The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-10
SAILING COMMITTEE SET BACK
MIR. STRACHAN's PROTEST UPHELD
AND FIRST PRIZE AWARDED.

AvOIded-Yacht Club Said That the
Decision Debarring the Marie
should Have Been Made Prior to
the Race-Mr. strachan and the
Committee Gave Their sides of the
Case-oId Yachtsmen Think the
| Clubs Action Furnishes "A Danger
| Gus Precedent.
| Al a meeting OF the Savannah Yacht
| Club, held yesterday afternoon at the club
house, the action of the sailing commit
tee in ruling out of the last regatta the
| second-class cabin yacht Marie was re-
versed, and the Marie was awarded the
first prize in her class The decision of
the club viii come as a surprise TO a ma
jority of the membership. of which small
proportion only was present.
The meeting was a special one, called
by Commodore Starr to take action upon
the protest of the owners of the Marie
against the decision of the sailing com
mittee This protest was embodied in
.engthy letter 10 Commodore Starr from
Mr.. Frank D. NJ Strachan, captain and
part owner OF the Marie, and in this let
ter the action of the committee was Sc
verely and caustcally criticised. The
ground taken by the owners of the yacht
was gone over at length and the rules of
the club canvassed for anything that
seemed 90 bear upon the case at issue and
favor the contentious of the protesting
yachtsmen
Besides the criticism of the committees
actions, which were alleged to have been
unduly influenced by the personal equa-
ton of it's members, there was a sta
ment Of the rules, which it was said had
been violated. The committee had ruled
out the Marie on the ground that she was
not bona fide and within the spirit and
meaning of the sailing regulations a cabin
>acni and this ruling was the occasion of
much adverse comment. The rules on
the subject a. re lamentably and notorious
ly deficient and, as Mr.. StTachan said,
with more than a show of reason riA
quired only that the cabin should be a
CABIN, and that 1t should not be removable
or temporary. The structure aboard the
Marie was certainly not temporary in the
method pursued in it's construction, but
on the other hand it did not seen to the
members of the committee to fulfil the in
tendment of the rule. Their IDEA was
nat the cabir should answer the purpose
the com Portable housing of such a crew
as would be used in sailing and manag-
ing the yacht, and the structure on board
the Marie did not measure up to this cri-
terion.
Another point of criticism that the own
ers of the Marie had TO make upon the
action of the sailing committee was that
the action was not taken prior 10 the
race but that the Marie was allowed
to apE sail and wiz ruled
out after she had crossed the line ahead
of the other yachts in her class. Con-
ceding, said Mr. Strachan, for the sake
of the argument, the justice of the com
mittee's ruling, the fact that such rul-
ing was to have been made, or that the
Marie did not come fully up to the re-
quirements imposed by the club rules
should have been communicated to her
captain prior 10 the race, so that she
might have been entered in the third or
some other class or permitted 80 with
draw entirely from the race and the re-
gatta.
The matter was debated pro and con
and at great length, the adherents of
both parties waxing warm in the con-
troversy and indulging sometimes in crit
icisms OF the actions Of each other, which
in calmer moments they have, perhaps,
| regretted. The protest of Mr.. Strachan
and his fellow owners of the Marie was
communicated to the commodore and by
him submitted to the club at the special
meeting called to consider it.
The attendance at The meeting was very
small, about % members out of member
ship of AIS being present. The members of
the sailing committee, Messrs. w. D. Sim
kins, Albert Wylly, A. H. MacDonell and
Norman Beckett took no part in the con-
| troYersy other than to file a report and did
mol vote There we're no personalities, which
! had somehow come 10 be expected and
/ the meeting passed off without ill-feellng.
| and ended In the best of good temper The
! members of The committee We're, of course,
| disappointed al the failure of the club TO
| sustain them in the action they had taken
| but they bore their defeat gracefully and
acquiesced chcerfully in the decision by
which they were reversed
! When the meeting was called to order
| Commodore Starr stated It's purpose. and
/ the letter of Mr.. Strachan embodying the
protest, was read. In reply TO this the
committee submitted a report, in which
/ Their reasons for the action they had TAX
en- were given In the report the committee
/ paid particular attention 10 the criticism
that their decision should have been rem
4 dervd prior TO the race and stated why this
was not done. The Marie was not brought
! down to the club house until The MORN
ms of the regatta ana at this time the
| committee was under the impression that
the protest that had oeen in contempla-
| ton was not TO be made and assured from
! statements made TO its members by the
owners of the Marie that the yacht was
constructed in absolute compliance with
| the rules of the club, and that no valid
! protest could be made
None was made until just before the
races started, when MIR. Cecil Gabbett.
owner of the Shamrock, entered verbal
| protest Il was then too late for the com
mittee to make an inspection before the
/ races. but as soon as they had been con-
| Guided It's members got into boats and in
| company with Mr. Strachan went over to
where the Marie was lying and examined
! her closely. When they returned 20 the
] clubhouse they demanded that Mr.. Cab
/ belts protest be put in writing and SUBJ
mtted to them which was immediately
/ done. Acting then upon the protest ana
! with the information CLEANED from per
sonal inspection of the Marie. the commit
tee went to work and unanimously decided
| that she did not comply in spirit and
meaning with the rules of the club.