New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-05-30
WATER AND FIELD SPORTS.
THE FOUH BIG SLOOP YACHTS.
GREAT JUMPS IN AMERICAN BUILDING.

COMPARISON OF THE DEFENDERS OF THE AMERICAS
CuP-REvIEw OF THE SITUATION.
The change from such men-of-war as the Ten
,essee and Lancaster and Powhatan to cruisers like
the Boston, Atlanta and Chicago is not more
.ndden and radical than the transition in yacht
binding from the sloops in existence little over a
year AGO to the four crack yachts that will this
wear compete for the honor of defending the
Americas cup against the Galatea. The nautical
mind of America seems to move in great jumps and
not in easy transition. In 1881 the genius of
American yacht architects produced the Poca-
hontas. in 1855 the Puritan Between the two
boats there we're four years in time-twenty-fve
wears in PROGRESSES There was no gradual improve
men. in the type of boat. no building of one boat
faster than the last until a maximum reached.
bu; one great Jump from the Oracle, Mischief and
Pocahontas to the Purta and Priscilla. And now
this year two fast sloops have been added to
the yacht fleet. the Mayhower and Atlantic. 1t is
hoped that the four big soops will all participate
In the annual regatta Of the Seav anhala Yacht
Club on June 9. comparison of the dimensions
OF these four sloops will be of interest:
Length over all Water line. Be Beam praush IL
f fT1.5s 3 + + 81 g IS s H.
MsyHower 95 IL 81 IL In. % IT, In. IT, III H.
n will he noticed that the two Boston boats are
decner in proportion to their size than the two
designed in this city, ewEDgland has always
favored deep boats. and the skimming dish"
never found favor there. Whom the Boston yachts
man Gets outside of " Deer Island down the Bay"
he finds himself il. open sea which is apt to be
boisterons one. Experience has taught him that
Tor heavy weather there is nothing like deep
Int No amount of theorizlng Will cOnnteract
facts and the Boston mind runs to deep boats az
na,urallv as the New-lork mind does to shallow
heats When the Priscilla came out last year the
Rrra,ta Committee of the New-1Ork Yacht Club
ip~u m
were a-tonisLed at her heetness ana at once said.
@Eurcka THIS is the Yacht we long have soneht"
Then came the Eastern cruise and the puritan was
ssan II the Gocet races off Newport. 1t is said
rbol the committee looked at each other in silence
for a moment and then one of thcm exclaimed
. That BANKED white ghost See her go" That
;oyial Old black baler Captain Roland Coffin wrote
in his book on tue Americas emp year ago; " In
Priscilla Is SAID 10 have beaten that racer twenty
i've minutes over the New-YOrk Yacht Club course.
and think may say confidently that the boat
HAT can DO that can heat the Geuesta." Within
wear American yacht building has 80 far advanced
that such citation would not be thought o..
When General Payne tie owner of the May
flower bought the schooner Yacht HalcyOn, she
was $ ow boat. hat the General went to work
scientifically and mad all sorts Of strange inStru-
ments hung up III her cabin. He gradually i'm
,royei ler on his scientific hypothesis until she
beca .le = remarkably fast yacht. Edward Burgess
W. Young man Of wealth and leisure at that
time. gwen t. yachting and bitten with the cutter
cgsze. Fortune gave a turn to her wheel and Mr..
Iurr-ss lost his property. Then lie went 20
The emp he told his wealthy friends that he could
des IN "a yacht to beat her. They put up the money
and the result the Puritan. \. Cary smith
began Yachting as marine artist gradually
getting into yacht designing and giving mp his
painting. The New-lork Yacht Club chose his
plans above all Of those sent III for defender OF
lie cup. aud he built the Priscilla, c. umOGore
Bennett and Nice-' ON modOre Douglas paving for
her 4 fine boat she was. in light airs and smooth
seas almost match for the Puritan. When Mt.
Smith saw her in the water he said. " | am satIs-
red" bat he had net seen the Puritan. II remains
10 be seen what the changes in tie Priscilla have
done Tor her Mr. burgess tried TO improve on the
model Of the Puritan in the MaydOwer, but General
PAYNE lad some ideas which he wanted Incorp0r-
atel in the design. and Mr.. Burgess having washed
his hands OF the result Incorporated them. For
wears the " Ellsworth talent" has been the one
thing which all NeW-YOrk yachtsmen agreed WIS
beyond criticism or reprosch. il Phil " Designed
a boat and /" Joe = sailed her. II has always been
con.dere. worse than treason To think mat sLe
was not the finest craft afOat; 20 when it was an-
nonnced that the fig officers Of the Atlantic Yacht
The At aufic il brought comfort 10 the hearts of
the yachtsmen OF Manhattan's dear sic II was
n u0dtfe1 soace. for the boat to be bui.t by /
q Brooklvn club bat it was better that tie palm /
shOuld - 10 BROOKLYN than 70 Boston.
The Atlantic and NavhOwer are untried and the /
Priscilla in her new form is an experiment /
Changes have been made ~ the Puritan since last |
vear-nou such radical changes Is have been made |
in TIE Priscilla but still changes Therefore INST
what suy one of the four biz sioops do IS unrer
IAN and 4 they are all brought together at the
SeaH anhaka regatta II will be one OF the most
iuieresfinr varhrinr incident Is of the season.