The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-02-08

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The first boat to thoroughly demon
strate the value of the keel boat of
moderate size was the Burgess cutter
Papoose. This boat possessed the beam
of the American vessel, the draft of
the English, with a compromise dis
placement between the two. She was
never defeated by a boat of her own
size, or by a centerboard boat, and
was the forerunner of the modern type
of racing vessel.
After first demonstrating that he
could build a center board boat which
was faster than any keel boat at that
time existing, Mr.. Burgess, in Papoose,
clearly demonstrated that he could
build keel boat yet superior TO his
own centerboard boat
Succeeding Papoose we find a fleet of
40-footers, both keel and centerboards,
although the greater number OF them
were keel boats. This class of boats
probably furnished the most brilliant
racing this country has ever seen.
While Papoose was at length defeat
ed, it was never done except by larger
boats, and while the centerboards did
magnificent work, it was Thoroughly
demonstrated that the combination OF
the English and American ideas was
superior to all previous practice in con-
struction on either side of the Allan
tic. 1t is hardly fair to leave this class
without mentioning Minerva crea-
ton of Mr.. F'ffe-with only 40 feet wa
ter line. she crossed the Atlantic on her
own bottom safely and made good time
coming over. Although smaller than
the American boats, the perfection OF
model. canvas and handling, placed her
at the front of the class.
While we were developing modified
boats on this side, the English were de-
veloping an extreme type of boat-the
rules governing the races giving an ad-
vantage to a type of excessive length
and displacement, combined with very
narrow beam.
Probably the two most notable craIt
as we'll as the two latest of this class
were Doris and Olga. While repre-
senting an entirely different model
their dimensions were about the
same. They were both wonderful per-
formers, as regards speed, but unfor-
tunately never came together, due to
the sinking of the Olga in a collision.
Olga was a wonderful sea boat, and
the personal experience of the writer IN
connection with Olga is such as to war
rant him in certifying to this statement.
She was probably the best example or
a good sea boat of the narrow type that
has been produced.
Succeeding these boats, the rules
were changed in England, and they i'm
mediately went to a broader type OF
boat.
In this country the 46-footers sue
ceeded the 40-footers. In this class ap-
peared Gloriana She was a radical de-
hi n
this country. and was a production of
the Herreshoffs. She possessed extreme
overhangs, full bow and stern, and was
designed to sail over the water, rather
than through it. / am told she was
development from very careful study
of MinerVa-with her good qualities re
produced and her bad ones omitted.
He. success was so great that it at
once took the Herreshoffs directly into
the front rank in the designing of mod
ern yachts.
Contemporaneous with Gloriana was
Dora. built by Watson, for the owner
of Doris This boat possesses the con-
vex waterline, full bow, nearly all the
characteristics of Gloriana, except that
she had a perfect triangular longltuu-
inal section So il appears that IN the
same year a complete change of type
was made IN ELSidHG d. NS4i q 80
America.
To whom most credit belongs FOR
originality it is difficult TO determine
Succeeding GIoriana the Herreshoffs
made another radical departure in Di-
Ieruma This boat represented a very
moderate displacement, full bow and
stern. extremely long ends. a metal
plate descending from the hull, at the
bottom of which was suspended bulb
of lead. This boat was certainly an ex-
IRENE development of the racing ma
chine, for the possessed minimum dis
placement, with maximum sail-carry =
ing power.
Succeeding Dilemma we find two
boats. FL Chico and Pixey. FL Chico
was the successor of Dilemma-the
most extreme of the fin type; Pixey
was a boat of very much larger dis
placement, with a very short keel and
fuller cardboard. Her surface was
smaller than FL Chico's and displace-
nent greater.
Pixey was combination Of the
cruising and racing boat, while Ell chi
co was an extreme racing machine. The
result of the seasons racing was, that
Ell Chico and Pixey came out practical
" even. FL Chico winning the last race
BY an accident TO Pixey-Pixey being
ahead at the time of the accident. FL