New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-17
or INTEREST TO YACHTSWEN.
TIE PROPOSED KNOCKABOCT FLEET-AD-
VANTAGES OF THESE BOATS-IM-
PORTANT MEETINGS

NANTAGES OF THESE BOATS-lM-
PORrANT MEETINGS
Until after the meet . of the Yacht Racing Asso-
citation OF North America. to be held al the Fhth
Avenue Hotel OH October 90, no final arrangements
Will be- made in regard to the dimensions Of the new
knockabout fleet which was lately proposed by the
American Yacht Club through Stuyvesant Vain
wright chairman Of the clubs Regatta Committee
The Riverside Yacht club OF which Commodore
George G. Tyson. Frank Bovine Jones and George
Clark arc leading lights. is now also taking an In
,cre.t in the construction Of the class and 1t Is
more than probable that other north shore yacht
clubs Will Join In tho movement. As was stated In
The Tribune OF last Wednesday. the merits OF the
twenty -ave-f foot watsr-ne knockabout are univer-
sally admitted. Scores Of yachtsmen who have no.
yet sailed these boats. and who have never so much
as stepped on their decks. have expressed their ad-
mlration In warm terms. because a large part OF
the advantages they offer readily be dscerned
from distance. The cOmpactness OF the canvas
area. the with which the sails are handled. and
the activity shown In stays and wearing. can all be
detected while the boats are sailing. andthe amount
OF cabin and storage room be fairly we'll sized
up BY a practlsed eye at long range. No class OF
boats has ever been proposed in which the merits
are so self-evilent. ANY yachtsman who has ex-
perenccd d,sappointments In various kinds OF small
craft see at A glance that the points IN when
his former vessels showed weakness or failure are
hero remcdlcd. He sailed boat. and
II.
"a; was shallow and lacked head room. Here he
gets six fee. OF T.; fils centreboard sklmming dish
cansized but this one won't spill him out The boat
tina; stopped dead and lay over and suked In a
seaway. refusing To go windward is here replaced
hy one that goes AZ a heavy head sea with all the
gamiress OF a hull-.errc-. lie didn't know what
4, was 10 cruise with comfort bat he will have
room 10 walk around and 10 cook ard TO his
dunnage with dry place for H. He didn't like the
wettng he got when walking out on the bowsprit.
bu, this boat possesses no bowspri and all the
work Is done nboard. while his canvas goes up and
down easy a, fork In the hand OF hungry
man.
The meeting OF yachtsmen interested In this class
will be he'd AT the Grand Union Hotel November
g. instead OF October %. rs at first announced the
later date being thought preferable In order that
advantage might be taken OF any change In the
measurement rule which the Yacht Racing Assc-
citation OF North America might adopt at their meet
ing on October 30 n this rule he altered It will
probably cause a good deal OF further calculation In
the designs which have been submitted for consid-
GRAFTON by the Boston and other Eastern firms.
Whatever the changes may be- II any. the
boats Will have to be built 20 the limit OF their
class.
4 still further chance OF big success In this
knockabo class arises from the fact that the pro-
posll to build hftyonefoot class of racing yachts
seems 10 have fallen through The men who were
thinking OF going into the h.ty-ones were for the
part, owners or the present Meet or special
thirties They wanted more cabin boats
which in the Newport waters carried women in
every race but halt caused when Il came 10
the discovery that they had to pay sl.Joo for the
further twenty-one feet OF racing length: and this
simply the first contract price without reference
10 subsequent expenses. The game has be very
desirable be worth the candle that is being
burned AT both ends.
Consequently II Is expected that some OF the men
who more devoted to good sport than TO New
port socicty's requirements will build under the
present proposals OF the north shore clubs and that
the fleet to appear spring will be large enough
10 provide a round OF fun for the whole season.
This il certainly what Is wanted For nothing
has been more melancholy IN The last season than
ferent classes OF yachts and have half OF them
hot G in wSch IN s
class provide the best success. and a long list
OF 81 s o, ns
knocka bout is kept down to a reasonable figure. to
reason TO hope that at least twenty craft will be
don't want mshoeany affairs With q piano finish.
In every respect az the rest OF the fleet
IMPORTANT ASSOCIATION MEETING.
At the Fifth Avenue Hotel tomorrow evening a
meeting will he held OF the Yacht Racing Union of
Long Island Sound. The proposed new rules OF the
Yacht Racing Association OF North America will
the regattas OF all the clubs In the union will also
be arranged. committee to make nominations
will be appointed and the meeting will be an i'm
porant one. especially as to the racing dates and
an endeavor will be made TO prevent plurality OF
regattas one day. This gave rise To much dfl-
Guilty last summer. When all made a rush for the
comparatively few Saturdays OF the season the
smaller clubs necessarily went to the wall. None
OF the newspapers could sford space to give salts
factory reports OF each regatta when three or four
were crowded into one day. The other weekdays
win therefore be more considered than they have
been.
ATLANTIC Y. c. WILL ARRANGE IT'S FUTURE
At the Waldorf Hotel on Tuesday evening next
the Atlantic Yacht Club will hold an important
meeting. The yachtsmen will assemble In time to
commence business at 8 o'clock. The following
business will be attended to- The preliminary report
of the Board OF Trustees as to the new clubhouse to
be built at Nortons Point the election of n NOM
mating COMMITTEES to select officers trustees and
mtees for 1898 the report Of the Regatta committee
awards OF prizes for 1897 the report OF the com
mittee for conference OF representatives. OF yacht
clubs and associations OF the United States and
Canada: the action to be taken under section OF
clubhouse at Sea Gate (Norton's Point Sill then be