The sun., 1919-06-08
YACHTSMEN MOURN
PASSING OF TOWER
Veteran Was Prominent In
Nautical Circles for Half
Century.
HIS PROUDEST BOAST
Once Recognized and Timed ~
Yachts Crossing Line In
side of Two Minutes.

The death last week OF Charles Put
nam Tower. the veteran race committee
chairman, was the greatest blow that
has been given TO American yachting In
years. Just at the time when the sport 5
was beginning to revive after being
practically dead for several years ths
man who has managed more rsgattas
than any other in the country weighed
anchor and sailed into the great uns
known. ..-.
The present generation OF yachtsmen
do not remember a time when Charlie
Tower did not have a finger in some
yachting pie. For more than nifty years
he has been closely associated with tho
sport, first as a racing man, then as q
committee man and for many years a.
editor and writer on nautical subjects.
Notwithstanding the fact that he was
In his sixty-fifth year when he passed
away, Chairman Tower still was OK
ceptionally active and never missed q
regatta on Long Island Sound. He was
the Handicapped of the Handicap Class
Of Long Island Sound, and In his oficia,
capacity was compelled to attend each
race. For several years past he had
been chairman of the race committee OF
the Huguenot Yacht Club. one of the
smaller organizations on the Sound. At
the time of his death he also was Sec
rotary of the American Power Boat A.
ISOLATION. o..
Mr.. Tower received his yathcins train
ing on Massachusetts Bay. AS boy he
raced in the good old days of the sand
baggers. Coming to New York to fol-
low newspaper work-in his day he wRS
both a dramatic and music critic, be-
sides being a writer on yachting topics
-he naturally continued his interest IN
sailing.
Established Larchmont System.
About twenty-five years ago he be-
came member OF the New Rochelle
Yacht Club and was instrumental N
the moving Of the club house to It's pres
ent site. Harrisons Island, Echo Bay. He
was chairman of its race committee for
several years. II was not until he be-
came chairman of the race committee
of the Larchmont Yacht Club some
fifteen years ago that Chairman Towers
worth as an organiser was fully appro-
| ciated. He established the Larchmont
system of starting and timeing yachts.
| now used by practically every regatta
committee IN the country that knows
| anything at all about the sport. Chair
| man Tower used to be proud OF tho
| fact that he once recognized and timed
| forty-two yachts crossing a finish line
| inside Of two minutes.
|
week of the Larchmont Club some ten
| or more years ago. The usual big feet
had started. AS the smaller clasSea
neared the finish line. the wind died
away and more than half hundred
yachts were becalmed within a quarter
OF a mile OF the committee boat Sud-
denly a fresh southwest breeze hit the
| fleet. Inside OF a minute lee rails were
awash and the craft were all tearing
I i ILL.,
| flock OF gulls It looked like an impos-
sible Job to recognize and time each
yacht Still 1t was done. Not yacht
was lost and not protest was registered
The race proved that Charlie" Towers
system was as near perfection as pos
sible.
Strict DiscipIinarian.
Chairman Tower always was a strict
man while on duty. He would stand
no nonsense on a committee boat He
| commended that a committee was out to
| work and not to have a days outing at
! the expense OF the club. Also he ruled
| the racing feet with hand of iron.
Foolish questions never were answered.
| The reply to the majority OF inquiries
was, Read your circular" In this
manner Charlie Tower taught the rae
Ing game to many prominent yachts
men.
| Not only In the sailing end OF the
game was C. p. Tower a figure. As
| secretary of the American Power Boat
Association and one of the editors OF a
motor boat magazine. the grand old
man OF yachting was In close touch with
the put-put end OF the game. He was
| the chairman OF the race committee OF
the Harmsworth Cup races, the inter-
national motor boat contests held in
Huntington Bay. prior 10 the world war.
He also managed the various national
motor boat carnivals held on neighbor-
ing waters a half dozen or more years
ago.