Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-05-25
rHE SPORT oE kINas.

THE SPORT OF KINGS.
The transatlantic yacht race now be-
ing sailed by vessels representing Ger
many, England and the United States
is attracting widespread attention, as
1t should. Though the number of peoe
pie who actively engage in yachting
as pastime is small that fact is not
the result of lack of general interest
in the sport, but because Of two con-
ditions-its cost and the time required
to become adept. These two draw
backs hinder many who would other
wise take much pleasure in. yachting.
Then too, the great majority Of peo-
pie live inland and seldom visit the
sea, and this fact accounts for their
lack of active interest. In spite of all
this, however, the interest in the sport
extends to those who never saw the
ocean nor boat more than twenty
feet long.
Perhaps the greatest yachtsman in
the world is William II, emperor Of
Germany 1t is the kaiser who has Of
fered prizes to the winners of the
yacht race now in progress. 1t is the
first trans-oceanic yacht race ever
sailed and attracts considerable inter
est from this fact. Then it is between
representatives of three great nations
Probably no three men, taken from the
three countries, are more interested in
the contest than are the chiefs of the
three nations each of whom is true
sportsman Kaiser Wilhelm is a
yachtsman from crown to sole and his
happiest moments are spent on the
49,, VI orI -
Roosevelt are both true sportsmen,
though their favorite lines are. for
the one, the turf, and for the other,
i the chase. But each of the three is
enough lover of good contest of
brain and Drawn to love yacht race.
and yachting is the sport of kings.
The race for the kaisers cup is des-
tined to become fixture in interna-
tional yachting, more so indeed than
| the race for the Americas cup. There
are several reasons for this, not the
least of them being the fact that the
rules are plain and do not need law
yer's Interpretation. There are few
conditions attached to the kaiser's
race. The boats are to sail from
Sandy Hook to the Lizard on the Eng
lish coast and the first one there, wins
Practically the only condition is that
the vessel; must be propelled by the
wind and nothing else. Schooner
bark and full rugged ships are among
the entries, but if Reliance or any OF
the Shamrocks were equal to the
weather test, nothing in the rules
would prevent one of those fragile
sloops from entering and winning the
German emperor's cup.
Such race calls for the fairest trial
of seamanship in all it's departments
4 It will try the Judgment of the skip
per and the courage of the crew. II
will test the work of the designer, OF
the builder and Of the sailmaker, and
unlike the delicate boats that have
raced for the Americas cup, these
cruising craft will take what weather
comes. Frequent renewal of this splen
didly conceived contest will challenge
| the skill Of the worlds shipbuilders
will revive an art that is in danger OF
being lost in the age of steam, and will
do as much as anything to promote
good feeling between the various ma
! which nowadays, far more than the
lions engaging in the noble pastime
vulgarized turf, is truly the sport OF
kings.
There are eleven vessels in the race
across the ocean. Eight are American
boats. two are British and only one
carries the flag Of the German nation
This, too, is the English built Rainbow
1 bought and rechristened the Hamburg
by a syndicate composed of yachts
men of the city by that name. Only
one of the British ships stands a
chance Of winning, as the Sunbeam
owned and sailed by Lord Brassey. is
an old boat and the owner admits she
is not in the running but that he en-.
tered the race to encourage younger
yachtsmen and for the sport. This
makes Americas chances of winning
eight to two, and eight to, one as
against either of the other countries
represented. But whoever wins, there
is the assurance that the race is one
in the interests Of true sport and the
1 spirit of all was expressed by one OF
the owners just before he started in
the race: May the best ship win, and
tHoch der Kaiser"
|
/ THE GOOD ROADS MOVEMENT.
Two years ago Pennsylvania appro-
u m NNn