The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-24
CUSTAvE. ECKSTEIN & co.

All starts are to- be made from the
Sandy Hook lightship If possible, but
with the wind in certain directions 1t
is impossible to lay the courses from
the lightship without sending the
yachts into shallow water. and so it
has been agreed that If the Regatta
Committee thinks it advisable the
starting line shall be shifted to some
point further out to sea, from which
the course can be laid so that the
yachts will have plenty of water all
over 1t.
A race to windward and return
means that the yachts are to go against
the wind for fifteen miles and then
come home with the wind behind them.
1t is, of course, impossible to sail
right in the eye of the wind so the
yachts sail as close as they can to 1t
and make a zig-zag course. Big
yachts like the Columbia and Sham
rock can sail fast when what sailors
call four points on the wind. That is.
they can sail about 221z degrees from
the line in which the wind is blowing.
When the course is signalled the Re-
gatta Committee sends a tug to meas
ure the fifteen miles and to put
mark boat at the other end of the
course. The yachts are to turn this
mark and IL is a straight line from
start off on one tack, sailing as close
to the wind as possible and after go
ing as far on this tack as the captains
think necessary they go on the other
tack. A yacht is on the starboard tack
when the wind is blowing over the star
board side, and she is on the port tack
when the wind Is blowing over the port
side. The difference between the port
tack and the starboard tack when GO
inc 10 tifI1 r1 &c ahn al 10Th 4fc
or as degrees. That is to say when a
yacht changes her course by lacking the
difference in the directions between the
two tacks is forty-five degrees and
this right angle is out in the center
by the line of the course so that by
zig tagging in this way they reach the
outer mark. To sail fifteen miles to
windward yacht will really sail about
twenty miles. When the sea is rough
q yacht cannot sail so close to the
wind. The seas will head her off the
course. When going to windward
small headsails are carried. The one
set on the stay that runs from the
mast head to the end of the spirit is
called a baby jibtopsail. The next sail
is called the jib and the sail next is
to that and just in front of the mast
is the forestry sail. over the mainsail
is the topsail
In moderate weather a club topsaiI
is carried but when ii blows hard only
a working or gaff topsail is set. The
working topsail does not extend beyond
the top of the mast but the club top
sail is laced to two long spars and
these spars extend considerably be-
yond the end of the gait and topmast.
After rounding the outer or windward
mark the mainsail will be swung Off
to one side of the yacht and a spin
maker set on the other side. This,
however, can only be done when the
wind is blowing over the stern of tn.
yacht or a very little on either side
The headsails, those that are carried
or the forward side of the mast are
lowered and in their place balloon jib
topsail is set. This sail is similar TO
the spinnaker. II covers up all the
space forward of the mast and in
English yachting circles it is called
bowsprit spnnaker. If the wind has
shifted, so that the spinnaker cannot
be carried, then the mainsail is trim
med in toward the stern of the yacht
and with the balloon jib topsail the
yachts have a reach home.
The triangular race has the first leg
laid to windward IL possible If the
wind holds true when triangular race
spinnaker as the other two legs are
reaches. For these It may be possible
to use a balloon jib topsail on one
leg and a smaller jib topsail on the
other leg.