The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-05-11
NEW HAVEN YACHT CLUB
PLANS OF L0C1L YACHTsMEy FOE
TIE SEASON At HAND.

Local Club to Join the Racing Union Of
the sound-Proposed Change for Open-
ing Day-Yachts Which Have Already
Taken the water-Others Fitting Up
Composition of the Fleet- shipyards Busy
at Reftting-New Members of the Club.
Unusual Interest in Yachting Manifested
The yachting men Of New Haven are
all busily engaged these days planning.
and fixing and getting things literally
into ship-shape for the season Of re-
gattas, sails and races. which is now
close at hand, or, If weather has any-
thing to do with it, Is now in fact at
hand. Wherever two or more yachting
enthusiasts are seen together the
chances are 10 to l that they are talking
schooner, sloop and catboat or surmis-
ing who will have the fastest boat in
the New Haven fleet this season. The
interest in yachting, locally at least.
seems to be greater this season than it
has been for many years before, and all
the building yards around the harbor
and In adjacent towns are busily en-
gagged with full forces of men in build
ing new boats, scraping and painting
old Ones and doing everything possible
to provide some clean looking, speedy
craft for the members of the New Ha-
ven Yacht club. Already there is a good
sized fleet anchored in the water around
the club house at the foot Of Ham
llton street, and the number is being
daily augmented as newly painted and
fitted boats are launched.
The club house has been completely
renovated, revarnished and repainted
and presents a spick and span appear
ance both inside and out. The new
building Is much easier Of approach
than was the old one at the foot of
Chestnut street, where there was a
thousand feet of bridging to walk over
before reaching the building from the
land side. The present site is fine
spot, and the building has commodi-
Gus piazza around three sides from
which a full view of the harbor and
lighthouse and the breakwater can be
obtained. 1t Is by far the finest yacht
club house along the sound even sur
passing In appearance and convenience
the houses of richer clubs near New
York This new building has been built
chiefly through the assistance Of Joseph
Porter Of this city, who is one Of the
trustees of the club.
i The opening sail will be held the 30th
of this month. 1t has usually been the
custom to go to Branford on the opens
ing sail of the season and have dinner
at the Branford Point house, but there
is some talk of holding a regatta on
that occasion this year and having din
ner at the club house. The matter will
4 be decided upon at the next meeting Of
the club. All the members of the club
evidence great enthusiasm over this
seasons yachting and many plans for
making the season an eminently suc-
cessful and satisfactory one are being
discussed. Among the plans is one in
regard to catboat racing, which will
undoubtedly be carried out. These
races were begun late last fall, but the
weather became so cold that it was
necessary to discontinue them before
they had been well started. They will.
SO a prominent member of the club
says be started early this season and
be held every week during the summer.
There will be several ladies' days at the
club house this summer, during July
from last year. when there was only on6
ladies' day.
The club Is about to join the Yacht
Racing union of Long Island sound,
which consists of the club in New York
and all clubs along the sound. The
New Haven club has never yet belong
ed to the Racing union. The annual
cruise will be held some time during
Ty11x %1,o ok In% L
decided upon as yet. The club Is all
ways Joined on the cruise by several
yachts from other clubs, and usually
as many as twenty-five or thirty boats
participate.
AT the last meeting Of the trustees
of the club ten new members were ad~
mitted, and eleven were placed on the
waiting list to be voted for at the next
meeting. The regatta committee is af
present composed of Edward Mansfield,
Lewis A. Elliott and G. w. Webb. but
the first two mentioned gentlemen will
not be in town much this summer, so
that new committee will be elected
at the meeting of the club next We'd
nesday evening. Mr.. Webb will un-
doubtedly be retained as member Of
the committee.
The appointment of fleet captairI
for this season will soon be announced
by Commodore Parmelee. Two or three
candidates for the office have been talk
ed of among the club members, but no
one is yet definitely decided upon. The
local club numbers in it's membership
nearly all the yacht owners between
New Haven and New York, all of those.
and they are many, up the Connecticut
River, and several along the sound
east of New Haven.
One of the members of the club most
interested in preparing a banner pro-
gram of events in yachting for the local
club this season is James H. Parish of
the firm of Parish & Mann. He knows
yachting from stem to stern," and can
tell you all the points. good and bads
about every boat in the New Haven
fleet.
The club house is now and has been
for over a week a scene of great activ-
ity, and some of the boat owners, the
more enthusiastic who were nothing
ldaunted by March winds or April show
ers. have already plowed the brine with
the keels of their slick craft. The first
yacht to take a dip was the brand-new
steam yacht "Alcuina," owned by o. A