Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-10-15
Miriam da.SacheuR.

To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER
We all know that Englishmen are fond Of
stating that Britannia rules the waves" In
these days and just now it would certainly
be in better taste as we'll as more truthful to
amend this expression by adding the correc-
tion sometimes and ''vachts excepted"
There seems to be a confirmed belief
among English yachting men that the Amer
lean center board sloop is unseaworthy and
cannot sail fast with rattling breeze or in
rough water 1t is evident that Lieutenant
HEM shared this belief at the time of offer
ing the Bermuda challenge. Before the Gal
atea leaves our waters for home he will prob
ably learn better, if he has not already found
out his mistake. Just SO, and another in
stance of this incorrect notion, one of the
brothers Jameson-owners of the cutter Irex
is reported to have remarked that if he
was sure of breeze he would take the Irex
over and have try for the cup, not know
ing nor dreaming of the unexaggerated GER
tainty that as the breeze stifens his chance
of winning lessons. It is also singular thse
our British cousins have not already noticed
the plain fact that in our international con-
tests, and whether the wind blew high or
blew low, neither the 'Genesta' last sum-
mer nor the "Galatea" this season have ever
on any occasion or for one single minute sue
ceeded in heading leading either one of
the American champions. With forty tons
more displacement in hull and two thousand
square feet less in propelling power of sail
area, poor f'Galatea" had no possible chance
of winning against such scientific flyer as
our "Mayhower." The unwelcome fact
must be learned that, other things being
equal, the present type of British cutter can
not now ever can sail SO fast in all
weathers as the American center board sloop
of today. The British press has been both
cred and in measure cornered by their un-
broken series of international defeats. It
objects that the cutters challenging for the
coup" were not representative" yachts, in
ferring that they could have rejoiced in
different result if some other cutter had COM
peted with us. If this idea is consoling let
them extract what comfort from it they may,
but with their schooners the case is differ
ent. The British keel schooner miranda"
imported this summer is acknowledged to
be peerless among English double-sticks.
No other schooner has established such
'trecord" nor won as many races and "cups.'
In fact her existence and successes have
not only interfered with, but have virtual
ly stopped the building of racing schoon-
ers in England. Arrived in these waters
and sailing with the feet she crossed the
line repeatedly in the ruck and without
displaying qualities in any way superior to
those sailing in her company, and on an
excellent yachting day was thoroughly and
hopelessly beaten by our center-board
schooner 'tSachem." This race proved the
Miranda to be conspiouously incapable of
competing with her young rival. For va
rious reasons, and though not SO called,
this event really became a contest of ma
tional types, and for the marine architect
was decidedly of greater Importance than
the Galatea- Mayfower contest. In this case
we have England's crack schooner with an
unequalled and considered an unsurpassa-
BILE record in her own waters, but she can
not hold here with our yachts the position
she enjoyed at home; her supremacy van
ishes at the end of the first race; she quick
" finds her level and becomes classed as
an Indifferent second Iater. It is probable