New-York tribune., 1900-08-26
GOOD YACHTING SEASON.
MUCH SPORT FURNISHED BY THE
MANY RACING FLEETS.
THE KNocKABoUT AND GAMy RACE
ABOUT HAVE MADE THE cATBoAT
A BACK NUMBER-wITHDRAwAL
OF THE AATORITA


A BACK NUMBER-wITHDRAwAL
OF THE AMoR1TA
Those who have watched the yachting o; Amer
tea for many years have generally said that the
home sport was better In In which there
was 10 be for the Americas Cup, and the
summer of 1900 seems prove the truth OF the as
sertlon. Certainly there never have been so many
fleets in the racing field. and public Interest has
been well divided among them, without being cor
centrated upon important contest IN srch a
way as TO cause affairs BE practically Tor
gotten. So this season the racing of the small
craft has received its full share OF attention
and Il is a well known fact that owners In all
classes influenced toward earnest and constant
effort when they feel themselves to b. within the
general observation. Not long ago cateoat racing
had a great vogue but people lost interest in cat
boats and the racing Of this clHss has almost
entirely disappeared from the regattas of the larg
est and most important clubs The virtues or the
double sails and the safety OF the newer ballasted
in keels do not account for the whole Of the
change. and fashion has TO be reckoned with when
a certain kind of boat TO fade out of sight
like the hoopskirt. fobchain and heavy neckcloths
Of former years.
The Introduction of the knockabout, followed In
the last two years by the raceabout, has done
good deal alter the nature of the present re-
gattas, and has made yachtsmen accustomed 90
certain virtues in the designing OF small yachts
which will probably be relinquished except in
favor of something better. The general pros
perity of the sport which has always owed so
much TO the sailing of small vessels, is now in
greater debt than to the coming OF the race
about feet. These bantams the gamiest Of all
craft and the fastest boats OF their size
that were ever invented. 1t is among them that the
latest rehnements of model which are the products
Of much thinking and practical test, first appear
The newest ideas here prove their value before they
get into the larger and more expensive racers, and
the regattas Of the clubs in the neighborhood OF
this city have been specially lucky TO have such
E~a - oH0rA ting ffafr
STYLE AND DASH OF SMALL RACERS.
AS the most lately acquired result OF a long
luton. these small racers have activity style
and dash about them that well make the bal
shifting catboat feel itself be a back
Der, and the similarfties in speed which many OF
this years feet exhibit have furnished the widest
scope for good seamanship TO take its In no
otner feet of the year has there been better skill
exhibited. Mr.. De Forests Scamp, Mr. Bedford's
Sis Mr.. Albergers Colleen and Mr.. Warmers Per
simnaon have been handled in a way that left moth
ing to be desired. and the fact that five or six
boats after long sometimes finish within the
same sixty seconds shows how closely fought the
contests have been. Mr.. Cranes Raider has also
been well sailed craft, and. though she has not
been frequent winner, she has nearly always fin
shed in good place. That these boats have been
sailed by amateurs has greatly increased the gen
eral interest in the class, and in this respect
L differs much from the Newport thirty feet where
cups have often been taken and credited to owners
phies captured. their vessels being sailed by
professionals.
Among the larger craft the racing In the 70-foot
schooner class has been much damaged by the
withdrawal Of the fast Amorita, owing to a family
being in mourning. In the first part of the wear
she had splendid success coming first In every race
and again showing the value of reducing upper
weights. In the winter of 1885, after being beaten
In match races with the Quissetta her upper works
were nghtened by $50 pounds and in the next
cNa 4g,o
her former easy victor. the Coonia on almost even
terms, though entitled 10 large tirne allowance
Last winter she had hve thousand pounds taken
on her bulwarks and deck fittings, with the result
that she was able TO defeat the Quissetta in sptte
or the Improvement made last winter fn the affsr
scboonsIt ne race Lor this years Astor Cup for
we09is sde & shoT y the - Corona1 which had Just the
had to best Hee n Lne hard breeze in which she
nrst mark while the Quissetta, whose strong point
seen at her best. VS. w
SOME HARD FOUGHT CONTESTS.
So far. the additions the 5l-foot racing length
class have produced hard fought contests and the
Shark and the Affair, fresh from the Herreshofr
yards. have done a good deal to suggest that the
FORMER unbeaten Syce is outbuilt though It
must be added that the latter has done some aston
ishng sailing in the last Of the racing as for in
stance in the race from Glen Cove to Huntington
when she beat all the 7os entire fleet to the
hrst mark, taking, at the finish, the Commodore's
Cup Tor cutters. She also the run from New
L.eIhoon 10 Newport In her class The other ad-
qIoh 70 TINS class, the Hussar II. has not SO far
been regarded seriously when first honors are
at times has shown some good going II is not not
forgotten though that the Hussar 1 also did poor
stimulus OF sailing for $500 match cup when she
The Hussar II is said to be a6oni 70 WIN ease
topmast and full outfit of skyscrapers So Thai II
by her record snse she sp Was atgFg a9ncbe69 }
RGie mast 3 ana M poorly sitting canvas. When the
TS TTS.tslI ana the shark are put in shape and the
f Hossar gets her topsa rig and the syce recovers
best racing Of the year in this fleet viii nrobsb f bI
De a3and IN the New-York' Larchmont and other
AnSther IN most 3 interesting class greatly
Mira which win not race again this 6esg9 oa
70 the death Of Charles Lane Poor's father The
for Re Maxwe Rs% afOe xsa aegEged sf 2 sy
Soaf 70 wne6 ne appetite for blood and the
signers the cessation of exceptionally fine racing
yorte designers much as Others bet " on nfG horses se
TGJ iI9l certain stable and Gardner and
arated. " sep
THE NEWPORT "LEAKABoUTs."
The Newport ''leakabouts." otherwise known as
the seventies have been most interesting boats
whenever they could be persuaded to stay a1oat
long enough 10 sail race. In good hard oruisipg
weather they have q tendency 10 seek shelter
where haply lies their petty hope in some near
POT Port OF bay and there they get pumped out and
ceiving steel pasters and other attentions fbaI aT
pea, pea asgsin looking as well ever and with an
racing OF the season. +e Des'
Since the great fleet that was produced for Tho
Ia 1laI races when the Valkyrie II was coming in
tSS9 When the Jubilee, the Pilgrim the COlonia and
me yigant appeared the same racing courses se.
e oeeie never mas been such magnificent collection
% curriers' seen on American waters and the neSDs
that all -four of them will SAIL here on Sentsnnbar
y u ana ~ has been gladly received because with
me exception or the race between the Mineola and
l the RAINBOW early in the season none of this
HeSt contests nave been sailed In New-York Bav
ahd many people are waiting 10 see them ali raS3s
tS tS6getnef When the Yachts keep near each other
the contests OF this quartet are better as a snec
tace than an interna ational race for the big cup