Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-26
YACHT RACING In ENGLAND.
Advances Made in Fifty Years.
THE EARLY BLUFF BOWS AND MACKEREL
TAILS-SOME INTERESTING POINTS FUR
NIsHED By THE YACHT AMERICA, SOME
WHAT NOTED CRAFT.

Il
| WHAT NOTED CRAFT.
From the Fortnightly Review.
| Probably no sailor, much though he may love
| the sea, has great regard for aship that makes
long ana laboring passages between port and
| port and, as q matter of fact. among seamen,
| and British seanen especially, q fast vessel
| under canvas has always been q favorite. But
| steam, more particularly, since the screw pro-
! peller has displaced the paddle, has completely
| separated fast sailing from smart seamanship,
| and speed is gained not so much from dexterity
1 aloft as from hard grimy work below in the un.
pOetical stoke hole. About twenty years ago
| there were some fast and exciting ocean races
but the days of such famous clippers as the
| Spindrift and the Tapping were num-
bered with the opening of the Suez
| power between Alexandria and Alden, ana this
| has been SO increased of late that steam is
| almost entirely relied upon throughout the full
| voyage Between the Clyde and the st. Law
| renee till very recently there were keen con-
| tests between the vessels in the timber trade,
days and nights In their top boots encouraging
| the crews in working the ship by what is called
"kedging,' through long channels OF ice, SO as
| to have the proud honor of being first at Que
! bee. Steel and iron being chiefly used in ship
| building, there is no great hunger after timber
cargOes, and the interest in the annual sailing
of the fleet has been allowed entirely To lapse.
Early fruit from Spain Is now also brought by
| steamers, as is the first fish from the herring
~
1orefathers is only to be found on board the
boats of our white-winged fleet more particu-
iariy those denominated racing yachts"
Comparisons have frequently been made be-
tween yacht racing and modern coaching
some people are ignorant enough to think that
the former has been instituted for the purpose
OF keeping alive the nautical tastes of our fore
fathers, just as the latter has been started for
the purpose of preserving to some extent the
sensations which were experienced In a drive
on mail coach. Long before the 'steam pot'
Kissed the ''Tantivy team" from off the road
the speed of the competing vessels could not
compare with that of the racing boats of the
present time, skilful seamanshp was displayed,
and the enthusiasm was greater even than it is
now. AS early as the year 1920 club, now
known as the Royal Cork Yacht club, was
formed by the gentlemen who used to cruise in
side Queenstown harbOr: but it was not till
about 1915 that some fifty noblemen formed
themselves into club, which is now identi-
arstOcratic yachting club of the world, and the
only one in Great Britain the mem bers Ofwhich
are entitled to fly on board their boats the
white ensign OF her majesty s navy. The early
members of the squadron were those who had
been connected with the senior branch of the
service, and ready, of course, like all old naval
the officers of the navy had not added greatly
to the progress OF science, and those Of them
did not attempt TO improve upon the old-fash-
Toned types of yachts, with their bluff, cod like
Fifty years ago a yachts length was just three
times its breadth but about that time Wanhill
of Poole, began to lengthen and sharpen the
bow, and in the north Fife. of Falrlie, on the
Clyde, father of the present noted yacht builder
turned out a boat OF thirty-six tons, named the
Wave, which was very sharp bowed and high
in the b1ge, the breadth of which was just one
third her length OF Keel. The latter, after being
given a leaden keel and ballast, beat older boats
of exactly double her size, and SO the bluff bow
was made more narrow still, and the maekerel-
like tail heightened out and made more full
and shapely. The Poole builder then began to
seek stability, that is, roughly speaking, .'self-
rightin3 power" by depth. and boats have
been getting deeper and longer ever since.
