Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-01-10
OLD TIME YACHTING,
Days When Owners We're
Shippers as Well.
A STIFF BREEZE ADELIGHT.
Commodore Stevens the Founder Of
the Big Club.
NEvERY WAY ATRUE OLD SALT.
A STIFF BREEZE ADELIGHT.
NEyERY WAY ATRUE OLD SALT.
Il Was His Yacht America That Opened
tho Eyes of the British and Taught
Them a Lesson or Two

Some one has dubbed horse racing "the
sport Of kings" and yachting is as certainly
the sport Ct the multo-millionaires, the
men with the princely purses Such names
as Stevens, Vanderbilt, Gould and Bennett
Belmont and Morgan by their identity with
this noble and elegant pastirne have given
emphasis to this fact. The founder Of the
New York Yacht Club-its first commodore
was ]. g. Stevens, man OF large means
generous ideas and liberal nature. Fortunate
1t was for any enterprise to have such
protector. He gave it push and established
it with observation-disclosures elements Oh al
achievement-worthy of the name. lie mad
built his first boat himself In 1902, the Diver
--hislas yacht was the noted Maria, in strik-
ing contrast to the first, with pennant wav-
ing 100 feet above the brine.
1t was on board the Glmcrack, owned by
Stevens, that the first spar of the New York
Yacht Club was laid in 1874. The number
present was the lucky one Of nine. These en-
thusiasts were William Edgar Of the Cygnet,
John C. Jay Of the La Coquille, Hamilton
Wilkes Of the Spray, James Rogers OF the
Ida. George e. Rollins of the Petra, George
L. Schuyler Of the Dream, James M. Water
bury of the Minna. Louis A. Depaw OF the
Mist and J. C. Stevens of the Gimcrack Tne
first cruise as a squadron, after the founding
was to Newport by Long Island Sound.
This was the seed and weak beginning OF
O club, which, to-day. has thousand NELL
bers, and whose burgee Is carried py over
300 yachts. Although to-day a prosperous
organization, there was time, in the CLOUDY
financial era of 1861, when 1t was near
going 70 pieces On the rocks; It was $S,ooo
in debt, the interest of the members was lag
ging, no resources were in sight and tne
club was on the eve Of dissolution Ane
result would have been disastrous 70 Inc
sport If it had taken place, and tne PRES
ent splendor would never have been op-
tanned. Fortunately 1t weathered the gale.
The first clubhouse was at Elysan Flelds'
Hoboken, at a time when every owner naVi-
gated his own vessel, when indulgence in the
sport was in q hearty fashion, far from
kid-glove order. The season began early ana
ended late, and the weather was, to large
extent ignored. In other words, there was a
hardy Indifference to rough seas. The orig
inal founders are all dead and new genera
ton. with new but not harder ideas, Is at
the helm-or rather. some are az the heim
while more are In the cabin.
The first regatta was held July II. 1S45,
on a course of the clubhouse to the south
west spit ard return. It was won by the
schooner Cygnet. The cup was Of silver ana
was purchased with the entrance money.
Those were days OF smaller purses, smaller
vessels, but of not less enthusiasm than a
modern regatta excites.
In 1851 the famed America took the cup
from a feet of fifteen of the best yachts of
that 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 stimening of the breeze. she was
an eye-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 machine-made cotton, laced, =
says George L. Watson, ito the booms as
well as the gaffs and masts, the staysail
being also laced to the boom. The result Is
that to-day all the racing yachts of Eng
land have Gotten sails.
All yacht enthusiasts remember the ocean
race Of 1866 under the regulation Of the
club between James Gordon Bennett's Hen
rietta. Pierre Lorillard's Vesta and the
Fleetwing, owned by George and Franklin
Osgood, The time was remarkable. consid-
ering the build and size Of the craft The
ScIliy Islands were reached In Ii days u
hours So minutes first by the Henrietta, whf
traversed 3,106 miles. The Fleetwing an6
the Venta came next In order, close up to the
finish. They had been driven by fierce gales
heavy seas were encountered. and the tr1l