New-York tribune., 1899-07-23

OF the cutter.
There are hardly any more sioops now. IN
cun races there have been no sloops for a so"o
u.hue The cutter rig has entirely superseded
| ,ho old sloop rig, though there are Still num-
hors of unimportant and old fashioned craft
which still carry the siOop rig up distant r'crs
and on the shallow fishing bays OF America
| The distinction between a cutter and soop
| ia the difference in the matter Of rig sioop
Yacht originally had her mast further forward
| than a cutter, and. while her mainsal was
practically the same. the chief difference was
| that she carried only one heahsail IN her io"er
canvas, while the cutter carried two
| The sloop carried her forestay down to the
| end of her bowsprit fact which clearly showed
| her to be a natural product as a river poat
| from the fact that she was untitled TO encounter
| heavy seas. Many yachts which adopted TINS
rig in the earlier years, say in the first OF the
seventies got wrecked as soon they went
outside into a heavy seaway the heavng back
of the mast pulling up the bobstay and bow
sprit when there being no forestry to the mast
the whole upper fabric went over the side. TAX
irg the horn with it. With the introduction OF
the cutters double headsail this was all RENE
died. there was always a stout wire rope
forestay leading down from the mast TO the
| front point of the beats structure. called the
| stem. This forestry always held the mast in,
no matter what became Of the bOwsprit. In
| the cutter rig the two headsails called the
| foresail and the jib though in this country the
| former is generally called the forestaysail. a
| term brought in from the soop rig and denOt-
ing the sail that was sent up on the single FORE
stay. This term is misapplied to the foresail Of
the cutter rig. but will probably remain in use
for some time.
The change 10 the double headsail OF the cut
! ter has been useful in a variety Of ways. be-
sides introducing a safer arrangement in the
! standing rigging. In times Of bad weather the
! double headsas are much more easy TO handle
! than the huge single headsail, to reef which in
the old days was not entirely fun when the
huge bowsprit lashing and wallopng
| through the seas.
AS the Cup is Of late years being sailed for
| exclusively between cutters a general under
standing should be had Of the rigs and sails Of
! these vessels. The challengers and defenders
are now exactly alike in appearance so much
so that in several Of the later contests It was
impossible to tell the sails apart These sails
| consist of mansail. hoisted aft of the mast
and between gaff and boom; gaY topsan
that is set over the gaff; jb topsail, which is
the highest OF the three headsails: jib and a
| forestaysa. or these the gaff topsail may be
| OF different sizes. according to the strength OF
| the wind. Il may be little three cornered
sail extending between the gaff and topmast-
| head. or it may be a much larger sail extended
| on poles beyond the ends Of the gaff and top
masthead. The pole which extends it beyond
| the topmasthead is called the yard. and the spar
| which extends it beyond the gaff end is called
| the club. 1t was this club that gave its name
| to the sail and this large addition 10 the sail
| area Of the boat is called the club topsail. The
uss Of this club. though not Of the yard, was
distinctly American production. though it is
row used by the racers Of both countries.
There also different sizes Of jib topssils.
including that which is generally called the
| balloon jib This latter is an enormous spread
| covering the whole front Of the boat and reach
ing from the top of the topmast down to the
| end Of the bowsprit. while the foot OF II,
| stretched straight, will extend back aft of the
mast This sail cannot be used when the yacht
| is close hauled. but may be set in freer wind
that is not too strong for the strain on the top
mast. This sail often plays havoc with the
| Upper sticks and under some conditions proves
rather elephant in the handling. 1t requires
| care both in setting and in taking in, and il
was the wrong handling Of this sail. both in
setting and in taking in. that caused Valkyre
| III the loss of one race when she was defeated
after being far in the lead.
The spinnaker which has already been de-
scribed in the case of the schooner is a most
imposing sail when smartly set. 1t is sent up
tied lightly in stops. and appears more like a
rope as seen in the distance. When the lower
end of this rope is hauled out to the end OF
the spinnaker boom. and the upper end has
ascended to the topmasthead quick pull is