The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-11
MANY FAST BOATS ON THE BAY.
Northwestern International Yachting
Association to Be Organized and
Seattle Asked to Join.

kind of
sport n
the city.
An effort will be made in a few days to
get the members of the old Seattle Yacht
Club and such others as desire to take an
active part in yachting together, and see
if the club cannot be revived. d. NJ.
Simonson, one of the leading members of
the old club, yesterday received the fol-
lowing letter from A. III. Clarke, of Fair
haven, secretary of the Northwestern In
ternational Yachting Association, which
is just being organized:
At a meeting of yachtsmen held in New
Whatcom last evening the preliminary steps
were taken toward forming Northwestern In
ternatiOnal Yachting Association. Victoria,
Anacortes, New Whatcom and Fairbaven clubs
were represented, and two delegates were APP
pointed to attend meeting to be held in Vic
toria on August s The purpose of the associa-
ton is to establish a uniform system Of meas
urement and racing rules for all clubs on the
Sound, and to arrange for the holding OF an in
ternationsl regatta each year. at which trophy.
to be contributed by all clubs of the association
is to be contested for, as is now done on the
Eastern coast. Please let me hear from you,
and say If your club will join in sending two
delegates to the meeting at Victoria on August
for perfecting the organization.
Mr.. Simonson thought that this would
probably act as stimulus to the members
of the club, and help to arouse their inter-
est. He said the club would be called to-
gether in few days to consider the matter
and notice would be given through the
newspapers The club had eighty-six
members on its roll when it held it's last
meeting and there is $175 still in the treas
80
for the lack of interest the people of Seat
tie have shown for yachting. He came
here from New FORK, where it is one of the
leading sports. For years he was con-
nected with yacht clubs there, and was so
fond of the sport that on coming to the
Sound he began agitating for yacht club.
In 1889 the club was organized, but inside
of year interest began to lag. and it fin
ally died out altogether. The Fourth of
July races year ago revived interest for a
time, but it soon died out again. Now it
looks as though something might be
done while the lovers of the sport have
their interest aroused. Mr.. Simonson
says the facilities for yachting here are
much better than they are around New
York and Brooklyn, where the greatest
interest is taken in it, and the only thing
terest here is that the bulk of the popula-
ton is unfamiliar with the actual pleas
ure there is in this kind of sport. His
idea is that the club should take in men,
bers who are ignorant of how to manage a
boat and teach them at the expense of the
club for time until they become fairly
proficient yachtsmen.
A large mum Der of people consider it ex-
tremely dangerous to go out in sailboat,
while they would not hesitate to go out in
a rowboat, yet the actual danger is several
fold greater in a rowboat than it is in a
good sailboat. OF course it requires some
little knowledge to manage a sailboat, and
unless this knowledge be possessed the
chances of a sailboat capsizing are much
greater than a rowboat. But nearly all
sailboats built now have center-boards and
are very buoyant, carrying but little bal
last, and many of them have air-tight CYL
inders placed around the sides, so that if
the boat does capsize. it is buoyed right
up, one-third to one-half of it remaining
above water. A sailboat never goes over
with sudden jerk, but slowly, giving its
occupants plenty of time to climb to the
upper side. But when rowboat upsets it
goes over quickly, and the chances of hold
ing on to the boat are very slim, unless
one is swimmer.
Pierson Haviland, who took an active
interest in the race on the Fourth, is an
enthusiastic lover of yachting. In talk
with PosT-INTELLIGENCER reporter yes
terday, he said:
The interest shown in the sporting events on
the Fourth prove that the people of Seattle and
those drawn to the city on a gala day greatly
appreciate and enjoy in the highest degree all
kinds of athletic sports. Especially were the
yachting and rowing races appreciated, as was
evidenced by the fact that the entire water front
was covered with people while these sports
were going on, though for an hour and q half
the ailboats were becalmed and scarcely moved.
But the crowd was so interested that it waited
patiently, and fortunately was repaid by fine
finish, all the boats coming in close together
under a strong breeze. Nothing could be
more exciting, and the crowd appreciated it
more than any other feature of the celebration.
The Sound aud lake on both sides of our city
afford two OF the finest and safest yachting wa
tiers in this country, and more should be done
by our citizens to further this grand sport. We
have among us many good yachtsmen and prob
ably the fastest boat on the Sound, besides many
other boats which, in their classes, would make
strong competitors. Throughout this country
today great attention Is being paid to all health
giving athletic sports, two of the foremost being
yachting and rowing. With the advantages We
have in beautiful and convenient waters, we
should have yachting and rowing club here
very soon that will excite the interest and ad
miration OF the citizens OF the city.
III. H. Meeker is another great lover of
yachting He is anxious to have club
organized and more young men in the city
take an active interest in the sport. He
thinks the trouble has been that some
having boats on the lake, while Others pre-
fer the salt water and keep their boats in
the harbor, no concerted interest could be
kept up, neither party being large enough
TO create much interest alone.
THE EDNA NJ. WINS.