New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-27
THE CLEAR COURSE PROBLEM
- 1T POSSIBLE TO PUT A STOP TO INTER
FERENCE BY PLEASURE CRAFT?
. STORY or THE RAD EXCURSION BOAT AND THE
GOOD SAILOR. CONTAINING A MORAL
EXPLAINED WITH DIAGRAMS.

EXPLAINED WITH DIAGRAMS
There seems to be a little unreasonableness In
this sometimes desirable world. Who ever gave
reason why the small Jack Homer claimed merit
In being good" while eating pie? was ne hkey
TO be otherwise when gouging with his thump in'o
his Christmas dun? And in the TRADITIONAL accou"
of the Bad Excursion Boat. has any one trled 10
show that Il could be little else but badF lhose
who have personally supplied material for stories
Of bows that we're bad have liked people to regard
their faultiness as something TO be expected; ana
these will sympathze with the viiihed eNcursio"
boat II II be proved that escape from wrohsuo'hs
is sometimes impossibe-for sympathy may pe
deep in the brotherhood OF guilt.
1t was one OF the few pleasing issues OF the last
internal onal yachting that the foreign newspapers
oave full credit TO the members of the Regatta
committee for using every effort In their power 10
nreyent overcrowding on the part OF the excursion
steamers As fact, 1t was not the committee pu'
the Illuminating editorial articles OF The Tribune
and other papers that finally cleared the course
These so effectually consigned every delinquent 10
the lowest Gehenna of public opinion that at the
third contest an open space was provided for the
start though this gave no warranty as TO the SUD-
seuuent part OF the race.
TNPERCEIVED INTERFERENCES.
Before dealing with the question as to whether the
hndrances complained OF by the yachtsmen can DE
done away with not. II Is better frst 10 notice
that the most vexatious ana numerous Oh theSc "'e
not perceptibe to many thousands of surrounding
snectators In the contests of 1893 fresh oreezes
hev on two OF the race days, and, as the yachts
beat out to the windward buoys. fleets OF large
steamers rushed along to leeward OF then' OF
parallel cour.es during each tack. Each OF THESE
sent It's side-waves smashing violently up the zee
decks Of the yachts which were careened to the
gunwale But these were annoyances which any
one could discern. and they do not rank with the
unnerceiyed interferences which are here referred
TO- As TO the latter, perhaps Few but practcai
racing yachtsmen will fully understand what ~
meant
To exp!ain them. let attention be called to the
swells created by of the steamboats,, because
these effects can be best dscerned in the otherwise
undisturbed waters of the Bay. When the FAST
vessels Monmouth and Sandy HOOK pass they roch
every ship in the Bay, no matter now Dig Al
distance OF perhaps two miles from their course,
long oily rollers make the largest yachts anchored
off the Atlantic Yacht Club rock and pitch as II In
ocean dead swell. Enough said therefore as TO
the far-reaching effects OF these boats. Now, dur
ing races on rather calm days these rolls proceed
10 windward in a way that IL almost impefceptipie
TO SPECTATORS perched thirty forty feet above the
water on four-decker steamers. The helmsman OF
a competing yacht has his sails trimmed TO 90 ther
best work in the light ftful airs when uneA-
nectedlv the whole boat gets rolled little to lee
ward and for a moment the power seems 10 ieaVe
his sails His balloon jib takes HIT and nall nap
and spills half It's precious belyfu OF catspa" ar
or he NAV be close hauled. with the boat Just
fitting the natural In a SLOW easy pitch, and
then comes a succession OF long. low-lying steam
boat swel!s which roll his canvas TO windward
and leward Acknowledgment much, but sufficiently
to disturb that infinitely nice poise trim ana angie
without which there is nothing
He feels his boat slack up in her speed TOT the
mise of the tiller tells him things he can't see
Away aloft thousand feet OF gafftopsail has
drau nd
useless.
No skinner can avoid thinking, at such time
that he is receiving more OF this damage than his
rival He can see her. hundred yards on win
her sails apparently rap fun. Then just as MS
craft once more takes on her proper motion, big
steamer half a mile to leeward disturbs the angles
OF his canvas cruelty.
Does he want to swear?
Oh, no. He likes II.
Now those are the interfe-ences which few. II
any, OF the 10000 spectators are near enough 10
discern. The description of 1t is written chiefly
from experience In similar positions About 2ssD
OF the onlookers ready TO vow that LORD Dun
raven is whimsical when he objects TO this They
simply don't understand. They see the steamers
good way off from the yachts and they think there
is no interference. They don't remember the sug-
gestive fact that the Sandy Hook can rock the
biggest ship tina; ever noated at distance OF two
miles
THE COURSE TO wINDwARD AND BACK.
There seems to be a worldwide idea that $50
steamers can attend these races and with proper
care obtain a good view of them without being in
any way detrimental to the competitors Let us see
how far this optimistic notion is capable or being
realized and consider first the course to windward
and back A diagram OF this IL submitted which,
though rudely executed. will serve TO illustrate the
positions.
In this O'igure u the starting line Is shown be-
tween the flagship and the lightship. The boats
have to sail fifteen niles dead to wind"ard ana
then return before the wind TO finish at the place
Of beginning.