The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-13

The New York Yacht Clubs Cruise.
Among the many devices in America for
healthy open air pleasure, none, we ore
excellence and elegance enjoyed by those
fortunate enough to be able to join in the
cruise of crack yacht club in our waters.
Disappointments may come on o regatta day
in the shape of tempestuous weather or a calm
as accursed as that of the Ancient Mariner,
but in the annual cruise, extending fortnight
or so, Old Probabilities, thanks to the tickle
ness of winds and clouds, generally gives
plenty Of variety to the votaries of business,
transmitted to Q pleasure ever since great
Jason and his Argonauts sailed over the sun
Lit waters Of the Euxine in search Of the
fleece of gold. So we think that the
yachtsman, after the robust anxieties of
the scrub race from port to port
are over; when all Is trim aboard, from furled
flying jib to mainsail, and his yacht rides
quietly under the shadow of the land, bathed
in the red rays of the after-glow, his sense of
repose should be fair and full as the bliss of
the tabled Hesperides. He is free to wreathe
his fancies with his cigar smoke, as it curls
gently upward on the air. He may see him
self, if he pleases, gliding over clear waters,
whose prow-fung spray is liquid opal and
whose sands in the cool depths below CLEAN
with Pactolean gold. The moon wheels her
broad round above the wave and his bark runs
with ripple over the pathway paved with
the shimmering silver of chaste Cynthia, Queen
of Night. 1t is very luxurious, he thinks;
but he is still wishing, like Oliver
Twist, for more. Then, as he is only
building dream, his best desires
are granted in pleasant form. In
minutes space along the silver pathway he
sees the cleaning, perfect forms the lustrous
eyes, SO tenderly lit with sympathy and Joy !;
the long trailing, wind-tossed hair of the
daughters of old Ocean. as they hold above the
sea great craven gold and silver
frosted vessels, shaped in varied
forms and filed with sparkling wine.
He chances behind him, and there with the
pale moonlight on their cleaning Sails come
sweeping after him all the sloops and
schooners of the squadron. Xanthe rises
with craven cup from the waters by his ves-
sells PROV, Ianthe and Urania raise their
golden gifts to him little further on. He hears
the rush of waters from the prows
of the rival craft anear him. Tripping
out on the bowsprit, he bends down
to grasp the massey cups. His fingers
clutch them feverishly one by one; ell
the gifts of the Oceanides are his.
They shine and glow on the snowy
deck with sea-green light on their
FURNISHED facets. Now he will quaff of
the wine-but that he cannot, for he has
hAAn capturing the club prizes only in dream,
and not cover tic ~y.~l eer.reA" nor accord
ing to any known rule. Perhaps it is the only
| way he has ever won prize but hope to the
yachtsman is as necessary as it's fluked emblem
to his yacht. We picture it as pleasant life,
this jolly cruising with its wide, breezy reaches
of action and its plenteous room for splendid
ease and dainty dreaming, and 80 it is.
The New York Yacht Club squadron started
with about twenty sail from its rendezvous al
snug Glen Cove yesterday, and sailed up the
waters of the Sound, making Morris Cove.
Tomorrow a start will be made to New
London, whence to the holy shadows
of Martha's Vineyard they will run. A
goodly sail to the modern Athens will follow,
and from the Hub the squadron will steer for
villa-famous Newport, lying like white
breasted bird on the Rhode Island
shore. At Newport race for two five hun
dred dollar cups-one for schooners, one for
sloops-will be sailed over the Newport course
There will, doubtless, be other challenge races
between the rivals for yachting honor among
the feet Pleasantly, CALAMITY and lightly
the time should pass and that it may do so,
and reap pleasant memories as well as bronzed
faces is our earnest wish. The opening day of
the cruise will be found graphically described
elsewhere in all the technically dear to the
yachtsmans heart.
The cruise is truly the time of hospitality
and enjoyment aboard The white winged
skimmers become gregarious, and the bluff
racing weather would not be best for them all
the time In the closing days of September
and the first weeks of October, when the winds
break some of their Summer shackles and
trip freely over the white-capped waves, is the
time for the serious business Of yachting Then
the ''wet sheet and the flowing sea- are
joyously realized and the race is q race indeed.
On tho first Thursday in October race over
the well-known club course will be sailed, with
two cups, valued at five hundred dollars each,
as prizes, one for the winning schooner and
one for the winning sloop. On the following
Thursday two important races will take place.
The first is an ocean race open to all schooners
belonging to organized yacht clubs, for prize
valued at one thousand dollars, and will be
run without time allowance. The course will
be splendid one for testing ocean sailing and
speed--viz, from line off the Owls Head
round the Cape May lightship and back to
the Sandy Hook lightship, which will be the