The sun., 1902-11-09
Yachts That Can Go.

tDOut this time OF year, as the al
manacs sapiently remark. look out for
tall talk about the speed of yachts.
NATHANIEL, the crafty designer Of racing
craft. is at work upon plans for clinchinG
anew the nails that hold the Americas
Cup TO its pedestal and many salt
wiseacre is ready to bet that he will pro-
duce a yacht which can drop Columbia
astern To the tune of five minutes on
thirty-mle course. Perhaps he can:
and then again perhaps he can't. The
Columba's owner is of the opinion that
he can't.
People have astonishing ideas about
the speed of racing yachts. A Boston
reporter once thought he saw the Nolun-
teer enter Massachusetts, Bav at the rate
Of seventeen knots an hour which is
about the speed of the steamboat Mon
mouth Oh her regular trips in the sum
mer There is man in Jersey City who
really believes that he has sailed down to
Barnegat Inlet and back between dawn
and darkness in 4o-toot sloop. II ia
sixty nautical miles 10 Barnegat light, and
when you have tobogganed down there
you have to climb sixty miles back. That
is fair days work for a 4O-footer When
the Boston reporter saw the Volunteer
she was probably flying before wind
over her quarter and therefore going at
her very highest speed. II would not be
fair TO Use her work in such circumstance
A. standard of comparison for that
of yachts sailing under typical racing
conditions. II is instructive, however.
10 note what some of the swiftest Cup
defenders have done in their most excit-
ing contests
The second race between the Puritan
and the Genesta in 1856 was sailed in
ripping breeze-half a gale. ipdeed
1t was twenty miles TO leeward and
return, and the Yankee sloop's time
over the course was 3 hours 3 minutes
"A seconds and she was travelling at an
average rate OF not much over eight
knots for the whole distance sailed.
The last race of the Nigilant and the
Nalkyrie |. vas sailed IN fresh easterly
wind on Oct. l3, 1893. II was fifteen
miles TO windward and back and the
American yachts time over the course
was hours - minutes 80 seconds. Her
average speed was. therefore, about the
same as the Puritan's. The final str1lg-
gle between Columbia and Shamrock
! took place on Oct. 4. 1901, in a north
westerly wind. breczing on from nine 70
twelve knots and dropping to six at the
finish. The course was fifteen miles 10
leeward and return. Columba's time
was hours ~ minutes ~ seconds. Her
average rate of going was G7 knots an
hour.
Yachts have gone faster. The brave
old schooner Dauntless in her ocean
race with the Coronet in lsSs made one
day's run Of 32S miles in which she aver
aged IL "a knots an hour. Schooners
running with the wind on the quarter
have often hit it up As lively a. thirteen
knots and il must be remembered that
Columbia and Shamrock in their run
down the wind in that race of Oct. 4.
1901. struck a twclve-knot gait
But no one except the Boston reporter
ever saw "A racing yacht do seventeen
knots an hour. No one ever saw any
other sailing craft do IT, II NATHANIEL
Of Bristol can turn out yacht which
in conditions similar to those Of the
Puritans last battle will average SIS
knots an hour he'will give lis a racer
that will make all racing records look
like faded ink.