The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-05

Commodore Ashbury Turns Up Agais.
Commodore James Ashbury, of Cambris
and Lvona renown, again rushes into print.
His Introductory letter Of the series of 1879 ID
addressed to the Commodore and Committee
OF the New York Yacht Club, and is NOT
happy either in its matter or in its manner.
The ostensible object Of the communication ID
to endeavor to induce the New York Yacht
Club to 80 rearrange It's time allowance az to
give English yachts better chance of COM
peting successfully with the Americans in our
own waters. This might be legitimate
attempt ON the part of Commodore Ashbury.
Notwithstanding the fact that while press
ing for immediate action on the
subject, he declines to controvert the
equitableness Of the American rules
and processes to have no knowledge that any
contemplated International race on this side
of the Atlantic during the present year de-
mands the rapid decision he solicts. But we
cannot give him credit for an honest desire to
accomplish this professed purpose whom, at
the moment of appealing to the generosity Of
the members of the New York Yacht Club, he
impugns their honor and charges them with
unfair and unsportsmanlike proceedings. The
conclusion is irresistible that the business
proposition contained in his letter is false
pretence, and that its real illaudable object
Is to enable the writer to apply the balm Of
spiteful abuse to the ranking wounds Of
defeat.
1t is universally known, and is admitted by
English yachtsmen themselves, that the arbi-
trary rule Of measurement prevailing in Eng
land is altogether inequitable when applied
to vessels of American model. English yachts.
measured by American rule, are under no
such disadvantage as are American yachts
when subject to English measurement. The
scale Of time allowance determined on by
club is regarded by its members as fair between
yachts Of all tonnage. The owners Of small
yachts are in majority in the New York
Yacht Club, and would not assent to the adop-
ton of time allowance calculated to oper-
ate unjustly against them. But Commodore
Ashbury charges, or insinuates, that the
American yachtsmen, anticipating defeat BY
the Livonia, altered their time allowance for
the purpose of discriminating against her. Is
there any possible foundation for this singular
assertion? Its absurdty is made evident at
once from the fact that the time allowance
now regulating the New York Yacht Club
races was arranged before the Club knew any
thing of the measurement, quality or intended
visit of the Livonia. But, aside from this,
from the first trial of his new vessel down to
her departure from England for New York,
as to Commodore Ashbury himself
that the Livonia was an inferior vessel even
to the Cambria, which had already been de-
feated in contest for the Queens Cup under
the old time allowance, and had in other tests
satisfactorily established her inferiority to all
the principal yachts 10 the New York squad
rom Neither do the results Of the Livonia's
races strengthen her owners theory that the
New York time allowance was altered ia
anticipation of her visit. Commodore Ash
bury says ''the fact of such large and power
full schooner as the Sappho only allowing the
impression to be very general" But the fur
Their facts that the Columbia, which was en-
titled by her size to time allowance from
the Livonia, beat that vessel once by ten
minutes and thirty-three seconds, and once by
twenty-seven minutes and four seconds;
that the Sappho, although only bound
to allow the Livonia ffty-6ve seconds,
beat her twice by over half that
number of minutes, and that the Livonia
was finally beaten by the Dauntless under the
old time allowance by between eleven and
twelve minutes, must certainly cause that i'm
preston to be very absurd. Every person
who has taken an interest In these interna-
tional contests knows that the Livonia was
fairly outsailed on every point and in all
weathers by every American yacht against
which she contended, as was the Cambria in
her matches with the Sappho in English waters.
in 1869, by more than the time allowance ex-
acted under the arbitrary and inequitable
rule of the English clubs. This does net at
all detract from the credit due to Commodore
Ashbury for the spirit and enterprise that
prompted him to invite the contests
credit only impaired by his refusal
to accept defeat with that frankuess
and manliness characteristic of the true Eng
fish yachtsman. It proves, however, that he
has never yet owned boat able to compete
successfully with our fast American yachts
under any conceivable circumstances.
Whether he will have better fortune In the
future remains to be seen. His present COM
munication certainly will not tend to increase
any desire our yachtsmen and other citizens
NAV have entertained for a renatiti0n of hia