The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-11
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT YAcErs.

EuSlduu O0 'SN~- 4
after they arrived there they discover |
ed that some one had offered cup 10
the best sailing vessel in race. Tie
America was entered fer fun and she !
won in the race around the Isle of |
Wight.
That is all there is 10 it The owners
of the America" came home and
brought the mug with them. They
tossed it up in the attic. Since then
the English have been trying TO get
this old pewter pitcher back and have
never succeeded.
Lord DunFaven has built three Val
kyries for the purpose and it is the
third that is racing now with the De-
fender.
There are three reasons why the
Eagle does not admire yacht races:
1. 1t is sport exclusively confined
to the rich.
=. 1t is impossible to see it from Kan
Sas.
IS. 1t is impossible to understand it
IL You are actudiis .pNeSeHt-
SO it can hardly be said thar yacht
ing is one of our leading popular sports.
The essential conditions of yachting
are such. indeed that it can never be-
come a popular pastime in the broad
sense of the term. To begin with,
it is necessary that people should live
on or very near the seacoast TO take an
active personal interest in yachting.
This cuts off from its pleasures all
our inland population. except that
small fraction of il that lives along the
shores of the great lakes. Another
serious obstacle to the general pur-
suit of yachting is the Costumes OF 1t.
To own fine yacht and keep IL in COM
mission during the summer months
requires the backing of an ample for
tune. 1t is certain. therefore. that
the great mass of Americans cannot
be expected to become yachtsmen.
There are other reasons why, even as
spectators, they canOnt share. in the
delights of yacht racing with the same
Zest that they can enjoy baseball
game or horse race.
People can sit ION the bleaching
boards and watch the ball game from
start 10 finish and understand il at
every point. They can watch horse
race from the word go" until the win
ner passes under the wire, and with
| the aid of Il good field glass they can
, closely follow the changing positions
OF the several competitors. But 4
/ yacht race, if it is over a long course
| of twenty or thirty miles. canOnt be
similarly followed in all its tackings
and turnings by a large concourse OF
people compactly massed into small
| space. Its would-be spectators must
needs be carried down 10 the neighbour
| hood Of the race-cOurSe on excursion
| steamers. tugs or sailboats. which are
not allowed to go very near 1T. and
which are very likely TO have the out
| look from their decks obscured by foSs
or interfered with by the presence of
| other crafts. Many thousands of per-
sons who will go down New York
harbor 10 see races between the third
| Valkyrie and the Defender. no doubt,
| like their predecessors of last year, see
/ very little of the maneuyerS of the
| race. and only imperfectly understand
such of them as they are lucky. enough
to see. 1t is probable that the great
mass of them have to be content with
a few brief glimpses of tie two racers
and will need to return TO the city and
I buy one of the extras 10 find out pre-
| ciseIy what took place. II requires.
| indeed. some familiarity with things
! nautical and THE way of ship in the
| midst of the sea, which Solomon long
ago remarked as an especially wonder
full thing. 10 inteliigently follow the
sailing OF the Defender and the VAL
kyrie over their respective courses.
At such an exhibition of expert sea
manship landlubbers can only hope 10
score a partial success as spectators
All the more remarkable is the gen.
eral and intense interest shown by the
] SC1tl III AZ ->fN III N siEAh IA
our SeabOard States in the outcome of
these races. The bulletin boards in
front OF the New York newspaper Of
! fees are surrounded again. as they
were in 1888. with crowds OF eager
walters and watchers for news from
the ocean race track. In the closing
hours Of the contest the excitement l. 4
respectable imitation OF election night
feryor. When such mutitudes Of peo-
PIE are found taking this keen interest
in 4 yachting event. even though they
never 20 yachting themselves and
know very little Of its technical mys-
ierieS. we may be sure that there Is
something N II which strongly sfirs
the popular Imagination. II j. 81
evidence OF the reyiva. u the Old Amer.
lean maritime spirit The people are
proud 10 Sc the American tag return
Ing 20 the SEA and tying again in
; friendly competition with thai Of ~
: nation that has 80 long aelI the naval
leadership Of the world
The gold reserve Is down 10 sos 90
90 again. The opinion seems 10 -