Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-01-16
PLEASURES OF
ICE YACHTING.
SpOrtin Which Nervous Sfrength
Is Most important How
10 Handle a Boat.

rognlarly each winter. Tut 1t is espe.
cially popular in Michigan. Wiscon
sin, Illinois, New York and New Jer.
sey. In the three statesn AIMED Grst
races arc held almos tentirely on lnkes,
while in New York an d New Jersey
rivers afford the most favorable speed-
ing stretches.
This Shrewsbury river, which rises
not far from Long Branch and flows
nto New York Boy at Sandy Hook,
is probably the greatest ice yachting
centre in this country. Upon the
broad, shallow reaches Of the river
real Red Bank, Br~anohport aud
Pleasure Bay, scores of the fleet craft
Rre seer daily. Bi;d-swift racers
shoot by faster than the fastest train
thatever rolled OH wheels
1t requires a real MIA to handle an
lce'boat a man Of physical and nerv-
Gus strength, a man of quick wit, of
sound judgment, ana q mai of wide
knowledge of the natural conditions
confronting him Of tho technique of
ice boat audliDg. There is no other
craft on earth Cor 90 icc) that is jast
like the boat that skins tie shimmers.
No other craft carries a man into such
dangerous situations nor battles him
so perversely by unlocked for freak
ishness'" At the same time no other
boat is so fast nor so easily CON.
stlucted. Consequently the craft has
its friendly side.
II is on the Shrewsbury that the
best time has been made, time hat for
the mile eXcels the worlds mile Ie-
| cord for automobiles Some ice yachts
men there are who claim TO have
covered a mile during the progress of
q long race in forty seconds. They
cannot prove this assertion, however,
and SO the matter of the fastest time
will probably al ways be n cause for
dispute. Every branch of sport, in
fact, has one or two net topics that
never have been and never will be
settled. The harness horsemen, for
instance, will absolutely never cease
10 endeavor to prove thar Maud s,
would have cqQalei Lou Dillon's time
| for the mile if she had been raced be.
| fore one Of the modern pneumatic
tired su!kies on an improved track.
| So why notla the ice boat racers have
their little bone of contention?
There are two distinct types OF ice
boats. One is what might be called
The sioop rig, having a mainsail and
lih; the other has one sail, a sort of
lateen rig, with the forward end
or Point of n triangle projecting for.
wa,d 70 take the Place of the jib.
There is no mast on this latter craft
Its place is taken by two heavy beams
Or braces, which lean toward each
other from the me on the side.
Tho sail is fastened to n long boon
(lsced along the top Of the sally,
VIII CHI is securely fix sd I'D in the
crotch formed by the braces. The
forward end OF the boom slants down
ward. The stern end tips upward of
course.
This last described pattern of rig
RinR(the bodies of the boats are much
the same) IS found most frequently on
the Shire wsbury. On tho Eud.on and
on Orange. Lase, New York, near
NewburP, another favorite racing,
spot, the tyne having the ord nary
straight mast and the lib and main.
prevails. EEE
Sailors of ice yachts may well OBJ
serve the following general sugges.
Do not fall in q heavy wind to nave
q strong man standing or lying on the
which is fastened to the
runner He can hold him
self on securely BY grasping the stay.
His weight will frequently save you
an upset, especially in squally
weather.
Every stay should be of strong cable
DO not trust ropes.
Do not allow any loose ends of hal
yards, sheets. etc.. to drag over the
side to foul a Iuuuer. |
Do not fail to reeve in new halyards
md sheets whenever the old ones
show signs of chatting.
Tighten evrey loose bolt head.
Do not follow the line of n deep
Cracks do nov harm you when
you meet them at right angles to YOUR
You can jump a crack several
oct wide with any sort of breeze.
But If you drop n rnnher into even a
small crack that follows the line of
,our course you may twist of the
/
Do not fail to provide plenty of
wraps. Ice boating is the cold
tst known pastime.