The San Francisco call., 1904-07-03
CORNTr.AN S11
1901 ~WvE

TSHE evolution in the racing yacht.
as exemplified in the vessels that
have competed for the San Fran
4 cisco perpetual challenge cup.
shows in a small way the great
changes that have taken place in the
East and in England.
IN 1925 the first challenger was the
Queen, an Out-and-out cruising yacht
OF the most wholesome type. She is
stili stanch, being the pride of the
feet Of the South Bay Yacht Club.
The challenger this year is the
Corinthian. an out-and-out racing ma
chine Of the freakish order. She is
p nothing but q shell with a mass OF
p steel trUsswork 10 hold her together,
and VIII be OF no service after the race
Is over except 10 stand by until next
year. Il she should win, 10 go up
against d more pronounced type.
For those who care for nothing but
racing, and for the landlubber, the
last named vessel is all that can be
desired, but TO the amateur yachts
man who takes his pleasure out Of an
overnight cruise to some quiet rem
DEVIOUS il is a delusion and a snare.
From time TO time a howl goes up
10 change the measurement rule for
handicapping in order to penalize these
freaks But experience has taught
those who have been followers of the
sport that il will be Of no use, for
there viii be found designers whose
brains viii successfully checkmate
whatever restrictions there may be.
So II yachtsmen will race they must
expect 10 see productions like the
Corinthian and worse. The only way
10 Kill the freak is to stop racing.
Nothing in modern times has under
gone such a radical change as the
racing yacht. Within the last twenty
nVe years the improvements, If they
can be called Improvements, have been
very great
The modern nautical racing ma
chine, for the present craft has ceased
70 De a yacht, is a much faster vessel
rms IS statement which needs an
explanation, for the modern boat does
not cover given distance any faster
lnan the record runs OF quarter of a
century ago. but the extreme speed
to-day is reached in much lighter
WINDS than years ago. It is here that
the boat of the present lays claim to
its swiftness.
The speed gained in the '7o's under
twenty-knot breeze is now reached
in a ten-knot wind. And as ten-knot
breezes are more often met with in
the great yachting centers of the
world than twenty-knot breezes. it can
easily be seen why the present craft is
considered so swift. The increased
speed is the outcome Of the evolution
OF designing under given rule Of
measurement.
Twenty-Five years ago q builder whit
tied out a model and built from II II
he was lucky in his whiting he had a
last boat. But to-day il is different.
everything In construction is laid down
on paper. and the errors of previous de-
signs, shown in actual sailing. are
guarded against. II is here that the
great Improvement in speed has been
obtained.
With the advent Of the school Of de-
sign also came the study OF construc-
lon. The old wooden hulks were re-
paced With the iron kettle" and from
the latter was evolved the bronze snd
aluminium boat Of to-day.
bul nave the great changes been OF
any servlceZ If the present condition
81 Eachtlng is considered il would be
nara 10 mo the benefits, for outside of
the man with money the racing game
is dead and the wholesome cruiser .
thing Of the past. This is the condition
~ analrs on the Atlantic waters
Yachting on San Francisco Bay is at
a most critical point. for on June
mere VIII De race for the San Fran
cisco perpetual challenge Gun. which
viii be contested for by one of the
worst type Of boats that has ever sailed
the bay.
II was said two years ago that The
sport was going to the ''bowwoUs''
Nhen the challenger of the San Fran
cisco Yacht Club came out. but n thai
was so at that time what must be said
Of the challenging boat Corinthian ~
today il has been claimed that tbe
perpetual cup is one Of the worst fac
TORS in local yachting and has not been
productive OF any good A review of
the boats that have raced for IL may he
considered and the yachtsman left TO
judge.
The first race for the cup took place