The morning call., 1893-05-28

The Annie.
There Is popular idea that yacht is boat
used mainly for racing purposes. and that I" be
yacht it must necessarily be fast. This idea
does not prevail concerning horses kept for
pleasure, because il is known that many drive
or ride for the fun of The thing and never race.
But with yachts they are supposed, when i'll
use, to be constantly racing.
Like many other popular Ideas this one is
entirely wrong. There are racing yachtsmeu
and cruising yachtsmen, but the great majority
Of the fraternity use their yachts mainly for
easy-gong sailing about the bay and as giving
them an opportunity for outdoor recreation
and exercise. Lots OF them never care any
thing at all about racing and have TO be dragged
unwillingly into the annual regatta of their
club which is really a concession to the few
who have the fastest yachts of the fleet.
In San Francisco Bay there are four yacht
clubs, the San Francisco. Pacific, Corinthan
and Encinal. The San Francisco was organ
lied in the "sixties" aud is the pioneer. The
Pacfci is an offshoot of this. but is more noticed
as a social than sailing club. The Corinth-
ians are supposed to care for their own yachts
and Keep no men aboard. The Encnal Club of
nearly all OF them small ones.
As far as racing records go the San Francisco
EASILY takes the lead for when it was first or
Eanized the members had the same idea which
the public still malntalns-that yachting was
racing. 1t did not take very long to get over
lhis, however though the club has always en-
eouraged yacht-racing more or less. AS yachts
grew larger The racing fever increased proper
tionately. until GER ain ones of the feet utterly
discouraged the others when cruising became
more popular 1t be readily understood
that in matters of speed everything is compar-
atiye. II does not take very long, therefore, to
establish the relative merits of certain boats,
and those which are beaten a few times drop
naturally into the cruising class, and their
owners give No the idea OF racing.
In yacht clubs the feet Is divided into two,
three or more classes, according to size. In
the hrst class, comprising the largest vessels,
there Will be ordinarily half dozen or more;
the second class will b. more numerous, and
the "ruck'' OF the fleet VIII BE- the smallest,
there being larger number of these than any
other. The little fellows cannot pretend 10
compete with the big ones. for in the matter of
sailing craft it is an axiom that length gives
speed aud il is the principal element in he
comparative sailing rate.
II is for This reason that 4 system OF time
allowance is adopted. which is practically
handicap on the larger vessel For instance If
the rules nr0Yde for a time allowance of 1
minute to the foot over a course of prescribed
distance, yacht measuring 90 feet in length
would have to give 10 minutes in time 10 a
yacht Of 40 feet in length. II the 5o-loot
fufsf o
II minutes and the 4O-foot boat made the
same distance in hours, when the allowance
was computed the larger vessel would only
have bealen the smaller l minute, not IL
minutes. This system is necessary to equalize
the disparity in size
The elassihc alton IS usually made within ten
foot limits. For instance, the first-elass boats
would be all those between so and 60 feet in
length; the second those between 20 and 40
aud the third class those between 80 and 20.
The racing is done in classes the third class
competing only with It's own equals, and time
allowance being granted between boats of The
special class In this way thirty.foot boat
does not have 10 compete with one of sixty feet
for even on the basis of allowance spoken of
The thrty-foot boat could not gain thirty minutes
on one Of SO much greater size The ratio of
speed increases with length
All these yachts may start together at the
same signal. but they are nevertheless racing In
classes only. and the little ones are not com.
peiing al ali with the big ones Spectators
not familiar with the subject are often misIed
by seeing a 20 or 30 foot yacht struggling
aipng behind lot of biz ones in turn fol
lowed ly a raft Of sragglers, and think that
pa ticular small one is engaged in a homeless
task In reality he may be- and probably ts
ale d Of his class. and is paying no a tentiop
whatever to The large vessels leading him.
In the matter OF time allowance the old rules
of a minute or three-quarterS of a minute 10 The
foot have been modified, until The system is now
quite complicated. The area Of sail spread is
now also a ctor, but The changes are in The
direction of better equazlng the boats as to
sail-carryiDg power and relative length and
breadth. The rules vary in different localities
and are made 10 be adapted 10 the class OF boats
commonly In use.
IT VIII be seen from these statements that the
yachtsmen themselves who should be best able
TO judge recognize the fact that all yachts are
not fast. and those which are they handicap
With restrictions TO bring all as near as may be
to common level. MOI that they want to make
their boats stow, but that, in order to encourage
competition, the slower boats must pc given
ONE chance TO win race occasionally. If
measures of this kind were not taken only one
or two OF the fastest yachts would enter each
class In a regatta, aad the thing would be
failure.
Nobody likes to be beaten even If he knows
his boat is comparatively slow, and yacht
owners would decline to compete for prize