The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-02
new RULES help YACHTING
SPEED AND HABITABILITy NOW
CONFINED.
Sport Has GrSwn in Recent Years and There
Are Nearly $500 Registered Beats
In This COuntFy-RacerS May Now
He Utilized for CrulsInE Purposes,

In This COuntPy-Racers May Now
He Utilized for Cruising Purposes,
That yachting az q sport is growing fast
not only in his country, but all over he
world, is shown by the number Of yachts
that are built. by the number Of races
arranged and by the increase in the number
OF acht clubs. There are now In this
country nearly $500 yachts that are Of
sufficient Importance to be placed in the
yacht registe r. There are more than
500 yacht clubs hat are regist cred also, and
there are many small yachts, thousands
Of them, that are sailed on small inland
lakes and rivers, and many yacht clubs, also
small, that are not regist cred. Along the
coast line there are TO be in found yachts
every harbor, andso it is in the int erior on
lakes that are large or small.
The yacht clubs have in the last few years
done much to boom the sport. Through
the Atlantic coast conf uniform
rules have been adopted and now these
rules are being accept ed, by other organiza-
tions all over the country. The clubs are
working toget her in he interest OF the sport
and there are now no clashing Of dates and
all is smooth sailing for the yacht owne
until he gets his boat int o a regatta and hen
he has all he trouble and ST orm he wants.
1t 10 the same on the other side OF the
Atlantic. The international conference did
much for the sport and now all the coun-
tries OF Europe and all the British Colonies
where there are yachts have rules that are
uniform. This year in England several
new craft have been built under the new
rules which will be raced and all are wonder
ing how the rule will work out. From what
has been seen OF the yachts the opinion
seems 10 be that good, able boats are de-
veloped and that they will be fast. The
croakers who have maintained that speed
Is to be sacrificed to comfort are to be dis
appointed and the coming seasons sport
promises to be the best ever held.
The London Field recently had an eI-
haustive article on the future of yachting,
1t said
"The sport Of yacht racing since it's COM
menoemeRt has undergone very. many
changes, but there can be no doubt that
at the present moment, when We await
the opening Of another season, the pastime
is on the Verge Of a new era which will
prove the most remarkable in its whole
history. Throughout Europe, but par
t~icularly in Great Britain. where the yacht
ing industry 10 far more important than in
foreign countries, the sport will be greatly
affected. So complete. indeed, are the
measures which ave been taken TO bring
about the change in the system on which
yacht racing is to be conducted in the future
that it may almost be said that the basis
OF the pastime will be regenerated. In the
golden days OF yacht racing the vessels
which took part In the matches we're well
built, strong, seaworthy yachts. A yachts
man in those times would have soorned TO
put to sea in a leaky craft, and although
his boat was a racer he took pride in the
comfort and excellence Of her cabin ac-
c~ommodation. Under these conditions sail
ing races were enjoyed In England by many
country gentlemen, and yachting was
essentially one OF the pasttmes in which
they found amusement in the summer
months when the sports OF the field were
out OF season.
sAs yacht racing became more popular
and was brought up to q finer pitch OF per-
feotion il became at the same time 2 great
deal more expensive, until eventually the
old idea upon which 1t was b~ased-namely,
that the races should be contests between
yachts or pleasure vessels combining habit
ability with speed-was completely lost
sight OF, and this principle gave place TO
a new system. The new manner OF onduct-
ing yacht matches meant that the contests
should be merely trials Of speed, and the
habitabilitv Of the vessels, their capacity
| for comprising cabin accommodation and
| general efficiency as yachts in the original
sense of the term. was altogether set upon
one side.
1T must not be supposed that we mean
TO suggest that the modern racing yachts
built IN the last decade are in any way in
ferior to the historic vessels OF q bygone
age. A comparison between the latest
racing 05 footer or a 65 footer built ten
years ago with some old yacht. u as
Mr.. Tsnkerville Chamberlayne's Arrow. Mr..
Yields Lulworth, MIR Maudslay's cutters
Volante and Sphinx, or Vol7au-Vent, For
mosa, Kriemhilda, and Vanduara, would
probably prove favorable to the new boats
on every point. Such a comparison. how
ever. would be absurd. With the advance
of knowledge of the science Of marine archl-
lecture in every department the vessels
produced nave kept abreast OF the times,
and 90 no doubt in seaworthiness, weather.
illness, speed, construction and even habit
| ability OF form the new yschts would be
superior TO the old ones. That. however.
is not the way to look at the matter. and
The true statement of the case Is hat in the
times which We have referred to as the
golden DAYS, the famous Yachts, although
they may now appear nothing better than
a lot OF old tubs to the younger school OF
sportsmen, were the best that could be'pro-
! happiest combination OF the shipwright 3
| idea OF speed and seaworthiness and the
owners idea OF comfort and even luxury.
In zach craft, according to her generation,
Availability and speed were efficiently rep
resented,
1.-THE later racing yachts failed TO main
tain this high standard Of efficiency. They
fulflled the requirements of the twentieth
century as regards speed, but IL a yachts
man wanted to put to sea In a vessel COM
prising all the ordinary comforts that can
be enjoyed in a modern yacht he could not
build a racer. He was Obliged TO build a
different kind Of craft, in fact. a cruiser.
The result was that the sport OF yacht
racing declined. 1t became too expensive
a pursuit for country gentlemen In the
summer months, and really in the larger
classes only ~millionRires were able to take
part in IL. The time had certainly arrived
when this state Of things required altera-
ton, and last year the European countries
met at a conference In London at the invita-
ton Of British yachtsmen and agreed upon
a new series Of rules TO remain in force for
eleven years, including the present year,
framed with the object Of remedying the
defects which had become apparent In the
sport. The conference not only drafted a
new rating rule, which has for it's object
the production OF q form Of yacht suitable
for both racing and cruising, but 1t was
agreed that in future all racing yachts
mist be constructed in such a manner
that their hulls will be as strong as n
yaobtsman would require for cruising.
This n will be gathered, In a ruling which