FOREST AND STREAM. 
[JAN. 20, 1906. 




YACHTING 




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b 2 
MES 

THE NEW HERRESHOFF SCHOONERS. 
Reports from Bristol the past week bring out 
the interesting facts that three large schooners 
are building in the Herreshoff shops. Two of the 
boats are for American owners and the third is 
for H. I. M. the German Emperor. This good 
news should infuse some vitality into both for- 
eign and domestic yachting, and will no doubt 
bring about the building of other large racing 
boats by more conservative sportsmen who wait 
for other enthusiasts to take the initiative in the 
placing of new orders. 
J. Rogers Maxwell is to be the owner of one 
of the boats, and she will rate at the top of the 
B class for schooners and meet Elmina II., In- 
vader, Corona and perhaps Ingomar. Mr. Max- 
well has been less active in the racing for the past 
year or two and. his son has rather taken his 
place. If the 7o-footer Yankee remains in the 
Maxwell family both father and son will have a 
chance to try their luck and skill in the most 
interesting of the big sloop and schooner classes. 
The smaller of the schooners is for Commo- 
dore E. Walter Clark, of the Corinthian Y. C., 
of Philadelphia, a capable yachtsman and old 
client of the Herreshoffs. Irolita, the sloop now 
owned by Commodore Clark, has never been 
raced to any extent, but it is understood that the 
new boat will be seen in all the big events, and 
that it is her owner’s intention to make things 
interesting for the other boats in her class. 
With both boats designed under the new rule, 
which was formulated by the fertile Herreshoft 
brain, one may expect wonderful things of these 
new productions, particularly as they will not 
want for proper handling; the prospective owners 
having the faculty of getting all the speed there 
is out of a boat. 
Particulars of the boat for the German Em- 
peror are lacking, and everything pertaining to 
her is guarded with the greatest secrecy. How- 
ever, whatever her size or whatever her type, she 
will give our foreign friends some absorbing rac- 
ing next season. Handling has much to do with 
the succes of the modern racing boat. In order 
to make as good a showing as Ingomar did in 
1904 the Emperor’s new schooner must be 
handled better than Meteor has been up to the 
present time. 
CapiTaL Y. C. ELects OFFICcERS.—At a regular 
monthly meeting of the Capital Y. C., held at the 
club house foot of I street S. W., Washington, 
D. C., on the evening of Jan. 11, there was a large 
and enthusiastic attendance and officers were 
elected for the ensuing year and other business 
transacted. The officers elected were: Com., W. 
W. Grier; Vice-Com., L. F. Hewins; Rec. Sec., 
John E. Taylor; Cor. Sec., E. F. Hartley; Treas., 
Royal E. Burnham; Meas., B. C. Tuthill; Asst. 
Meas., S. G. Boykin. The Board of Directors 
consists of the officers, with the exception of the 
assistant measurer, and the following members 
who were elected for that purpose: George H. 
Bright, Frank T. Rawlings and Ralph L. Galt. 
Following the election of officers, several meas- 
ures were discussed and authorized for increasing 
the facilities and widening the scope of activity 
of the club. 
International Yacht Measurement. 
For the first time in the history of yachting 
an effort is to be made to consummate the desire 
of yachtsmen throughout the world for a uni- 
versal system of yacht measurement. Ever since 
yacht racing has been firmly established in other 
European countries the sport has suffered de- | 
plorably from a lack of uniformity. It is gen- 
erally understood that it is impossible to obtain 
any satisfactory result in international sailing 
races while nations employ different systems of 
measurement and classification. The system of 
measurement governs the type of yacht to be 
built, and the classification defines the size of 
the vessel. Thus when the rules of measurement 
and the classes for which vessels are built are 
diverse any attempt to arrange a contest be- 
tween the opposing types is predestined to fail- 
ure. As an instance of this, it would be very un- 
satisfactory to try to make a race between a 
French 20-tonner, a German yacht of 14 units of 
rating by German measurement, and a British 
52ft. linear rater. They could not sail on level 
terms without a grievous injustice to the one or 
the other, because it is obvious they would not 
be the same size. If they are of different sizes, 
it is equally clear the largest should concede a 
time allowance. To arrange the allowance under 
the French rule would be unfair to the German 
and British yachts, neither of which was built 
for the purpose of making the best of the French 
system of measurement, while the case put 
conversely would be equally unjust. To add their 
tonnages or ratings together and arrange the 
time allowance by an average would, of course, 
prove farcical and altogether unworthy of con- 
sideration by scientific naval architects or sports- 
men. When rules are different the only way to 
arrange international yacht racing is for the de- 
fending country to give the race under its own 
rule of measurement, and the challenging nation 
to build a vessel specially to race under that 
rule. This is the system which has been em- 
ployed in the matches for the America’s Cup. 
Valkyrie III. and the Shamrocks L., II., and III. 
were specially built for the American rule. Their 
construction proved, from the average yacht 
owner’s point of view for a rule of measurement 
