New-York tribune., 1900-10-07

Cornelius Vanderbilt has given out the follow
ing letter which has been sent to the Regatta
Committee Of the various clubs and associs-
tions under whose auspices he has raced the
last season:
New-York October 3 1900
/ Dear Sir: The owners Of the four so-called
/ 70-fOOters entered into an agreement which gov
! erned certain Of the races between them during
/ the last summer. It was my general under
/ standing Of this agreement that it gave the
right TO any one Of tbs yachts. at her own op-
tton, 70 add ballast for the purpose Of bringing
her water hns length up 20 that of the longest
Yacht and for this purpose TOOK n additional
ballast on beard the Rainbow at different times
My atce1LicE nss 1dsF peea called &c tbs fact
1Llet lad Uass5S take bsl1ast IN any easA
a1ter the yscht had o1ee Dse2 me6sLvsd with
out notl15lTs me authorities Under wbica .ete
races were conducted, procuring IN of6cial re-
measurement It mad never occurred 10 nc the.s
l was obliged TO comply with this conGiLi0a. bUC
hasten 10 say that ] think nay yacht was sue
1ect to disqualification fer taking On additional
ballast without being officially remeasured, and
that she was not entitled TO any prizes won un-
der these circumstances.
deeply regret that should have been guilty
OF such blunder. and can only frankly say that
II was blunder. but was committed thought
lessly and without intention. I cannot, of course
consent to accept any prize which was won by
my yacht IN Violation OF the rules, however un-
Willingly such violation occurred. beg there
fore, TO say that I must decline to accept the
prizes offered by your club; TO which 7 other
wise would have been entitled.
shall at once notify the other owners Of these
facts, and shall at the same time write to the
various committees in charge Of the other races
which l have sailed and inform them of my
error and how it came to be made AT the same
time, l shall return all the prizes I have re-
ceived and refuse TO accept the ones not yet de-
nvered. Respectfully yours
CORNELIUS VANDERBILT
copy of the foregoing letter was received
yesterday afternoon at the New-York Yacht
Club, but it is TO be understood that the issue
Of it in way official on the part OF the
New-York Yacht Club. but was merely through
arrangement made by Mr.. Vanderbilt with a
member of the club who consented 10 give the
matter TO the New-York press in the usual way.
Last night the letter was generally discussed
and most favOrably commented on among
yachrsmen, and it was surprise to many peo-
pie TO learn that the racing season of the 70
footer Rainbow had been suddenly and volun-
tarily annihlated by her owner so far as recep-
ton Of prizes was concerned. Of course. Mr.
Vanderbilt came in for much sympathy on the
results of his unfortunate mistake regarding the
racing rules. It was remarked that ne took all
the onus of the 'blunder," TO use his own Ian
guage, upon himself in a manly way
One case especially in which sympathy is
bound 10 go out to Mr.. Vanderbilt is his renunci-
alton Of the cup presented by Sir Thomas Lip
ton, because in this race the addition Of ballast
could not possibly have assisted the Rainbow to
win The first half Of this race was long drift
fifteen miles leeward and the Rainbow
by leaving the punched feet and going out of her
course TO a place in which she got q s.reak Of
air that took her 10 q lead too commanding to
allow the others hope Of catching her when
the breeze sprang up freshly. II this way it
is seen that when the boats racing for the sea-
son goes by the board at one fell swoop even
those trophies are laid aside in the contests for
which additional ballast was only a detriment
The figures received at Newport from the
ofdcia. measurer, Dir. Hyslop, on July u were
printed in The Tribune on the following day in
these words.
There IS only a difference of four-one- hun
dTeCLns IN the square roots OF their sail areas,
and their Waterline lengths ere as follows The
Virginia. IS, the EIine0la, SO 76, the Yankee,
69.OZ, and the Rainbow 690l There will be
tine allowance IN this feet IN which the racing
lesgths The Mneola 76. 73 the Rainbow
1874 the Virginia 1914. and the Yankee 1886.
he Eainbow vas therefore sailing at fifty
one hunGrcdths, or one-half. If a racing length
foot less than the Virginia, and almost the same
Jess then the Nineola. and. apart from any rule
on the subject ii quite natural that Mr.
Vanderbilt should not wish TO lCse the beneht
o. half foot Of racing length, for which he
received no allowance from the boats which
were sailing on a longer waterline The owner
says be thought he had the right TO bring the
Rzinbow's wsterline length up 10 that of the
longest Yacht "snd for this purpose. he says,
Il took in additional ballast on board the Rain
DOW at different times
AS 70 this the general opinion seems 10 he tnat
even II there w8s no understanding that All
should sail at the same racing length there