The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-10-22
these appointments az has been reported
but the men who are best fitted for these
offices will be chosen.
SAILS OF THE YACHTS.
A Technical Description of How They
Arc NJ. al

Are Va ii
The process OF making the sails Of a
yacht IL interesting. The canvas OF
which they are made differs In several
particulars from the canvas used on mer-
chant ships. In America all yachts are
clothed with duck or canvas made out
of cotton. In England the sails are made
OF linen, and, since linen fiber Is strong
er than cotton, II follows .ha1 .iAen sail
can be woven from a lighter thread than
a cotton sail, and will, therefore, weigh
less than one made OF duck But their
tendency TO bag, and the openness Of
their mesh, make them, in the minds OF
American sailors. less desirable than
those made OF duck.
The canvas for yacht sails Is woven
from the best quality OF cotton thread.
Canvas ordinarily sent out from the mills
for merchant ships IL from 81 10 65 yards
long, but when made for yacht sails IL
must be from 100 to 80 or 100 yards long.
The reason for this IS. that no butts are
allowed in a yacht san. In a merchant
ship two pieces might be sewed togeth-
er. end 10 end, and made 20 serve as one
cloth. but the end OF cloths sewed togeth
er would spoil the looks OF a yachts sail
In ordinary yachts the canvas runs
from No. TO No 10, the first number in
is II Inches wide. A yard In length
weighs IS ounces. But the canvas made
for the "Maylowcy" is heavier. II IS
II rs inches wide, and weighs 70 ounces
TO the yard.
On each side % the cloths. and IS
inches from the edge. Is "a thread Of blue
cotton. These threads are to guide sail
makers in tapping one cloth over another
when sewing two together. a lap Of rs
inches is extraordinary. An inch and a
half Is common, and "a frequent. but 20
make the sail set as fat and as frm as
board this great lap is given. The fact
is that % per cent of the big sail will
be double canvas In a merchant schOOn-
or the canvas Is woven wider and at the
seams the cloths lap never more than Ia
inches. one may get an idea. to- Of the
size and solidity OF the sail from the fact
that the extra ounce OF cotton IN the
weight Of yard of the canvas makes a
difference OF 100 pounds in the weight OF
the sail. That IL, 1850 yards OF canvas
are used.
For the balloon sails the "Mayfower'
uses what IS called n No u duck II Is
two grades lighter than what is ordinarily
called balloon sail duck. but 10 is made
with unusual care from the best cotton.
The cloths for these sails are woven 30
Inches wide and weigh seven ounces per
running yard or n little less than one
fifth OF the weight measure for measure
of the thick canvas. They are Just as
thin as they can be, and have the
strength 20 stand the strain of being pull
ed around the head stays Of the big
sloop.
1t is for these light sails that a new
stuff has been invented and put TO use
on the Thistle ana the volunteer"
II Is called silk canvas. but It Is really
silk and cotton mixed In the proportion
Of two fibers Of cotton 20 one OF silk. IL
IS twisted up in such a way In the thread
that the silk covers the cotton-parcels
It, so 20 speak When the stun is woven
up, the surface Of tho canvas IS silk. and
10 is as smooth as glass. Picking it up
In the hand makes one think ne has got
hold Of handkerchief stuff. IL Is less
than one-half as heavy as the duck ordi-
narily used, and that Is worth consider
Ing. Thus a balloon jb will have per-
haps 800 square yards of canvas I'm IT,.
That would weigh $50 pounds II made Of
duck; if made of silk f. would weigh rath-
er less than $50. There is a saving Of 200
pounds In the weight that is pulling the
yacht down by the head when the sail
IS set Then. too when the sail Is set,
ward 10 handle II than II IL were made Of
duck. This sending OF men out on the
bowsprit IS what every yachtsmau hates
10 do In a race, and the fewer sent the
better
The new silk canvas IS a French IN
vention. II is oven TN Paris. Although
the French are not of much account as
yachtsmen. as nautical inventors they
have always led the world. The British.
as In the case OF the silk canvas have
always been first 10 utilize the French
inventions. I.apthOrne. the English sail-
maker, put in such large orders for the
silk canvas that he thought he would
corner the market and prevent any Of il
getting over to America until after the
Thistle had cantured the America
cum. He even refused % let Mr. Burgess
have sample Of the stun 20 see what II
was Ike but Burgess aud Paine managed
10 get some. and TIE volunteer Spreads
n silk balloon as good as the "Thistle's."
That these huge, but ilmy sails arc Of
the greatest value in n race was amply
demonstrated I'm one OF the races early
In the season when the atlantic" beat
the feet I'm a light afr. of Sandy Hook.
coming in by carefully manipulating her
balloon jib. At the Citizens Cup race.
or Newport the other day, when the
Volunteer astonished even her friends
by the way she ran past the Puritan"
when there was scarce any perceptible
breeze. the speed OF the new boat was
as much due 10 her superior light sails
as 10 her model The COS, OF the silk cam
vas IS high. II sells at 90 cents a yard
retail on the other side of the water and
cannot he laid down I'm a sail loft here
short Of 80 cents, duty .?id. The No 70
duck used by the MAY $-'er'' costs but
y cents. In a sail requiring 1000 yards OF
stun the difference IS $3.50 but since that
difference may win or lose the race,
yachtsmen ere not likely 20 haggle when
once the stun can be obtained readily.