Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-09-20

She will afford builders something 10 study and perhsp
convincs them also that they have still something learn
The following communication rslang to the race from
Capt MatsOn, r. N, publishsd in the Londoa Times
SR: Your truthful description of the victory gained b,
the clipper yacht America oil competitors must hay
the interest excited by that vessels arrival among
to extend far beyond the waters Of the Solent Whatever
may be the opinions Of shipbuders on the subject il
certain that yachtmen have very unreseedy and
fully acknowledged the superiority of foreign rival They
consider it matter between the shpbudss and saskers
of the two countries whom the Great Exhibition has brought
into honorable competition But sir the ssiimskes have
had their fair share of credit awarded them on this oc-
cason for the America much indebted for her Vic
tory the and make Of her sails the rm of her hull
if During the trial Of the 22d was ON board
steamer the her bow Of the America in COMPANY
with several of my then became question
among whether that vessel had set or not
which could discover with the aid Of spy glass So
completely the sail covered by the mainmas that not
particle of visible there belly and the ga was
exactly parallel with the boom in fact stood like board
have hesitation 10 saying that such sail has never vet
been made 10 England least during very long expert
ence have Look the calls of our yachts
particularly the mansas Of the cutters On wind while
the boom carried at angle OF ten twelve degrees with
the keel the gaf is angle of thirty upward To
the upper part the sail standing the s SO much
hauled make the lower part backsa doing more
harm than good. very small proportion, therefore, Of the
is at the best angle with the wind for popeng the
vessel TO wndward Besides sails often more like
balloons than boards The America thus enabled to lie
half point the wind than either Of yachts and il
this point only that she showed any superiority. In
running free she gained nothing fastest yachts
which point Of sailing the balloons rather eec-
tive than the "boards"
As had opportunity of seeing model well as the
lines Of the Americas hull permit say word on that
point There Is not quite much originality in the form
her in the would lead one suppose Her
mdshp section is not unlike those of Sir W. Symonds and
her run is very like Whies but her bow undoubted
originality have never seen any thing like it before In
stead Of being straight her bow presents
surface to the water. commend this to the notice
Of naval architects.
writer in your journal lately wished make appear
that such vessel the America, mere racing craft,
must be useless for all practical purposes and be ceousy
remarked that you might well compare Derby three
yearod to comfortable hackney, the America an Eng
sh yacht. But, sir must all allow that lit 10 beed-
ing" is no bad thing either in parkhack weight
ryiog hunter So also may clumsy hus be modified by
modern ingenuity and improvements, when shpcwners
and builders may become less prone adhere their
old forms and fashions Free-trade and the Exhibition will
put all that to rights
am, sir, your very obedent servant,
H. J. MATsON, Capt. r. N.