altogether different to the British code, they 
were of no use for racing if they returned home. 
Having sailed the only matches for which they 
were intended, there remained but two termina- 
tions possible to their brief careers. Had they been 
lucky they might have found purchasers in the 
country where their rule was in force, and con- 
tinued to race in the American goft. class. They 
were, however, not so fortunate, and the alterna- 
tive fate—that of being broken up and sold for 
old metal—overtook three of their number, and 
now awaits the fourth. Much the same ending 
has come to smaller yachts built for inter- 
national events of lesser magnitude between the 
European nations, and will inevitably attend all 
future aspirants to international honors so long 
as rating rules differ. International racing, how- 
ever, will never be the sport of the majority of 
racing yacht owners; but neither is the advantage 
which will undoubtedly be gained by this branch 
of yachting the greatest or most popular benefit 
which will accrue in event of a universal rating 
rule being agreed upon. It is believed that the 
greatest benefit to the sport will be apparent in 
the increased facilities for the purchase and sale 
of racing yachts which will be brought about by 
the widening of the range of the market for 
these vessels. 
An international conference has been con- 
vened by the Yacht Racing Association, under 
the presidency of the Prince of Wales, who has 
appointed the vice-presidents of the Y. R. A. to 
act for him in his absence, and the first meeting 
will take place in London on Jan. 15, with the 
object of framing an international rating rule. 
The effect of such a rule should be, as we have 
explained, not only to facilitate international 
racing, but also, owing to the rule carrying with 
it uniform classification, to make yachts built 
for a class in one country equally suitable and 
valuable for racing in the corresponding class in 
all other countries, no matter whether they are 
little day boats of 18ft. or big vessels with cabins 
of 52ft. or 65ft. Already Italy, Norway, Sweden, 
Germany, France, Switzerland, Holland and 
Belgium, Austria, and Denmark have cordially 
accepted the invitation of the British Yacht 
Racing Association to be represented at the 
conference; so if a rule is approved by ali the 
nations it will be undoubtedly a universal one 
for Europe and the British colonies which sail 
under Y. R. A. rules. It is, of course, some- 
what unfortunate that America is not at present 
included among the countries which has agreed 
to send delegates to London, because their 
presence might have tended toward the adoption 
of a worldwide rule at some future time, even 
although the chance of an immediate agreement 
between America and Europe upon yacht meas- 
urement may be distinctly obscure. However, 
if the conference succeeds in establishing a 
European rule it will have accomplished a most 
valuable work. So far it is known that a gen- 
eral desire exists for a rule which will not fail 
in its tendency to produce a wholesome and full 
bodied yacht with good cabin accommodation. 
There has been a growing opinion among 
European yachtsmen that scantling restrictions 
should also be insisted upon, so that yachts 
should be built upon the principle that they will 
be useful as cruisers after their racing career 
is over. The plate-and-bulb keel type of yacht, 
and the skimming dish with an immense fin 
below, a huge sail area above, and an absence 
of cabin space within, has fallen into disfavor 
with all countries. Curiously enough, American 
yachting men are at one with European owners 
in their wish to abolish the machine and go in 
for a good, strong, roomy boat. They firmly 
believe in the modern theory that yacht racing 
should test the general efficiency of the yacht as 
a useful combination of speed and comfortable 
cabin capacity rather than it should gauge speed 
alone irrespective of the bulk or weight of hull 
propelled by the sails. 
For several years rating rules have been in 
force, both in the chief European nations and 
America, based upon this theory. The fact is 
yachtsmen all over the world have grown 
thoroughly tired of useless yachts. The fin keel 
machine, although a swift and exhilarating craft 
for a race, is worthless for any other purpose; 
and while she is quite expensive as a fuller- 
bodied vessel to build, she is not worth one- 
third of her value to sell, and the loss of capital 
in constructing such a toy is a serious con- 
sideration to most sportsmen. Another point is 
the construction or scantling of yachts. At the 
present time builders strive one against the other 
to produce the lightest hull, so as to make use 
of the weight saved in the hull as lead ballast 
on the keel, which, of course, constitutes 
stability and enables the vessel to carry more 
sail and so attain greater speed. The result is 
that while the owner gets the fast and roomy 
boat insured by the rule he also finds himself in 
possession of one which leaks through deck and 
skin until he is obliged to sit under an umbrella 
in the main cabin whenever it rains or spread 
mackintosh clothes over the lockers and berths 
whenever his yacht gets under way. In other 
words, not only is a good measurement rule re- 
quired, but certain scantling restrictions are 
necessary to support it, because a well-shaped 
vessel is of little use unless she is well built also. 
While most nations are agreed as to the desir- 
ability of these objects, there has been some 
