The morning call., 1893-05-28

/
was brought from New York on ships deck.
| She is what is known as the "skimmlng- dish''
| type, being broad and sboal. 1t was formerly
supposed that boats OF the Anne's shape we're
! only fit for smooth water and light breezes. but
the Annie has made good record in The
rough waters here as any boat that floats. She
has participated in several of the regattas in
Monterey Bay also, sailing down there from
| this port.
/ During one of these races they had very
rough weather indeed, and many thought the
Annie could not live in the sea that prevailed
But she made good weather of 1t and showed
! clean pair Of heels to most Of the feet. The
yacht has not raced much of late, as there are
no competitors In her class, she being the only
| large sloop here of any special speed.
The schooner Aggie is the largest OF the
centerboard boats in this bay. and las made
good record for speed. She is noted as racer,
as those who have been in charge for years are
fond of speed contests. The Aggie is aiways
ready for race of any kind with any boat, bi:
or small. Before the advent Of the Jessie she
could always make the fastest time over The
course, her size giving her an advantage; but
with allowanc. given The Nel!i' took the prizes
from her generally. This yacht was built by
Hall to order of J. Macdonougb, who sold her
| just before building the Jessie. Now that the
Nellie has left these waters the Aggie excals In
| speed the class OF ceDterboard schooners She
is very handsome craft and good saier on
all points
The cutter Folly, our own only deep and mar
row boat of English type, was built by the
]
Edward Burgess. Although she has seldom
sbeen entered in the race, the boat has shown
remarkable speed in windward work.
II should be mentioned for the benefit of
those who have given this subject no special
attention, that the types of yachts used here for
racing purposes are entirely different from
those now in vogue in Atlantic waters. While
our largest vessels are keel boats with outside
lead ballast. we have not come to th- extreme
narrow beam adopted elsewhere. Neither have
we any of the more modern sailing machines of
broad and shallow form, with fin keels and
great overhang. Our boats are made for both
cruising and racing combined. while the types
referred TO are more especially for racing pur-
poses and amount to little for comfortable
cruising. or course the Eastern yachtsmen
number OF yachts and of yacht clubs; and they
also have outside waters In which all classes OF
boats can sail.
On this coast the sailing Is mainly confined
to San Francisco Bay, which, while large
euough confines us to a certain tract OF water
deep in the central portions but shallow on
the margins and smaller bays. Therefore a
deep type OF boat has not been adopted for
cruising purposes. We have 10 this bay only
one genuine cutter narrow and deep. aud she
is small one.
Ocean racing is sometimes INDUCED In here,
but it is only the largest yachts which cah do
this. Once outside the Golden Gate rough seas
and strong breezes are the rule. and there are
no sheltering harbors into which yacht may
run in the case of bad blow. Fogs prevail in
high winds make ocean sailing rather un-
popular in San Francisco.
South of Point Conceution, however, the
conditions change, and when once in the Santa.
Barbara Channel the winds get lighter, the fog
disappears and the water is smooth. From
Point Conception to San Diego there is a
stretch of ocean which affords very pleasant
yachting ground. To reach this place how.
ever, one must have a good-siZed yacht be-
cause there are rough waters to pass through In
going down the coast from San Francisco
None OF the smaller yachts of the fl ever
attempt the southern trip, seldom going far
ther south than Monterey Bay. There are
several yachts kept by gentlemen living In Los
Angeles aud San Diego, but they belong to the
San Francisco Yacht Cluo, there being no
southern yachting organization.
In past years the San Francisco Yacht Club
has arranged a number Of what were called
"Mosquito Regattas." They took in all i nds
OF craft except the large yachts. In tbess
races there were as competitors yachts, city
front pluDgers, wbitehalls, Italian fishermen,
Chinese fishermen, foreign and American ships
boats, and, in fact. everything which could sail,
all being classified and having separate prizes
provided. These were always very interesting
events, but of late have bten given up, mainly
because there was no one with sufficient energy
10 start preparations. Sometimes over a hun
dred and fifty sailing craft have competed.
To the eye of an Eastern yachtsman the San
Francisco yachts in race would be d disap-
pointment, because The masts are so short and
the sail area spread so small But this is rem
dered necessary by the strong winds which pre-
vail here in the summer months. Speaking
generally, our chts carry about one-lhird
less spread of canvas as compared with those
in Atlantic waters, where light winds are the
rule In summer. Those boats which have been
brought here from the East have had 10 have
both spars and sail reduced before they could
be successfully used.
1t is nothing uncommon to have the breeze
blow in summer afternoons from twenty-five to
thirty miles an hour, and our boats have to be
built ana spared to meet this condition Ont
In the channel where the racing and sailing is
done there are very strong currents so that with
strong wind there is heavy sea to contend
with. Therefore the boats in use here must be
seaworthy and stanch and the yachtsmen must
know how to handle them.
In the frequent trips TO Mare Island Navy
yard up the bay the broad expanse of San
Pablo Bay must be crossed. With tile prevail