The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-20

Britishers Copy the Model or tho Yankee
or Last Year.

Although w. w. Howard and his fast-sailing
canoe Yankee will not appear in English waters
this summer, the champion has cut a swath
among British d~evotees of the sport that will be
remembered for many a long day. That a num-
Der OF the most advanced canocists in the Royal
Canoe Club should copy the model of the craft
that defeated the best sailers in their entire
fleet is to be commended. and there is a grave
doubt that had their yacht designers accepted
Yankee improvements with as much celebrity
as the canoeists have done, the history of the
blue ribbon of the seas would have been such
q monotonous series of hollow victories for half
a century.
Towards method Of sailing a canoe has al
ways been to carry sail as long as his craft
could be kept right side up. II she went over,
he stayed with the craft until she was righted.
won the championship. but since that time the
racing rules have been altered so rs TO bar any
S Sune 5 t eomm %Ssess upon pS the the f FAILURE Of 6hf ao ward to- to
defend the trophy this year and the methods he
employed to defeat all competitors as follows:
The closing date for foreign club entries for
the r. C. c. cup competitions was May l. A
whole month has now elapsed. and, so far. as we
are informed. not a word has come from Ameri-
ca as TO whether the omission to enter tho
Yankee. the holder OF the cup, was accidental
or intentional; But, whichever way the reason
sidcred as closed. In the interests OF true canoe
sailing. as opposed TO, mere machine handling,
W'nio hc"ibhs eiau 'h"' nus mus 'hucN thS
Yankee type of canoe was the microbc which
had done deadly harm to the sport from 1883
onward; and there cannot be n doubt that her
sailing at Burnham last year, even though there
was no real racing between the Yankee
and the English canoes, owing to accidents, had
inspired more than one man to very much copy
the Yankee in n new canoe to beat her. Sincere
%fiattery, of course. hut highly detrimental to the
prospects of rcviving the sport by the sound in
PRODUCTION of u more generally useful type of
sailing canoe. That is to say, that the idea is
held by several canoe men that no canoe of
greater body and weight than the Yankee, or n
canoe built to her type, can hope ever to beat her.
=" We have yet to be convinced that this is so,
but we will accept nothing less than facts from
actual racing. There are certainly conditions OF
wind and water In which such form of canoe, II
well handled, ought to sail clean away from the
larger hull and greater weight OF the cruising
class canoe, even though she be built expressly
for racing with no compromises inserted to pro-
racing, taking the season through. there should
happen many days Of conditions favorable to
the larger craft, and certainly so II she is built.
as above suggested. entirely for racing.
this is exactly where the interest of
this seasons racing will focus; beyond the pleas
ure to spectators and the excitement to the own
ers. there Is but little Of interest to other canoe.
men to hear the details OF a sailing match be.
tween two craft OF exactly similar type. size. and
fitting. We hear, however. that there is n good
deal of Sankccism in some of the new canoes OF
the racing class. and We hope by next week or so
to have thoroughly seen these additions TO the
fleet. and then whom the guiding peculiarities of
each are set ont and compared, the individual
racing deeds will hold an interest to those who
are on the outlook for improvements In canoe
sailing