The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-31
PROTEST ON RACES
DISCUSSED BY YACHTSMEN AND
JUDGES AT CASINO.
META W. TURNED DOWN.
PROTEST. AGAINST HER WAS sUS-
TANNED By JUDGES.

Protest OF Il. T. heynO10s was Not
RecoGnihed-That Against the Meta
w. which Used the Rudder in n
calm, Was Sustained, and the Race
Was Declared mo Race"-Judges
withheld Decision in Protest of
the Meta w. Against the Mai ID.
for FOuIing-One Race Won by Mai
II. and One by Meta W.-One Yet
Tndecided-SOt known whether
series VIII BE Sailed Out
The judges of the series of races over
the Thunderbolt course, and the cap
tains of some of the competing boats
had a meeting last night at the Casino,
when the protests entered were dis
cussed with great regard for detail
and some little heat. This latter was
only temporary, however, and the
hour and-a-half conference closed ami
cably enough.
L. w. Nelson and M. D. Hirsch were
the judges of the races, and to them
appeal was made for their decision re-
garding the protests. The yachtsmen
present We're E. w. O'Connor, c. w.
Westcott, John Hearn, George E. Wat
son and William Reddy. All these had
something to say about the protests,
either supporting them or defending
themselves, as the case might be.
Mr.. Nelson and Mr.. Hirsch asked the
yachLsmen number of questions,
which they answered readily enough.
The interrogatories, too, included ques-
+ioy3c apd anSverS +0 xubicI, ftI,a i,,deae.
only listened, the yachtsmen taking an
interesting part in the discussion.
The first protest was filed by T. P.
Reynolds, who sailed the Francis r.
He claimed unfairness and disobedi-
ence of instructions on the part of
some of the boats in rounding the
stakeboat, but it was shown by the
testimony of the yachtsmen present
that their instructions were that they
might huff around the stakeboat or
round it any way they might choose.
This settled the Francis r. protest,
and the race went to the Mai B.
The Meta WIS Case.
Most interesting of the three pro-
tests considered was that registered
by Mr.. O'Connor and Mr.. Charles
O'Nein, against the Meta W., which
was sailed VIGOROUSLY in one of the
races by Mr.. Westcott, Mr. Reddy be-
ing aboard. The claim was made that
the rudder Of the Meta w. had been
used as means of propulsion in a
calm,s and that this advantage was
what won her the race. Rule % of
the Savannah Yacht Club, under the
rules Of which the races were sailed,
was quoted to show that the use of
any other, means than the sails for
propulsion was barred, but Mr.. West
colt and Mr.. Reddy insisted with great
vehemence that the rudder. being a
part of their boat, might be used as
those sailing her saw fit. Mr.. Westcott
said that the rudder was not used as
a sculI but to throw the flap in the
sails from the one side to the other,
the force of this transfer being enough
to give the boat slight propulsion. He
and Mr.. Reddy also raised technical
point about the protest, which, they
declared, had not been filed in writ
ing within the required limit of six
hours from the sailing of the race.
One piece of evidence that Mr.. West
colt produced was the opinion of Mr..
Frank F. Jones, chairman of the Sail
ing Committee of the Savannah Yacht
Club upon rule %. This interpreted
ton was in support of Mr.. Westcotts
contention that the rudder might le-
gltlmately be used.
Decision Not Announced.
The judges did not announce their
decision upon this protest in the con-
ference, but withheld it until later
when they had talked the protest over.
They decided then that the protest
should be sustained, and that the race
should be declared mo race"
The third protest was registered by
Mr.. Westcott, who claimed that in the
last race, which the Mai B. won, the
winning boat had fouled the Meta w.
by passing to windward when she
should have passed to leeward, thus
blanketing her. Sidney r. Roberts
of the Mai B. was not present to speak
in his defense, so, the judges withheld
their decision until they could hear
what he had to say.
A handsome silver cup. offered by
Mr.. John j. O'Neill is the trophy for
which the yachts have been competing.
The understanding was that races
should be sailed until some one of the
yachts had won three. AS the series
now stands, five races have been sailed.
OF these, two have been declared mo
race" another is under consideration
by the judges, one has been won by the
Meta W. and one by the Mai B. II
Mr.. Westcott's protest is not sustain
ed, the Mai B. will have won two races.
1t was not decided whether the races
shall continue. That phase of the mat
ter was not reached, as it was 11:30
o'clock when the hearing of the pro-
tests WAS concluded Mr. WeStCOtt.