The Wilmingtonian., 1886-08-28
An Ocean Race.

Now the real test of the yacht racing is to
be-that is if we have the pluck to try it
with the Galatea.
The yacht races with the Genesta and
Puritan were nothing more than summer
sea sailing, simply holiday pleasuring. 1t
was no test whatever of genuine yachting.
Lieutenant Hem of the Galatea has prick.
ed the bubble of the pretencei by challenging
for an ocean race from New York (channel
buoy No. 81 around the Bermudas and
back
That would afford something like a test
and may be called a race
Such race would probably suit all real
sailors, especially if sniff at one of those
West India eighty -mle-an-hour tornadoes is
experienced. At least it is very probable
not to be drifting match in land-locked
shallow waters
New York yachtsmen say that the Pris.
ella is the only American 'siDgle-stcker'
| in any way tit for such an attempt. This is
a fine compliment to Wilmington and TO the
HARLAN & Hollingsworth Company.
Yachting circles in Boston and New YORK
are all agog with excitement over Lieuten
aut Henn's challenge
We suspect that that was she original de.
sign of the Englishman when he started fol-
Southampton two months ago.
He knew as we'll as any practical sailol
from Sir Richard Sutton's experience thai
nothing better could be expected from th,
| Galatea than from the Genesta over similaI
racing courses.
What the English wanted from the frs
was an ocean race in mid-Atlantic, no drift
ing matches in tidal, land-locked harbors.
In that sense the coming race between tn
Galeatea and the successful one of the fou
| SFedI hiuop5 10 VI uob MUM lnpoi bhnCei DIS
test of yachting, in the estimation of Lieu
tenant Hem who is desirous of testing tn
sea-going qualities of our yachts.
By all means let him have the chance b
wants.
He has challenged for race to be ru
: within ten days after the forthcoming rae
for the America or more correctly speakin
the Queens Cup.
Talking about racing machines and ar
plying such terminology to Genesta or Gala
tea is simply mis-statement.
1t is more exactly applicable to the Pur
tan, Atlantic or Mayhower, The only on
of the four big sloops that dare ventuI
across the Atlantic is the Wilmington -bui
craft. The others are hastily built and onl
for temporary rurposes-to run one or tW
3 seasons and then fall to pieces These a
the criticisms already being made upon Il
three boats referred to. 1t is plainly asser
Q ed that they could not live out through Q
. Atlantic gale, that they would be shaken
pieces.
d A yachtsman at the New York Cir
House said, Monday last "Shall sail rour
3 the Bermud asl Whewr why, a race aero
" the Atlantic would be mill pond sailing
e doubling Bermuda at the time Lieutena
II Hem proposes. 1t is very neatly put, thoui
y any single masted American yacht.
i course Lieutenant Hem in his defy aims
o at any one of the four big soops, and t
n Priscilla is the only one of them that oou
possibly live through such race. And WI
u kind of chance would she have to outs
y such a craft as the Galatea in troubled wat
N off shore9 The owner of the Galatea would
/ the seagoiDg qualities OF the American a
y the English type of yachts. AS Tor my par
y am willing to concede, what every SCHOOL,
y knows, that, in the feature of 'seagoi
ty qualities" the English type OF racing va,
n. is superior to the modern American sin
ht masted racing craft, bastard type of vess
,y Lieutenant Hem is thorough seaman a
re the prince of jolly good fellows, but in vi
lis of their peculiar construction, there seems
on be a spice of cruelty in his inviting i;
t., American single masted yacht to h
sonndings in the Gulf Stream"