New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-04

FIRST AID TO THE LAND STUDENT OF
\ANIGATIO\.

Some people 20 10 see yacht races VINO are hol
vachtsmen To anybody who has even super
fetal knowledge it is quite delightful to oVerhear
and 10 note the Views on the subject which are
expressed by those to whom yacht Is az strange
AS heaven The questions that people ask often
show a profundity OF ignorance scarcely oeheNaoe'
while the answers just often. show considerably
less than A half knowledge. Everybody is likely
,o no funny enough when he asks questions about
other people's business but somehow there seems
10 be no other ignorance SO deep and sincere as
thorough andsmans ignorance Of things OF the
sea and a thorough seaman's ignorance OF Things
Of the land
These are some portlons-not the while-of
conversation-or perhaps il was two or three con-
versations-heard on one Of the excursion boats
yesterdays
Now. [ wish you would tell me: What IS one
gun start and what IS two-gun start and Wnlcn
are they going 10 have to-day
"Yhy for a one-gun start they fire only one gun
That is the signal for starting. and the yachts have
IN get of the best they can For two gun start
they fire one gun and that is the signal 20 So but
the time is taken not from the time the gun Is
fired but from the time each yacht crosses the me
Then IL one crosses little later. she has just so
much time allowance. But after three minutes am
other gun IS fred and then if either yacht is not
.,,ros, the line she gets no more time allowance,
and She must get across the best she cam
ooh yes I sec: and which are they going to do
today
"Whv neither. lunderSt ana l near tn'y
are going to fire only one gun. and then they viii
give time allowance Tor three miH"'e9 anu "'
more"
Then It will be two gun start with only one
gun. won't it,?
well something like that. If you want to put 1t
that way"
that nobody with a few notable EXCEPTIONS seell'u
really TO care which boat won IT,
81 think should rather like to see the Shamrock
carry the cup of; it would keep up the interest
better The only objection would be that 1t would
be so far for Us to go to England 10 see the races
Yes. wouldn't it be dreadful to have to 20 all
tho ,,ay to England In these excursion boats % see
a Yacht race?
It is suspected that this last was intended for
Joke mild as II was, and did not imply honest
Ignorance. There is nothing lese that interests
landsmen who take u yachting suddenly so much
as "A spinnaker. They want everything they see TO
be a spinnaker and are never happy till they
assured that what they looking at rs "a real one
Il should Ike TO see them when they have three
sheets IN the wind. have heard SO much about
why there are more than that now. don't you
sec. There's the spinnaker and the main brace
and the top club sail and the balloon jbe, and
then there are two or three more that don't
'Oh and that reminds me Of another thing that
/ want 20 see. DO want to see them splice The
us get near enough them see that will they
this boat If you want to come downstairs"
Why how? / know you're just joking. Now,
stop"
And those things you were naming are not
sheets at all. they are sails
And what's the differences
The conversation must positively he interrupted
here. when the excitement is all over and hc gets
time the yachting editor Of The Tribune will prob
ably write another article explaining I'm different
words from any used before, the difference be-
tween sails and sheets.
"Oh. did you hear that man saying that the
Columbia was outpontng the Shamrock? He
meant pointing her out. didn't hey'
NO / think they've only picked up another
tack
oh how careful they are, think IT'S perfectly
wonderful To think that one tack should make
any difference I'm race' Why. It's just like not
having your bicycle painted when il needs BE-. be-
cause II would make IL heavier on. see, The CO.
lumbla has turned round, VIII they come back
/ now
Yes / think one short leg and one long viii
do IT,"
"Oh but n must be so awkward getting along
In that way, | heard somebody say that the
Shamrock was faster In stays. Now. lt seems 20
me that II / wanted TO 20 just IA fast 7 could
l wouldn't wear Oh what silly talk See,
| they're both coming back now; let's 20 down and
get some luncheon.