The New York herald., 1868-07-26
YACHTING AND ROWING.
FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.
The season in England-The Latest Con-
tests-AttracfiOns in France-An American
Boat aud Revolution Of Ideas.

The season in England-The Lntest Con-
tests-AttracfiOns in France-An American
Boat aud Revolution Of IDEAS.
LONDON, July Is, 1868.
With the exception OF one two unimportant
matches confined for the most part to small craft
ranging between eight and fifteen tons, the English
yachting world has been in dead calm" the near
approach OF the grand gathering OF the Royal
Yacht squadron on tile solent having, TO all appear
ance. completely taken the wind out OF the sails OF
the minor coast regattas The general exodus south
ward has ''set IN with its usual severty"-the
Thames yachtmen having cleared out en- masse
nom their favorite summer quarters at Gravesend,
and shaped their course for COwes and Ryde, where
already upwards of eighty vessels-compOsing the
elite OF the pleasure navy Of Great Britain
are reported lat OF about the stations" Pos
sibly some OF these may be tempted to take run
across the channel during the present week under
the stimulus Of the 2,5O0f. prize offered by the
''Socet6 des R6gates du Havre" open to yachts OF
all nations and any rig, to be sailed for Tuesday
July 2l from Havre round the CherbOurg break
water ana back; but as rule French regattas, and
more particularly French 0tJets d'drt, not very
popular on the north side Of the English Channel,
crack clippers in the SOent will consider It worth
their while to interrupt their preparations for such
purpose.
The American four cared boat-built without a
coxwain's seat and provided with steering ap-
paratus-which created such profound sensation
at the late Henley regatta bids fair to furnish an
unfailing theme OF controversy in English aquatic
circles, and in the opinion Of the most competent
judges VIII ultimately effect complete revolution
in rowing matters. Last year, when the members OF
Havard University, United States challenged the
oxford University Boat Club to international
tive efficiency OF the English and American sys-
TENS Of oarmansl!ip a strong impression
taken up the gauntlet Internationally, inasmuch as
1t was held that the services Of q cOxswain would
more than amply compensate for the disadvantage
OF the extra dead weight: but the
which the Brasenose four, without u coxsWain,
literally "walked away" at Henley from two unques
tionably superior crews furnished most nc0nestable
evidence OF the falacy OF this view. The English
sporting journals have been literally Inundated with
letters discussing the pros and cons OF the new syB
TEN, but the merits OF the innovation over straight
are 80 sellevident that there can be little
doubt OF its general adoption n future at all the
leading English regattas. One OF the most significant
signs OF the times Ia notice recently issued by the
committee OF the Thames National Regatta to the
effect that this year fOur-oared crews will be re-
qured to ''carry a bona ttde coxswain." The boat
in which the BrasenOse College crew rOwed at Hen
ley was the first OF its kind ever seen In England,
and was constructed upon the model OF the Harvard
College eight-Oar-a photograph of which at present
hangs In the club room Of the Oxford University
Boat Club.
The annual competition for the Wngfeld scus-
the symbol Of the amateur championship OF the
Thames-tOOk place on Friday and Monday last. BY
the conditions Of this the holder OF the trophy is
required again to do battle with all cOmers but on
the present occasion there only two chalengers
beautiful start effected but after few strokes
Michel showed with q slight lead, which he main
tanned for about two hundred yards, when he unfor.
tunately ran foul OF barge, and before he could
eXtrcate himself his opponent succeeded In drawing
himself two lengths In 'front.' THIS c0nt''etenps vr-
tualy decided the contest; for although the oxford
man spurted up again and again and repeatedly
0vcrapped his opponent, he was never able to re-
cover his lost ground, and after magnificent race
for two miles was fairly rowed down by Stout who
ultimately won by several lengths.
Cruise Of Queen victOria's Yacht in the
Arctic Circle.
From the Cork Herald, July is.
Her MaIesty's Yacht Victoria and Albert, Captain
his Serene Highness the Prince OF Leningen recently
returned to Portsmouth from a cruise beyond the
ae Of Ss s
sci is we believe the first OF her size and costiness
which has made the attempt to penetrate the dan
gerous fiOrds and intricate channels OF the Nor
wegian coast; and 1t Is to be presumed that the
object OF the voyage was commensurate In import
ance with the risk incurred.
The vessel left Portsmouth on the 1st OF June and
arrived at Bergen on the 4th. She remained there
two or three days, while the paddle steamer Vivid.
which was detached for duty as tender to
the yacht during the cruise conveyed the Prince
OF Leiningen and other Of the officers up tho
Hardanger ford. On resuming her voyage
the yacht proceeded to Frondhjem, calling ea route
at Grandsunde and Molde. During this part OF the
voyage the yacht kept well in Shore steaming slowly
up the nOrds and among the innumerable Islands
that bound the Scandinavian coast, and she some
times found herself In rather critical positions. In
towering some hundreds of feet above on either
side. that 1t seemed to be almost impossible for
ship TO pass; Dut the yacnt answered CO ner neln
admirably and she was fortunate enough TO have
skilful pilots on board. Under these circumstances
she made her way through the ntricacies Of naviga
ton without q casualty and without appearing any
the worse for her voyage. To traveller unaccus-
toned 70 the northern latitudes the physical phe-
nomena were most marked and interesting.
After leaving Frondhjem the vOyagers had the ad-
vantage if Il Ii an advantage OF perpetual day light,
and the mountains between that point and Hammer
fest were capped with snow. The thermometer on
board was down to freezing point, while the sun, an
early riser In these regions, was well up above the
horizon at midnight.
The yacht steamed slowly n0rthward to Hammer
fest generally anchorng for the night, and after-
wards rounded the North Cape which " over seventy
degrees north OF the equator, and, therefore, some
four degrees within the Arctic circle She remained
two days at this point 10 coal for the hOmeward
voyage, and then shaped her course southwark, call
in9 at FrOndhjem and the Shetland Islands on her
way and arriving at Portsmouth after an absence Of
twenty eight days.
The only surmise we have heard expressed a. to
the object Of the trip 10 that 1t undertaken
sort OF trial cruise with the view OF It's being repeated
on some future occasion for the benefit pleasure Of
the royal family. The only visitor OF distinction on
board however on this occasion was the Princess Of
The Weather was very cold and wet during the
greater part Of the voyage.
A