The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-23
IS THE SWIFTEST CRAFT THAT EVER SAILED

The speed of the strictly up-to-date
Ice yacht is almost beyond belief. 1t is
about the fastest thing in this rapid age.
and cIaft that cannot make a mile
minute is not to be regarded as a racing
boat
The best official record yet made was
sailed by Commodore r.. nj. Anderson's
Irene" of the Lake Pepin, Wis, l. c.
y c., carrying 404 square feet of duck.
The Irene" made the 20-mile triangular
course at Lake Minnetonka three times
over in 30 minutes and so seeonds-in
all, including distance in tacks, 81 miles
and i am sure that when / make the
statement that Western ice yacht of
the second class-with all things in her
favor-sped over a measured course of
one and three-quarters miles at the rate
of 92 miles per hour, it will not be con-
sdered mere ice yacht yarn. I have
TO doubt that some of the Hudson river
ice yachts could duplicate this, and
break the recorder instance, the PEN
nant-holder of the worlds champion
ship, Jack Frost" of the H. r. /. Y.
c.. or the 'Icicle," of the same club, the
former carrying TIC square feet and the
latter 735 square feet of sail-but owing
to the small space from bank to bank
on the Hudson, and ice that is anything
but first class, their time is limited for
the simple reason that just as you are
getting up to full speed you are COM
PEELED to come about. thus reducing the
time by many seconds. Still, on spurts,
so miles per hour has been made, even
under these conditions. In the official
racing for the champion pennant of the
world, now held by Commodore Archi-
bald Rogers Jack Frost, the time for a
total of 20 miles triangular course, five
times around is 40 minutes and 30 sec
onds; covering in all 31.3S miles.
The boat is yet to be built that will
break all these records. The best that
as yet l have sailed Is with Commodore
III. G. Higginsons Windward at Orange
Lake, N. Y, carrying 72S square feet of
canvas; but owing to the confined space
the moment she got full speed on her
we We're obliged to go about. In the
West they make phenomenal time, be-
cause they have long taclls and reaches.
If the father Office yachting, Mr.. Oliver
Booth of Poughkeepsie, who in 1890 built
the first ice boat, could handle
modern, up-to-date craft, 1 am sure he
would be more than pleased to see the
wonderful results of the scientific deyel-
opment of this king of winter sports
As you will note by the accompanying
picture of the latest designed ice yacht
the peak of the mainsail has an unusual
elevation and the hoist is abnormally
small; the jib is diminutive and well cut
away at the head, and the mast stepped
we'll forward of the runner plank. The
reason is quite apparent, for in close
life the windward runner A triangular
shaped mainsail is required bringing
the center of force nearer the ice, and
at the same time distributing the total
area of driving power with equal eff
cheney The jib is bobbed off at the head
to obviate the fluttering in this sail in
windward work, which prevents spilling
wind from this sail. You will note that
all the standing rigging is constructed
Of crueible steel, and is swain in place
by turn buckles. The running rigging
is of pliable steel, ending in jiggs or
pipe tumbles in case of halyards The
steering-box, being aft of the main
sheet, acts as a balance to the helms
mans weight, taking the runner-plank
as a center of fore and aft balance with
the natural depression given by the
said pressure forward of the runner
plank, thus checking any tendency to
lift the rudder shoe from the ice.
The sport of ice-yachting is growing
every year, especially in the West and
in Canada. Theodore Wetmore of Min
neapolis. Mimi, commodore of the Elk
eelsior I. y. c. of Lake Minnetonka is
the pioneer of this pastime in that re-
gion. He learned the witchery of the
sport on the Hudson river, and as soon