quite out of the 
hunt with the English yachts and failed to win 
a prize. 
Of the yachts that raced in 1909 the Fife boat 
Vanity, which had some slight alterations ef¬ 
fected in the spring, showed much improved 
form and under certain conditions of wind and 
water sailed like a witch. Throughout the sea¬ 
son she was engaged in a keen struggle with 
Ostara for the championship of the class, and 
it was only by a “sail over” that the latter cap¬ 
tured the coveted honor. But Mr. Burton 
thoroughly deserves his success, for he has 
handled his fine cutter faultlessly, and her form 
has been more consistent. Mariska was given a 
new outfit of spars and canvas, and, although 
in her third season, was very little inferior to 
Ostara and Vanity. The yacht was seen at her 
best in the Solent, when for a time she carried 
all before her, and blow high, blow low, she is 
still a most able vessel. Ma’oona, the veteran 
of the fleet, has had her day and is now out¬ 
classed. Before racing commenced she had 
some more lead run into her keel, and her sail 
area reduced, but although improved by the al¬ 
teration, her victories have been few and far 
between. She enjoys the distinction, however, 
of having sailed a dead-heat with Ostara, a re¬ 
sult that is unique in the history of the 
“twenties.” 
Owing to the death of King Edward, the 
Spanish yachts did not come to Cowes this 
year, and the contest for the International 
challenge cup was therefore confined to the 
English cutters and Paula II. Ostara won the 
first race and Mariska the second, but the latter 
having contravened the conditions by having a 
professional at the helm, the trophy went to 
Mr. Burton for the third year in succession. 
Ostara also won the Earl of Desart’s challenge 
cup and that- presented by the late Mr. J. B. 
Fleuret, but the Prince of Wales’ cup was 
taken by Vanity. 
In the following record Ostara and Ma'oona 
are credited with a win apiece for the match in 
which they sailed a dead heat. The last race 
of the season is not included, as the prizes are 
withheld pending the decision of a protest 
lodged by Vanity: 
Total 
Starts, lsts. 
2ds. 
3ds. 
Flags. 
38 
Ostara, W. I’. Burton. 
. 50 
20 
17 
1 . 
Vanity, J. Pavne & I. Benn 
...50 
19 
12 
1 
38 
Mariska, A. K. Stoth'ert_ 
...51 
12 
11 
1 
24 
Tritonia, G. C. Lomer. 
...30 
3 
8 
2 
13 
Mavona, Almeric Paget_ 
...34 
3 
G 
9 
Paula I., Ludwig Sanders _ 7 
Yachtsman. 
Narragansett Bay Yachting. 
All is not fair sailing on Narragansett Bay, 
according to some yachtsmen who frequent that 
fine piece of water, and unless some changes are 
made before another season opens, yacht rac¬ 
ing will fall off in popularity very much. Hollis 
Burgess has raced there considerably. In 1909 
he sailed nearly the whole season on Narra¬ 
gansett Bay, and he is qualified to tell of the 
troubles. In an article published in the Provi¬ 
dence Tribune, Mr. Burgess says: 
“Having been asked to express my opinion in 
regard to the reason for the lack of interest in 
yachting on Narragansett Bay this summer, I 
am glad to give you my views on the subject. 
Being a member of the Rhode Island Y. C. and 
having taken a great interest in racing on 
Narragansett Bay in the last few seasons, I 
have often wondered why so comparatively few 
yachts are seen on such an ideal bay for yachting, 
it would seem as if this beautiful sheet of water 
with its many harbors should be covered with 
yachts of every description, and it is perfectly 
evident that there must be some reason for the 
falling off of interest in yachting on the bay in 
recent years. ’ 
"Mr. Bradbury L. Barnes, a former president 
of the association, attributes this lack of interest 
to the fact that too many races are held during, 
the season, and that he states eighteen regattas 
are now given every year on the bay in out-of- 
the-way places where it is hard for boats to go- 
and where the courses are bad. With all due 
respect to Mr. Barnes’ theory, I must say that 
I do not believe there are too many regattas. 
Having raced around Boston, Marblehead and 
along the coast for many years, often partici¬ 
pating in as many as thirty races in one season, 
it does not seem to me that eighteen regattas 
a year are too many. I firmly believe that yacht 
racing is the life of yachting, and the only way 
to keep Narragansett Bay to the front in yacht¬ 
ing affairs is to give many lively regattas. 
“In order to qualify for the championship. I 
believe that a yacht should be required to enter 
at least three-quarters of the total number of 
races sailed. This would allow a boat com¬ 
peting in her respective class to stay out of a 
few races without endangering her chances for 
the championship, while at the same time it will 
require a yacht owner to enter his boat in a 
fair average of all the races. 
“With good races well handled, with attrac- 
