The Saint Paul globe., 1900-03-04
YACKTSMEN ARE EAGER.
With the Advent of March, They
Sigh for Open Water.

The first day of March is always the
signal for activity among boatmen. 1t Is
not the day on which they actually begin
their sport, but the time when they
awaken from their long winters sleep
and begin planning for the seasons CAM
paign. From a yachtsman's standpoint,
the study is always an interesting one
He is never too busy to discuss any cues
ton pertaining to the sport, and fire.
quently layman is staggered at the
rnysteriousness and greatness of the
yachtsman after the latter has uncorkeG
himself for an hour or so on yachting
tales and sunGry stories.
The most thrifty and successful spinner
of yarns, however, is the man who races
a boat 1t is he who can tell you that
by reason Of his great skill as sailor he
has won so and so many races, or that
by this accident or that piece Of bad
luck he was kept from winning such and
such race, and that If 1t had not been
for this and that and the other thing he
would have done so and so. Yes, the
man who races a boat is as hard to be-
Heve as a man who sells patent medi-
cines and silver spoons.
Next to him is the man who builds
boat. When you bargain with him he
will readily tell you that 1t has just
dawned on him that by certain changes
In some we'll established plans he can
increase the speed of boat ten to fifteen
minutes in a ten-mile course, and will
vividly draw pictures for you IN which
you are leaving your competitors far in
the rear, providing you get one of the
boats which he would build for you.
When you have given your craft a trial.
and find that you have just escaped be-
ing distanced, the builder will come up
smilingly and tell you that the weather
conditions were against you; that your
boat was necessarily heavy weather
boat, and that you could not expect to
have a boat that would show up we'll in
both light and strong winds.
After the boatbuilder comes the man
who never owned a boat, but who went
sailing in one once or twice. He is the
tiresome individual, and a specimen who
cannot be oowned. More than that he
won't be downed. He knows the relative
merits of every boat on the lake, can tell
you the builder and owner of each, and
gives his opinion freely as to how they
should be sailed
But the first of March does more than
to bring out the buzzing story teller. 1t
brings out the burning curiosity In
yachtsmen to discover who is to have the
king bee craft of the season. Every
phase of every plan is eagerly discussed.
The builder of yachts IS besieged with
questions. He Is shrewd, and doesn't
give away tips as reaulIy HS tHey dio
sought. He wants to make a record in
the interlake regatta, and doesn't want
to be caught mapping. He knows that II
. he builds a winner, there will be a big
demand for boats of his make the next
season.
At the present time there are upwards
of a score of new boats being built and
which will be sailed on White Bear lake
this season. More than half of these will
be racing beats.
White Bear lake is becoming well
known in yachting circles throughout the
United States. The two clubs on the
lake. the White Bear Yacht club and the
Mahtomedi Yacht club, are both success
full and aggressive clubs. The former
has been identified with the lake for a.
number Of years, the latter is about to
open its third season.
The season of 1900 will be an interesting
one to local lovers of acquatic sports.
The match race for the Seawanhaka cup
at Montreal will be the chief event of
the season, while the interlake races at
Gen, va will hardly be less important,
and to capture some of these rich prizes
Is what the White Bear fellows have set
their caps on doing.