Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-02

Shippers Buslly Engaged In Remedy
ing Bad Points Shown by the
First Brush of the
Season
AS the racing fleet of the South Coast
Yacht club becomes larger the interest
in fast sailing boats increases in pro-
portionate ratio.
The present season opened two weeks
ago with three untried competitors
Columbine and Valkyrie, just off the
stocks, and Yankee, the biggest of the
clubs racing boats, a new arrival in
these waters.
Singular enough, none of the trio was
really tried in the opening regatta two
weeks ago, when Columbine won over
Mischief II by the mereSt of fortuitous
circumstances.
Yankee only formally covered the
course and Valkyrie met with a mis-
hap just before the start that preclud-
ed all chance of her showing UP to
good advantage. In last Sundays
match race with Merlin, Valkyrie ac-
quilted herself and proved that the
confidence of her hackers was not
misplaced.
Monsoon Will Do Better
For the remainder of the fleet hardly
any better results were obtained. Mis-
chief II sailed wonderful race in the
| first half. Through the misfortune of
splitting her ballooner she was handi-
capped for the second round, thereby
| letting Columbine get too long lead,
| which the former was unable to over
come in the windward work, as was ex-
| pected, on account of the failure of the
wind.
Monsoon made fine showing for a
time. but WAS handicapped by condt-
tions beyond control of her skipper.
One incident in particular, that of
standing too long on the port tack in
the last leg of the first half of the
race, lost a very advantageous posi-
ton. This was chargeable perhaps to
lapse of good judgment. Several of
| the yachtsmen who watched her good
sailing that day have since remarked
that except for that unfortunate tack
over toward the breakwater Monsoon
would have had a place with the lead
ers at the finish.
| OF course, this is largely conjecture,
for no one could possibly have foreseen
the wind conditions which prevailed
in the latter half of the race.
| Mischief | Falls Short
I
Skidoo having broken spreader and
consequently forced to retire early in
the contest, disappointed not only her
own crew, but many of the spectators
who had watched her very creditable
performance.
Mischief I for some reason seems to
| be hoodooed of late. For a boat which
for two years had a record of being
| first over the line in every race in
| which 10 antpraH though
eral occasions she had been beaten on
time allowance, she is by no means
| living up to her former record. Great
things are still expected of her, how
ever, and perhaps before the close OF
the season she will have re-established
her prestige.
II Venus, which after fine start clear
ly outsailed all the boats in her class
was easily beaten by the little Merlin
last Sunday, so it would seem that one
would really have to be a prophet in
order to pick the winners Of next Sun
days races. Osborne can hardly be
considered a real competitor of either
Venus or Valkyrie, though on several
occasions she has proved herself worthy
of place in that class. Merlin. which
| last Sunday took one race after having
| first lost to Valkyrie, is working out
really better than the few real tests Of
last year would seem to warrant.
May Not Improve Columbine
Columbine, which during the past
week has had a thousand pounds of
lead added to her ballast, will be ex-
pected hereafter to sail closer to the
wind, but it is doubtful if overload
| ing boat of her model will bring about
| the desired result. There is great
danger of her becoming sluggish, par
ticularly in stays, and for a light
weather boat this would be rather a
| serious defect. On a deep water course
with plenty of wind it is generally con-
ceded that Mischief II will more than
] prove match for her, for Columbine
1 is a trifle overloaded and is also han
dicapped by the slack in the leech of
| her mainsail.
| Detroit may not be able to enter next
Sunday being most unfortunate in the
matter of sails, in which event Yankee
will not be called upon to compete
with vessel in her own class.
For these and other reasons next
Sundays regatta will prove of greater
interest if possible than the last one.
The former method of starting will be
resumed, precluding unnecessary con-
fusion in the matter of time allowance,
for the respective classes will start
separately.
With good breeze some lively rae
| ing will undoubtedly result for the
course unfamiliar to the shippers in
| the last race, as was proved by the
Mischief and Yankees sailing too far
to the windward on the second leg, has
since become better established.
|