The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-03
PUzNNG OYER SCkNTLNGS
NEW YORK Y. o. COMMITTEE has
ITS TROUBLES.
stIn Gathering Data for Proposed AeStric-
tons -DeSigners B6neve IN Limiting
BAlIast to Displaeemont-OptniOns Of
Some We'll Known Yachting Experts.

aAIHNt 70 VI
Some Well Known Yachting Experts.
The COMMITTEES Of the New York Yacht
Club having under consideration the question
Of scantlinR s Of yachts 10 still at work gath
ering data which II is expected will be ready
for submission 10 the members later In the
year. The club will then decide what 10 TO
be done, and II Is probable that a meeting Of
the North Atlantic conference, representing
all the clubs on the Atlantic coast. will be
called TO take UT the big question that is
proving such a troublesome one to owners.
builders and designers.
II was expected that something would be
done before this, and Sir Thomas Upton
when he was over here had pointed out to him
that while the new rule was developing a good
type OF yacht, It was still possible for a builder
to turn out q yacht OF flmsy construction
and so put a ger at q great disRdvan-
taRe. IL was intlmRted then that before he
was ready to challenge something would
be done 30 that the challenger could meet
the defending yacht on terms Of equality.
Some designers, however. are Of the opinion
that under the new rule. In which displace-
ment Is such a big factor, light construction
does not count for much, and that a designer
who will turn out q wholesome boat not only
in design but in construction will have every
advantage.
Several designers have given their opinions
to Yachting. which are published In this
months number. A. Cary Smith. designer
OF the Meteor, Elmina, Amorita. Katrina and
many other fast boats. says:
The matter OF a scheme for scanttng for
racing purposes suggests and Is IN keeping
with the legislation obtaining throughout
e eaT ottSdh' tS correct r ali Ills, mental moral
and physical, that seem TO be In the air at
The scheme of scantllnE for a certain
type of boat, on It's face, looks like a certain
cure for ali the evils OF racing. But when
ing a Boat and the way Of putting, in ,biige
k%eelsons, make a boat strong we begin 70
lose p tSi,h in IN the sf cure. th The stI reason N that ! sst the
Of years Of hard work Is that the outside
layer OF plank, is OF well sea soned wood. &C;
when swelled with immersiSp, BECOMES prao-
tically one, solid, piece. This shows how
l IttaDg sSa ut tSs b SlSpe b. also to males az w the az az
q aV ssIsai IN s fisst u boat "a t oSyi saaS' '0'n'nnS 'o'
mo man lie competent to make up SUCH
a scheme. In fact. one OF a select few Of the
most successful designers, who knows well
y ThSt be v Is tal RitS t sSs sizs saS y t ,Ss S 6SsPtii heT
ssiIed. anu 'n' "'A''" "'
limiting ballast to displacement. He says:
Amy table Of scantlings devised for the
construction OF yachts Is sure to be too gen
frSi not make De ei proper roTe allowance III for the diner,
enca in forms OF yachts, the wide and shoal
boat receiving the same soantllng, as the
deeper and narrower one, which Is. OF course,
wrong.
ut is frequently pointed out that in com
loved and that therefore the same should
he done with yachts; but In commercial yes
sells the proportions are much more uniform
thar in yachts, and as the hull is devoted. to
the carrying OF cargo, this carrying capacity
bears a very close proportion to the cubic CON
s spaoe q "a 1 used ie almost n e1olyg sH"si W" for rD living
qpa[ters for the owner and crew. s9 that It
the total Weight Of the vessel Or yacht For
this reason the general principles OF soantli9s
not T@a'! apply % 9Pt 70 yachts, nor can they be miads
"'9Wfhiie it is comparatively easy to devise
reasonably accurate. scantling rules for com
impracticsble to follow such rules in the con
SIataG.i dIfre er so wSr much uefSf from the ordinary COM
merciei requirements. and this Is equally true
in yacht construction;
TO yachting and would undo much Of the good
e Of the e1 universal Pi ' measufe@en 4 rule.
a soantlins; rguls Is to avoid extremely, light
accomplished by fixing a ratio q ballast to
e OF a boat aE' would 70 be assured by the adoption Of
a ballast ratio, and would be sure to develop
the form Of yachts more successfully than
any hard and fast scantlins rule that can De
Charles p. Mower says:
THE lack OF restriction. on scantlinRs is
one of the points where the present racing
rules are most open to criticistn, and II is
generally thought by racing men that some
yachts Of extremely light CONSTR Gtion and
to require such scantllnss as will produce
boats capable OF standing the severe tests
nj hard racing for mora than one or Two
To a certain extent the whoie question
TO the designers, interest, and also essential
to the success Of the boat. that the hull be con-
f i]t1E ,,Sds SO tS that s,I Il will IL P SsTd Gh 1s0ins form TSe or
Where FACING Classes have been eaectually
Tsric fES 81 on eA' sssntiin Sy am and .Ae on the other
hand, practically all the successful and
popular racing classes are now built accord
ing to special class restrictions which require
a reasonably heavy and strong construction.
The formation OF a table OF scantlines
is certain to he a very difficult task for the
various committees which are. at work on
the matter, as different forms Of hull require
and the c sG%Rth%s Of Of t Sise sef fSRs' for Sire wSiGh;
the yacht is intended also have an important
S SsSsdI d on fss 9 9SSi t of SO Ihh1 any would gn,i
IT seems desirable. however, that, some
| I1PdSlIt HIbulu NC. dIOplths huu III wv ab
sencc OF any detailed table OF scantling re-
Ouirements 1t would seem that an arbitrary
limit on the proportion Of ballast 70 total
displacement, varying, perhaps, with the
different classes. would be advisable, as this
would leave the designer a comparatively
free hand in designing a construction to
, meet the requirements OF the yacht in ques-
ton.
"A set Of scantling restrictions has been
adopted by the associations abroad. and II
seems certain that II some measures are
| taken here to prevent the possibility OF build
I ing racing yachts Of extremely light construc;
tion II will do much to encourage men to build
in the larger classes and give a better feet OF
racing yachts"
sherman Hoyt admits that designers have
at times carried nRhtness Of construction to
too great an extreme at the sacrifice OF
strength, and he points out that In some OF
the one design classes the same errors have
been made.
Light construction" he says, does not
mean poor construction, II q. racing boat
is subjected to work and. strains never In;
tended II Is only natural that trouble should
ensue. Nobody. would expect. q racehorse
to perform the labor OF q hack OF q, racing
automobile TO do successfully the tasks OF a
truck. Why expect a racing feet to go to
sea2
Far more racing classes have been ruined
hy the production Of ONE freak rule evader
than by light construction. Legislate and
restrict the type by means Of chan es in
the measurement rule in force whenever
il Is found that this is not adequate for the