Leaden keels began to be generally used, and
the shifting of ballast was allowed; then, and
for many years afterward, each competing YES
sci having generally five or six tons of Shot
up to windward as soon as the vessel changed
her tack. In narrow water and head wind
this work was exceedingly heavy, for no sooner
was the last bag shifted over from the lee to
the weather side than the word ''ready about
was given, and it was necessary to throw the
shot back again to the side from which it had
just been taken. Fortunately, in the true in
terests of the sport, the shifting of ballast has
long been forbidden, and the work of the crew
is limited to the handling of the sails.
In 1923 the Royal Thames Yacht club was
founded l6r the encouragement OF yacht sailing
and the formation OF this club, which now has
the largest membership of any in the world,
was followed by the institution by a number of
Plymouth gentlemen OF the Royal Western of
England in 1897, as we'll as at Queenstown of
tine Royal Western of Ireland, and about the
same time the Royal Northern OF Scotland. In
ISIS the Royal London, the second club of the
Thames, was established, and this was followed
by the Royal ST. Georges of Ireland, with its
headquarters at Kingston, Dublin Bay, in 1912;
Royal Mersey at Liverpool in the same year.
Interest in the pastime by the establishment of
these clubs was gradually disseminated, and
the holding of annual regattas led to strong
rivalry among crews and builders, the Thames
men doing their best to beat those of the Solent
and the Mersey men those of the Clyde or of
wedge shaped, increasing the depth and
not much improvement made in yachts
In 1851, however, the celebrated American
schooner yacht came over to this country, and
startled every one who took an interest in sail
Ing by winning easily a challenge cup which
had been confidently thrown open to the world
Her hull was somewhat different in shape from
the British boats Of that time, she being what
Is called straight hOOred,' i. e., without any
taper in her bottom between water line and
extended to the sternpOst. Her bow, which
was cut away sharp, was also supposed to have
a great deal to do with her success and this and
the straight floor form OF her hull was actively
copied. Soon, however, it was found that her
success lay not in the hull at all, but in the
sails, which were set almost as fiat as cards. In
the British boats they were baggy the after
.leeches, or parts of the mainSails between the
boom and the point of the subtending gaff
conference of an umbrella. So well was it set
up in the America that those on board watch
ing vessels some distance in her wake could not
distinguish 1t from the mainmast
This improvement in sailmaking was the
only great lesson the Americas victory taught
US, but yacht racing received tremendous lift
from the recitals OF her performances, which
were witnessed by immense crowds, Cowes
never having been SO full OF visitors since.
More boats were built, more yacht clubs estab-
lished, more prizes sailed for and yacht racing
became general sport all round the British
coast. From 1851 to 1850 numerous improve
ments were made in yacht hulls, and exciting
contests were witnessed between such vessels:
Mosquito known as Old Ironsides) the Surge,
Aliue, Alarm, Oethona, the Sevrige and Others
In l S63 we were introduced to that huge twin
malnsaii, the spinnaker, which was first used
IN the forty-tOn cutter Niobe. This, the Won
tue square sail in running before the wind, and
now no yacht is without one. In 1865 Fife
Quilt the famous cutter Fiona, the length of
which was little under five times her breadth,
her draught of water aft being twelve
feet; and in the twenty years which
have elapsed since then we have had
more tiidn half as many champions. no
vessel during the last eight years having
been abe TO maintain her supremacy for more
THAN a single season, SO strong is the COMPETE
and architects. Cythera, Ncya, Kriemhilda
Nol-a'i- cent, OF cutters; Egeria, CetOnia, Pam
tOiniine, Miranda. of schooners, and FlOrinda.
Jullenar and LatOna of yawls, al have had
tnclr DAY, ana IL Is very questionable whether
they would be able 10 make the semblance of q
contest with tine vessels comprising the present
racing fleet. 1t has been the same among the
minor classes. The FOrmosa cutter NAV be said
TO have been the last OF the old SQUADRON and
her day came much sooner than was expected
purchased her from the owner, Mr.. Sloane
Stanley, in 1879, confidently expecting that
she would carry all before her in 1880: but i'm a
Clyde shipbuilding yard there was cradled on
the stocks boat which was destined to cause
as great Il revolution in yacht building as the
America schooner had caused in saiinok inc