New-York tribune., 1902-09-07
FAR ABOVE SEA LEVEL.
SPIRITED RACES BY The 81.
REGIS LDEIn FLEEI.
UNCERTAIN WINDS THAT MAKE
errF-RALERS NECESSARY AND
SOMETIMES SPOIL THE
CONTESTS.
CONTESTS.

~, s,;.F,rs X y. Sept tSpeciaD.-'A noun
T.crf club, Impossible some one eXclairns-
vot , bit OF It. In the Adirondacks ali thllss ar
- and here in the heart Of the great North
woods nearly 700 feet above the Level ot tte sed' l.
-. o4 the vreslthiest yacht clubs IN America
= .,,ra +ha St Regis Yacht Club has never
,s7 ir national or international racing events
-, the facts remain that finer feet OF one cldss
T5e-, boats cannot be found and that ho"heie'
~rans are races actually participated In oy men
more proninent in the social political ana business
1;fs n the country. However other rNss OF lIe o.
perss Yacht Club may change. there Is one 'hal
,,axer langes-namely, that one specllHlhs ina.
eacb Yacht owner shall actually san MS own SaCi1
., al races entered by the boat He may nave help
]s aboard but he must handle the tiller- AS the
t,s.e of the club are all Of the same type 9acH'
80 ~ t-a MINER ST. Regis are reduced to pure
os++er of skill in handling the craft Saiieo u,ioei
s-c, conditions races cannot help belhg I-te'
and the series now being brought to > eIo>e iiaS
been perhaps the most Interesting III 'ie 0'"'
history. - -,.- xyacb+
sI,h began. operations as club But the Upper d
Regis was by no means unknown as ms
ground previous to that time. Anson Fhefs NoNo-'
+,e D;c-ee- In the colony OF wealthy campers On
,be St Regis waters, and Dr. T. L. lII0eo- % %
~-a,ryorlz sailed the lake with catboats 1ul'H
ffteen years ago and according TO the stories no"
tol5 nv the club members. had some spirilea
brushes Before the days of the present gtdce-U IO
and n1ainsai boats about all Of the campers on te
ysl,ez owned and sailed catboatS- Simeon j. btd'
@ >-a1,yrrl, the present able chairman OF the cluo
race committee, has been judge OF the races LOT
tbo+ thirteen years and frequently has started as
itch ee twenty catboats in event Catboats are
stiu sailed III the St Regis races, but they are not
allowed in the one class Idem events
saturday afternoon of each week during the
canning season on the ST. Regis is given up TO
catboat races. These races although seneraI!y
designated as catboat races, are not limited strlcy
a ca+boats but are open to about anything hoaung
r1nier canvas that comes within the 2o-foot limit
often these races are fully exciting as the more
rretentious events between the one class ldenI
boats on Wednesdays. and. besides, they generally
furnish auy amount Of Jolly good sport
The feet Of Idem boats is one the club may We'll
Re rroud Of for competent judges say that ii IS
the finest feet Of Idem boats in the country These
raft are b and Iainsai boats, IS feet over all and
- feet racing measurement They are what are
known as .'self-baiers." They carry great spread
Of canvas and in the 1tful winds Of the mountain
lakes the self-baling device is almost absolutely
necessary Il is no uncommon thing in the races
sailed between these boats on the St Regis to nave
z heavy wind follow almost dead calm When
the wind comes in this way il comes swiftly and
with great force, often overturning one or more
Of the racers beneath their great weight Of bulgng,
.traning canvas. Then the self-baling device gets
In its work. The water tight compartments prevent
the craft from sinking. the water off through
the scupners the heavily weighted centreboard,
aided by a quick and accurate shift OF position on
the part Of those aboard, snaps her back into posi-
ton and the yacht is up again, scudding away
before the breeze.
