New-York tribune., 1919-04-27
Yacht Racing
To Be Held ON
Cravesend Bay
Several Regattas Planned,
but Not So Many as in
Pre-War Days

Yacht racing is to be held on Gravcss
end Bay this summer. The decision
was reached at meeting of the dele
gates Of the Yacht Racing Associa-
tion Of Gravesend Bay at the Cres-
cent Athletic Club during the past
week. Not that the sport is going TO
come back in all It's glory Of pre-war
days with n week of racing off the
Atlantic Yacht Club to clap the cli-
max. Still, it will be start in the
right direction, Gnd enough regattas
will be given to satisfy the racing
men.
Prior to the war, the yachting sea-
son on the lower bay started around
Memorial Day and continued until the
middle of September. Twelve cham
pionship regattas were sailed each
season. A yacht to qualify for title
had to sail in at least eight of the
races. During the coming summer
there will be only ten races. An will
be championship affairs. To qualify "A
yacht Will have to start at least six
times.
Late Start Necessary
The cutting down of the racing pro-
gramme was due to the fact that the
delegates believed that the yachtsmen
were not yet in q position to carry
through a pre-war schedule. Owing
to the lack Of facilities at shipyards.
1t is a decided question if many yachts
VIII be IN commission much before the
end of June The delegates argued
40 J
races unless the yachts were in COM
mission, SO 1t was decided to start the
season on June q, one month later
than IN the good old days before the
war.
Several yachtsmen who had gone in
to the navy drew attention to side
light that has never been mentioned
in connection with the sport. 1t has
been contended that the enlistment OF
men in the navy was going to boom
yachting after the war Men, who had
never before gone TO sea, would grow
to love the water, and when they re-
turned to civilian life they naturally
would take up yachting.
"A man who has been scrubbing
decks for pay" remarked a prominent
lower bay racing man at the meeting,
will not want to do Il for fun, or at
least not this summer. If he puts
his boat into commission he won't
want to be bothered with racing All
he will want to do is to sail around
in lazy manner and forget the hard
work that is connected with the navy
and the racing end of yachting"
If the yachtsman, who, by the way,
has served year and half in the
navy, has the right dope, the enlist
ment of men in the service of Uncle
Sam is not going to help the pastime.
Although the Atlantic Yacht Club
has made no definite announcement re-
garding a race week, it seems exceed
ingly doubtful if the big Sea Gate or
ganization will attempt to hold its clas-
sic this summer. No one knows how
many yachts are going TO be in COM
mission. From present indications both
the Gravesend Bay and the Long Island
Sound fleets are going TO be small. If
the yachting world is mistaken and the
sport booms in way that is not now
expected, the Sea Gate club may de-
eide to give its annual race week next
August.
The present plans of the Atlantic
Yacht Club call for three days of sport
over the independence Day holidays.
1t will include yacht and motor boat
racing, water sports and races for
hydro -airplanes. Commodore Howard
S. Borden, the new senior flag officer
at Sea Gate, is a hydro-airplane en-
thuslast. He believes that 1t is going
to be the coming sport.
No Meetings Held
The war so upset the plans of the
lower bay yachtsmen that she delegates
held no meetings during 1917 and 1918.
AS a result, the championships WON
during the season OF 1916 were not
awarded until last week. 1t was an
nounced that J. K. Birch's Saginaw
had won the championship in the first
division of the handicap class.
Other champions for 1916 are R. w.
RummelPs Oriole, second division OF
the handicap class; J. c. Peirce's
Sunbeam, in the third diiision of the
handicap class; c. Hollinsheds Cyric,
in Class s.; Cecil Piatt's Skylark in
Class X; w. L. Inslee's Shadow, in the
Star Glass; and j. ]. Remmey's Mer-
curry, in Class Y. The owners viii re-
ceive championship trophies at once.
A. f. Aldridge, New York Canoe
Club, has been elected president of the
association. The new secretary is John
K Birch, Gravesend Bay Yacht Club.
Henry j. Gielow again is the measurer,
The delegates to the American Power
Boat Association are ". H. n. Bostle-
man, Era Yacht Club; J. p Kelley,
Marine and Field Club. and f. A. Plum
kett, American Model Yacht Club.
The racing schedule for the summer
is as follows: