New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-13
The Hardy Race of Small Boat Cruisers

The annual journal of the Royal Cruising Club Of
England Is always delight to watermen. The rec
ord for 1913 is especially provided with thrills AMI
splndrift and will make many an American boat
man envy the cruising ground that lies at the door
of every Englishman.
Cruising is still lively enough sport along our
Atlantic Coast But it lacks the general enthusiasm
and interest which seem perennial in England The
logs Of the great McMullen set an example that
countless Britshers delight to follow. The Royal
Cruising Club not only prints the logs Of its men,
bers, but awards batch Of prizes every year for
the most notable cruises.
There must be professional help in the navi-
CATION of the craft TO make an owner eligible for
these cups. Last year particularly fine yachting
season. it happened, a wife or sister formed
the sole crew in number Of cases. One cup, for
instance, was won by a 1Ia-tOn auxiliary cutter
which crused from Copenhagen through the Baltic
Sea to Kronstadt, with only the skipper and his
sister aboard An Stonner sailed from Handle,
near Southampton, to Brcst, down the French coast
aud back TO Handle, with wife composing the
crew.
The chief prize OF the club went TO a larger craft
2s-ton ketch the Asgard which crused from
Christania up the Norwegian coast, away across 10
Lerwick, in the Shetlands and then by way OF the
northwest Of Scotland and northeast Of Ireland TO
Holyhead We quote from the log OF the Asgard
when the worst gale Of the cruise swooped down
upon her in the Irish Sea
November 2nd-Ardglass to Holyhead. We left
at 1890 a. m. under three-reefed mainsai, three
reefed mizzen, reefed foresail and third lib Beat
across the bay, and at $3.50 D. M we were o the lee
Ward or Annaong AT y. IN. the occultng light
/ outside Carllngford Tough bore W. y. w, miles
distant we were therefore nearly far enough down
TO stand In on port tack with berth off Helyhunter
Rock and the shoals north OF the entrance At this
moment the rain turned into a deluge the light was
obscured and the wind became very strong. The
bOWsprt the first thing to carry away; il broke
off at the stem-head The bowsprt is only 22 IT,
ALL and the outboard portion cannot be much
more than II IT. its diameter at the head Is I
in. so one cannot say that the spar was n weak one
Curiously, neither the bobstay the topmast fore
stay parted. and with the aid of ropes we succeeded
In getting the wreckage and the third jib intact on
board. By this time the foresail had scudded: the
third jib was set foresail. and contrived TO
I lie hove-to on starboard tack. The squat had now
reached its height; the wind had veered TO the w
and it's strength violent. When arrived al
Holyhead the following afternoon were told
they had had n strong gale In the night with
squa at p. m, during which the wind attained a
velocity Of 10 miles per hour.
This/is good, ablcbodled cruising, and no one will
protest against It's receiving cup Yet there has
been plenty Of cruising along our Maine coast for
one spot TO equal II, as our yachting magazines can
testify This is 10 be year OF years In yacht racing
between able seagoing craft too. Let us hope that
cruising, the best adventure IN the world Of sport
will come into it, own a. we'll