The yachts in the fleet. with their numbers and
names and the names OF their owners, are as fol-
lows: No -. the Shadow. owned by Commodore
Anson Phelps Stokes, Of New-Ycrk; No. q, the
Malta. owned BY Louis Slade, OF New-York: No. %.
the Kinghsher owned 10y Henry /. Hotchkiss OF
New-York: No .. The Flying Fritz owned by
Lewis Thompson. Of Red Bank, y j. No. q. the
Water Witch, owned By Ogden Mills Reid of New
SoIk; 20 n Ie Eti4IlleIs 9HIe6 ns C1eorge n
by Robert L. Stewart, OF New-York, and No z.
the Aqua. owned by William Rauch. o. New-York.
There eight races in the series sailed by these
one-class boats each season. The racing is fo-
~ Ig ir - Ia75 - m l NJ t+ ~ - S4laoo@ts anu
Each contestant aims 10 capfure the wind Great
speed is possible with these yachts when they are
lying We'll over into the wind Skimming along on
one side. II is exciting sight when two or three
Of them are runnng almost on edge before high
wind looking as if they would zip over every mo-
hent Su b times are when all the skill OF the man
at the helm is called into play To keep the craft
iiaLlpg i square N the teeth Of the wind and stll
sesp 3 her rom tipping completely over Is the trick
th5l wins the race.
t-eg1s races Ihere are times and they have been
numerous this season, when the winds have failed,
~hen w ii races have been POSTPONED, and even given
up enTey Tor lack Of wind The upper lake presents
n ] socR 10 occasions picture interesting to the on
fasf hfgf fa,s sails idly Tapping in the wind
i,esrsnc eS5fSs The whole feet presents an ap.
the most orthodox yachtsrnan Then the work
6i5a Dsgins Paddles are brought from their hiding
oos3n Racfs snd the crews do what they can help
sTg 10 S@ls and launches put out from the shore,
Simeon j. Drake the Judge % of r. the races. seated in
+,Iee g3@ 20 al the flag marking the start and finish,
Is e6is sTe Satisfaction Of all participants Mr. Drake
sheicn i IalT in bis decisions and relies on the
me course is three-legged nine-rnle course. of
fashion the famous Lake s.; iJ John G course and
the eoDai 5sfs a9cht Cub members think IL is fully
Will 5Seaa a,S 9i @ any course they know Of
yacI me s members OF the club not owners of
waters ii4ny n q them own LAUNCHES The ST Regis
launches on the lakes and faIIT half of them are
electric For the most part these launches are
tbs+ sls Lewis Thompson has recently put on one
Is IS Rot often however that these launches can be
to T,s q 45i speed for they create such swell as
de membership roll Of the ST Regis Yacht Club
HseFssYork and other leading cities Additions TO
csno are not numerous, as ii is limited to lake
rederiek a'e9 ss VandePBi Put up this year was
phdes he o9Ss o. Of The club commodors AnTSn %
ro@fai2 L.. l. IrGdesu Of saranac Lake secretary
Simeon J. Drake. of New-York: measurer. Daniel
rectars a1e1an MMo1TTistoTn J. Among the di-
BBepry Bey I Hotchkiss. Augustus " Durkee
Pee and R 2Tcbsg Rorsrs Tbe
P6eI6s Seitiee s9a iI made up Of c2mmodgre Ans9n
kiss. Augustus ". Durkee' Rrchibaid Rogers and
e man rae 6 committee Of simeon Rrake chair
q, The club has no permanent headquarters. but
ms rather adds than detracts from the interest
~ CUB affairs Meetings of the officials are held
~ u1s iuXuTlOus camps Of the members sklfting
tne shores Of the lakes The beautiful building
- Birch Island that Commodore Stokes calls his
Sa Sa Is tavorite meeting place and many OF TINS
80 cub matters have been considered there.
., ne absence OF clubhouse is no drawback TO
Sae vs. enjoyTnent Of membership in the St Regis
sacht Club. Indeed IL is q question If there is
more real sport be had in any organization than
.ls members manage get out of this yacht club
among the clouds
ARMY AT NE EW-iONDON