The times., 1899-11-05
THE LIFE OF YACHTS.
Used Much Longer in the OIden Days
Thnn Now
(From the London Globe)

(From the London Globe)
in the earlier days of yachting one boat
or, at the most, two. sufiiced for a man
for even a tolerabIy long career and no.
infrequently, says the Yachting World"
the first was only discarded because her
owners circumstances happily improved
so much as to justify his going in for IA
larger one. Now it is not uncommon for
the wealJhier followers OF the pastime TO
tire OF a most costly boat in a single year,
and to throw her aside. Moreover, some
yachtsmen OF that latter sort think moth
ing OF buying new yacht every other
season, consequently, paraduxical though
it may seem, yachts of the most fashion
able and costly description soon become
in certain sense, old. This rapid passing
OF boats aside has, OF course, its advan-
tages as well as its drawbacks Our
draughtsmen and builders have better
time of it than had their forefath,rs I'VE
do not mean in a monetary sense, though
that phase OF the matter is not to be de
spised) insomHch that they gain more eX-
peTience, gain il, too, in a shorter time.
On the other hand it is practically impos-
sible for any one to acquire such an az
fection for a boat that he only uses it for a
year or So as, say. DR.. Cairnie had for
the Nancy; the Messrs. ChamberIayne had
for the Arrow; Emanuel Butcher, William
Jessup and John Mulhollaud (afterward
Lord Dunleath} had for the Fione the
Florinda, and the Egeria. respectively.
Even the comparatively modern reader
knows something OF how that most repre-
sentative trio, which comprised one of the
greatest cutters, one of the greatest yawls
and one Of the greatest schoGners erer
built, were turned out season after season
for many years with loving care, and huw
well they rewarded their owners for :he:r
loyalty.
Although new boats are pow turned out
by the score every year. the tendency to
stand by a few of the old ones, and to
cherish them faithfully. is not wholly dead.
Not to labor the matter iet Us simply re-
fer TO the faithful and happily successful
manner in which such veterans as the
Creole and the Maid Marion are turned
out from summer TO summer. After all,
however. TO see this matter in its perfec-
ton one must 90 10 the Clyde because
there racing of the handicap sort is more
generously and consistently cultivated than
anywhere else; and 1t viii be understood
that tin spite of the fact that the old Ven
delta dimmed the lustre of the gold of the
new Astrild's summer record, by beating
her without time in a match up North a
fortnight ago.. the sphere Of the old boat
is the handicap race Readers yersed in
the natural history Of the boats of the
North can scarcely have failed to see how
often the old ones had winning brackets
this year To take a concrete example
ten boats. namely the OIiVette the May,
the Tess, the Ptarmigan. the Dragon, the
Irene, the Vendetta, the Zinita, the Cruis-
er, and the Vida, the average age of which
is between nine and ten years, have won
among them nearly a hundred prizes.
These boats are certainly all kept in the
very pink of condition as TO hull sails, and
gear, moreover, they are well though not
extrayagantly, manned: and that is the
point to which We have been driving We
do not say. build fewer new boats-the
wealthier followers of the pastime will al
ways see that the supply is maintained
and all honor 10 them for so doing. Rather
would we hint at more good old boats be-
ing brought out OF the mud and kept in
the state of perfection OF these Clyde clip
pers just named.