The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-04
Y A c H T / N G..
An American Yachtman's Re-
minder and Appeal.
The Thames Measurement Question-The Contest
for the Americas Cup''-Apparent Lack
Of Interest by Yacht Owners


The great day OF our National Jubilee Is at hand,
and the Vice Commodore OF the New York Yacht
Club has, 1t is to be hoped ausplciously selected IL
To inaagurate the contest between his yacht,
the Dauntless, and the Cambria, the champion
vessel selected by the Royal Thames Yacnt Club as
their representative.
However much we may feel interested In the result
0f the contest OF these two their race
from kinsale, on the coast OF Ireland, to the light
ship at Sandy Hook, an encounter OF no less moment
20 the New York Yacht CLUB and OF least an equal
degree OF absorbing and
NATIONAL INTEREST,
Is the contest to ensue upon the arrival OF these
ocean racers in our waters In less, perhaps, than
nve and twenty days the vessels belonging to the
New York Yacht Squadron VIII be called upon TO
don their nautical arrnor and array themselves IN
defence OF that trophy so galantly won nineteen
years ago by the yacht America. The latter vessel,
through the highly appreclave spirit of our Navy
Department Is being restored to her original rig
and condition, to lend her aid and assistance IN re-
tanning the cup she won IN foreign waters against
such apparently fearful odds.
The members OF the New York Yacht Club the
naval architects OF our country, whose fame and
reputation as bound up' more especially in our
pleasure navy, as well as the public at large
ally ask the question whether the owners of the
schooner yachts belonging to the club are duly i'm
pressed with the great responsibility that attaches
to them and TO their vessels, both individually ana
colectveyY Are they prepared to face che storm OF
NATIONAL INDIGNATION
that win hurtle through the air from every point Of
the compass II they permit the Cambria to carry
back the "Queen's Cup" and the Royal Thames
Yacht Club become Its future cusrodlans, because
one OF its squadron has crowned herself with the
badges OF victory abroad. Have they won only the
graceless privilege Of lying upon their oarsr in list
less and fabulous secury-that security (which all
do know is mortals' chiefest enemy; do they
sole themselves with the idea, or, indeed, even
dream that they can ever win 1t back again, in the
face of that unfair and
NAUTICALLY UBIQUITOUS RULE
known as 1.-THE Royal Thames Yacht Club measure
ment" and which is now--by the interpretation the
New York Club nave given TO the "deed Of trusts by
which they hold the challenge cnp-s multiplied
tenfold against themS And from this consideration
alone IL Is now incumbent. especially upon the
owners or the schooner yachts, that every effort
and exertion should he made-not "rope
yarn" left unturned-f they would not
have the 'poison'd chalice commended to
their lips,n with the added venom OF
"rule OF measurement so hostile to
their type Of vessel, rendering successful compe-
tiion in the future utterly hopeless We hope that
tmay be otherwise but from present appearances
there Is decided impression abroad that the
a schooner yachts belonging to the squadron are
not sufficiently impressed with the importance Of
the coming contest for the Queens Challenge Cup,
nor how entirely responsible they to the whole
community for it's undisturbed possession in the
club
Considering the very brief time that must elapse
before the contest for that possession be ina,
rated-for the Dauntess and Cambria will surely
make the passage in less than month, and the
committee have promised Mr.. Ashbnry, the owner OF
the latter vessel to name the day for the upon
bis arrival in our waters-we surely should begin
to hear the busy note Of preparation. To many the
paucity OF entries in the late annual regatta OF the
club evinced a listlessness, il not an
ENTIRE ABSENCE OF A PROPER APPRECIATION
OF the Importance Of the coming encounter. The
recent contest for the prizes offered by the club
All occasion when every schooner of the squadron
should have been on trial. yet out Of thirty vessels
only some eight nine started for the purses
offered by the club that preparatory, or, as 1t
were, trial race; and TO those that did enter
though their performance highly creditable,
yet it will scarcely be maintained that any were In
that complete racing trim that yacht should be In
to fully develop all her best points of sailing on that
occasion. BOomforesails seem to have been the
rule, the slug" or racing sail, the exception. Our
yachtmen should profit by the
EXPERIENCE AND OBSERVATION
OF their Vice and Rear Commodore, and all the
experts and artisans who have been recently with
them abroad, and who have witnessed the rig and
handling OF the Cambria and other OF
the last English yachts, and not labor
under the deluson that the pleasure navy of Eng
land is now what 1t was nineteen years ago
when the advent of rhe America produced such an
entire revolution both in model and rig. In fact, in
regard to the latter, 1t il the opinion OF many who
have recently visited Cowcs that they fully equal
II not really in advance OF ourselves One great
feature and advantage in board yachts is,
that it enables the vessel general rule to go into
stays so muchm rapidly than keel boat, but
centre board schooners should take note OF their
Rear Commodore's experience who found in his re-
cent contests with the Cambria that in turning to
wndward that vessel coald stay in half the time
II took the Sappho to goabout" vt doubt true
that the Cambria Is not the fastest yacht in the
pleasure inavy OF England, but IN her last or tri-
angular race with the Sappho the manner in which
she acquitted herself In the smooth water OF
Sundow Bay course in many respects analogous
10 that OF our own ION and from the inner bay TO
the signal ship) and over which course
the Queens Cup will be commended for, should
WARS TIRE YACHTMEN
OF the New York Yacht Club who have accepted the
custody OF that trophy that the Cambria is not
vessel to be rined with, but should make .assurance
dOubly sure' by the entry OF every schooner yacht
belonging to the squadron. BY 50 doing they VIII
not only afford Mr.. AshbuIy and his Cambria the OPP
portunity OF achieving even q greater triumph than
that accomplished by the America under the auspices
OF Commodore Stevens In 1851 but AT the same time
take all the chances OF not losing that nost
eed price, as most canddly as well as ingeniously
avowed by Mr.. Ashbury himself, for we must remem-
her that "the race is not always Co the swift the
hattie TO the strong" but sometimes the reverse
peiocent to,nts asSeqnHU. Even the tortoise took
the laures from
THE TOO CONFIDENT HARE.
Such considerations, however, Tor retaining pos
session OF the coup would not, even for moment,
be indu ged IN were 1t not that II that cup Is Host
and won' In the coming contest, yacht clubs foreign
80 the winner, and all, Will have 10 face the
xanrQxi ucial musIL, of n RQlal TLamns Nacut Clnll