Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-12-16
OLD TIME YACHTING,
Days When owners Were
Shippers as Well.
A STIFF BREEZE A DELIGHT.
Commodore Stevens the Founder Of
the Big Club.
IN EVERY WAY A TRUE OLD SALT.


Some one has dubbed horse racing the
sport OF kings" and yachting Is as certainly
the sport u the multo- millionalres. the
men with the princely purses. Such names
as Stevens. Vanderbilt Gould and Bennett.
Belmont and Morgan by their Identity with
this noble aud elegant pastime have given
emphasis TO this fact. The founder OF the
New York Yacht Club-ts first commodore
was J. c. Stevens. a man OF large means
generous ideas and liberal nature. Fortunate
IL wea for any enterprise to have such a
protector. He gave It push and established
Il with determlnatlon-the elements OF all
achIevement-wor OF the name. He had
built his first boat himself In 1902. the Diver
-hislast yacht was the noted Maria. In strlk-
ing contrast to the FIRST. with pennant way
Ing 100 feet above the brine.
It was on board the Gimonek. owned by
Stevens. that the arz, spar OF the New York
Yacht Club vas laid in 1914. The number
present was the lucky one OF nine. The6e en-
thusasts we're William Edgar OF the Cygnet,
John c. Jay OF the La coqulle. Hamilton
Wilkes OF the Spray. James Rdgera OF the
Ida. George r. Rollins OF the PETRA George
L. Schuyler OF tn. Dream. James NJ. Water
bury OF the Minna. Louis A. Depaw of the
Mat and ]. c. Stevens OF the Glmeraek. The
first cruise as a squadron. after the founding,
was to Newport by Long Island Sound.
This was the seed and weak beginning OF
a club, which. to-day. has thousand mem
bers. and whose burgee Is CARRIED by over
800 yachts. Although to-day prosperous
organization, there was a time, in the cloudy
financial era OF 1867. when 1t was near
going 20 pieces on the rocks; 1t was $4,000
IN debt. the interest OF tho members was lag
cling. no resources were in sight and the
club was on the eve OF dissolution. The
result would have been disastrous to tho
sport II II had taken place. and the pres
ent spiendor would never have been Cd
tanned. Fortunately 1t wcathered the gale,
The nrst clubhouse was at Elyslan Fields,
Hoboken, at time when every owner naVi-
gated his own vessel, when indulgence IN the
sport was In hearty fashion, far from
kd-glove order The season began early and
ended late, and the weather was, to a large
extent, ignored In other words, there was a
hardy Indifference to rough seas. The orig
lnal founders are all dead and new genera
ton. with new but not harder ideas. Is at
the helm-or rather. some are at the helm
while more are In the cabin.
The first regatta was held July II, 1885
on a course on the CLUBHOUSE % tue sOutu-
west spt and return. 1t was won by the
schooner Cygnet. The cup was of silver and
was purchased with the entrance money,
Those were days OF smaller pursea, smaller
vessels. but OF not less enthusiasm than a
modern regatta eNcltes,
IN 1851 the famed America took the cup
from Meet OF hfgeen OF the best yachts OF
thai day around the Isle OF Wight She was
a hardy sailor that loved the toss and
whistle Of the gale and sailed only the faster
with the stiftenng OF the breeze She was
an cye-Opener TO the English She was de-
signed and built here by George Steers for
Mr. Stevens and four Of his friends. Her
sails were Of machino-made cotton, laced, -
says George L. Watson. ito the booms as
Well as the gaiis and masts. the staysail
being also laced to the boom The result Is
that to-day all the racing yachts of Eng
land have cotton sails.
All yacht enthusiasts remember the ocean
race OF 1866 under the regulation OF the
club between James Gordon Benefits Hem
rletta, Pierre Lorlllard's Vesta and the
Flectwing. owned by George and Franklin
O8good. The time was remarkable. conad-
erlng tho build and size OF the craft. The
sclily Islands were reached In 10 days 81
hours 90 minutes first by the Henrietta. who
trayersnd 3t06 miles, The Fieetwing and
tho Vehta came next In order close up TO the
finish They had been driven by fierce gales,
heavy seas were encountered. and the trip