Dec. 7, 1907.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 




YACITTIING 







The Dragoon’s Crime. 
since the old 
stunts on Long 
Ir is now some 
Dragoon did_ her 
Island Sound. 
She was a good demonstration of that old 
saying, “Save at the spigot and lose at the 
bung.” The framers of the rule under which 
she was built declared no one could build a 
boat to beat it. A deep-bodied, seaworthy 
craft must result from it. The rule even speci- 
ified the yacht must carry so many plates, cups, 
saucers, knives, forks, pots, pans and kettles, 
the smallest item being enumerated. 
Dragoon had them all but—they were of 
aluminum, and a baby could carry the whole lot. 
‘That was saving at the spigot. The bung-hole 
loss came in when the rules enabled such a 
freak as Dragoon to be built and yet comply 
with every clause of the rule, but far from the 
spirit of it that aimed to produce a deep, big- 
bodied craft. 
She was such a radical departure from any- 
ithing heretofore built, it was but natural to ex- 
pect some adjustment would be necessary to 
make her perfect. 
She carried a terrible weather helm. This 
was remedied next season by stepping her mast 
two feet further forward. which made her hang 
perfectly. day before this change was 
made, she in the Huguenot annual re- 
years 
wonderful 
ago 
keel 

But one 
started 
as 


DRAGOON COMMITTING 
gatta—it was Aug. 17, 1895, to be exact—the 
small boats were ail started first, and Dragoon 
and other large boats going over the long 
course started last. ‘There was a light breeze 
until on the last lez home, when it began to 
blow and Dragoon began to demonstrate 
Half-way home it was all Captain Tom 
Webber could do to hold the boat from luffing 
bodily out of her true course. So two men 
were stationed at the weather jib sheet, and 
when she began to climb and the tiller hard up 
failed to keep her off, the men would trim her 
big jib to windward, and so between helm and 
sheet, she was kept under control. Just about 
this time she overtook the small boats, all dragg- 
ing along ina bunch. Dragoon was coming up 
hand over fist on them, and naturally being a 
larger boat, should go to leeward and not 
blanket them. That was yachting etiquette; not 
compulsory, but still polige. 
Here Capt. Tom was in a quandary. To go 
to leeward with Dragoon almost unmanageable 
and just as liable to take a luff and run the 
small boats down as not, was courting disaster. 
A‘puff would be sure to hit them just when they 
did not want it; so, rather than take that risk— 
and just then a puff did hit them and_ sent 
Dragoon shooting up to windward in spite of 
jib and tiller, leaving them no choice in the 
matter—he had to go to windward. 
The little fellows—cats and sloops—had all their 
== Zy 
KO as 
—— — 
LIT TLE 
THE CRIME OF BLANKETING THE 
: oi oe 
crews lying out over the weather rail to keep 
their boats. right side up, and as the _ big 
Dragoon shot past to windward and momentar- 
ily blanketed them, there was a wild scramble 
and several got wet as their boats suddenly and 
unexpectedly (relieved of all wind pressure) 
righted with a sweep and all but sent several 
men overboard. 
[It was a dirty trick, that Capt. Webber knew, 
of them down, 
eloquent flow 
but far better than running some 
so he kept his back turned to the 
of abusive Enelish that was shouted after them 
as the small boats’ crews, suddenly gaining their 
equilibrium, shook fists and sticks at the fleeing 
Dragoon. It was a most comical sight for all 
but the men on the small boats to see them up 
in arms, waving clinched fists one second and 
the next, as the stiff breeze caught their sails 
again, to see them all scramble out and hang 
over the weather side of their boats again. One 
or two, even then unable to restrain their wrath, 
hung on with one hand and shook a fist at the 
big sloop. 
The language used to express their 
admiration for the crew on Dragoon 
about the yacht club that night, when the crews 
all got ashore, would no doubt have furnished 
free passes to all of them for a future life in a 
warmer climate, had not that unfortunate crew 
made a proper atonement for their sin and 
offered verbal and liquid apologies for the crime. 
total ab- 
sence of 

eco tT URI 
~ 
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ZEEE 
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