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

that several of the leading schooners would
beat her decidedly, if not SO outrageously
as did our youngest racer "Sachem." 1t is
to be noticed that the HMiranda"-heroine
of hundred ights-is when at home an
invincible British keel schooner that, if
English reports are trustworthy, rides con-
temptuously on every sea and disports her.
self most at her ease in a typhoon; also
that she sailed the race in which she was
SO badly beaten in half a gale of wind,
which should have been entirely favorable
to her and which really did enable her to
put her very best foot foremost. It is for
this reason that her one single race with
'Sachem" was decisive and settled her rank
conclusively. Attention is called to the
fact that the yacht daring enough to con-
tend with this wind and water vanquisher
was nearly untried American center
board schooner newly launched and only
testing her powers in her first season. This
"foul model" yacht, according to current
British belief, should be SO unseaworthy
that she can sail only in the lightest wind
and in smoothest water and should capsize
in the first squall. British deriders of our
yachts will please observe that this American
center-board schooner in an ocean race of
twenty miles to windward and return, and
in u breeze which enabled the winner to COW
er this distance in less than five hours in
stead of capsizing misbehaving herself in
any way, quietly sailed away from the fa-
nous English prodigy and crossed the line
two miles ahead of the astonished vessel,
captain and crew-all itish,-beating her
by eight minutes corrected time. On this
occasion, the wind was all right and no
fault could be found with that, it may have
been that something the matter with the
water-it was not British water-and perhaps
that was the reason why she did not sail
faster. Ws shall soon have English com
ments on this race. 1t will be interesting to
see our cousins wriggle and hunt for excuses
to avoid admitting the evident fact that their
Incompatible champion was completely
beaten and on every point outsailed.
One would think that in connection with
| racing their cutters with our sloops our cous-
ms would themselves be tired of talking
about "cutter weather." Considerable expe-
rience gained both last summer and during
the yachting season just past has proved that
light winds and smooth seas suit the British
cutter best. It is true that even with these
conditions she does not often win, but at any
other time she has no chance at all. With a
fresh breeze and ''lumpy" sea such as our
cousins delight in calling ''nasty" she is sure
to be left behind more or less under the
water. An instance of events ferming this
opinion comes readily to mind in the re-
cent series of races between the American
center-board sloop 'Thetis'' and the i'm
ported British cutter Stranger" Whenever
the breeze was fresh and there was any real
credit to be gained in winning the race the
Thetis came in regularly first, yet the fire.
quent stiffness of all nature peculiar to our
''Indian summer" combined with the better
grip obtained by strong tide upon the deep
cutter keel, gave this race to the cutter. Suck
result is ease in point and helps to prove
the statement now and here made-though it
may differ from the popular impression
that in contest between British cutters and
an American center board sloop ideal ''cut-
ter weather" means really dead calm.
F. w. F.
October IL 1SS6