New-York tribune., 1921-03-20
Racing Boats
Crowd Y ards
Along Atlantic
Amateur Windjammers Are
Thrilled Time and Again
by Events Announcement
BY Jack Lawrence

With the yacht yards along the At
iantic seaboard working overtime in
order to be in shape to fit out vessels
TO be entered in the transatlantic race
for the gold cup offered by King AL
bert of Belgium, many Of them coming
here from foreign shores to be tuned
up for the overseas dash, conclusive
evidence as to the Importance of the
summer of 1921 in yachting history
came from the New York Yacht Club
yesterday, when it was announced that
the annual club cruise was to be re-
sumed this year after lapse of four
seasons.
This news, which tended to send
chriH through the realms of amateur
wind TANNERS, followed the announce
ment that races will be sailed off New
port next summer for the Astor trophy
and also the Kings cup.
In addition to these events the In
dian Harbor Yacht Club, of Greenwich,
had received challenges for series of
faccs for the Manhasset Bay Challenge
Eup. one coming from the Corinthian
Vacht Club of Marblehead and the sec
end from the Boston Yacht Club.
This trophy is for yachts of the
Class P type, thirtY-one rating. Fol-
lowers of the game will recall that the
Nahma, owned by Addison G. Hanan,
regarded as the most skillful of Amer
ica's amateur shippers, and Commodore
w. II. Childs have twice successfully
defended the cup.
Valiant May Face Starter
Last year the Nahma raced against
the Wasaka, and in q strong blow off
Greenwich the latter was dismasted.
The yachts TO figure in this local classic
for 1921 have not yet been identified,
but local yachtsmen yesterday were Of
the opinion that the Valiant will 60 to
the line under the colors of the Corin-
THAN Yacht Club, while the Wasaka will
again represent the Boston Yacht Club.
The announcement that the New
York Yacht Club is to resume it's an
nual cruise for the first time since 1916
was taken by salt water sharps as q
sure indication that the sport will this
summer return to its normal place in
the scheme of midsummer fixtures. 1t
was regarded also as an indication that
yachting is again to occupy it's position
of Importance in the world of sport.
The last cruise, the picturesque
Yacht Club were suspended in 1916
when it became apparent that the
United States was to become involved
in the war and that most of the larger
vessels taking part in the event would
be called into the naval branch of the
service.
In the last cruise, the pictu.esq
features of which had been somewhat
dimmed by the conflict in Europe. was
sailed under the command of Commo-
dcre George F. Baker, then senior flag
officer of the New York Yacht Club.
Cup Race Usurped Season
In 1919 the cruise was abandoned be-
cause most of the big yachts had not
been xeconditioned after being returned
from government service and because
OF the exceedingly high cost Of putting
them in commission. At that time it
was figured that the cost of operating
yacht had trebled over that of three
years previous.
Last summer it was generally agreed
among yachtsmen that the defense of
the Americas Cup, with the prelimi
nary elimination trials between the
Resolute and Vanitie. would occupy the
major portion of the season, which
turned out to be true.
There was a feeling last summer
among certain members of the New
York Yacht Club that the annual cruise
should be held, but Commodore j. P.
Morgan and others of his staff felt
that the event would interfere with
the handling of the international con-
test between Sir Thomas Lipton's chal-
lenger and the American defender OF
the Americas Cup. For this reason it
was decided to call off the cruise.
An interesting phase of the resump-
tion of this historic feature in the pro-
gram of the greatest of all yacht clubs
in the United States is that it was esti-
mated yesterday by number of ex-
perts that the cost Of operating prl-
vately owned yacht, which reached
maximum increase of something like
800 per cent in 1918, has now fallen to
little more than 33 per cent above what
it was in that year. This has had g.
great deal to do with the revival of
interest in the event.
Following the meeting at the New
York Yacht Club on Friday night, at
which it was definitely decided to hold
the cruise again this year, there were
numerous announcements made by
members of we'll known yachts to be
started. If the spirit which was shown
at the meeting holds good the 1921
cruise will take oldtimrs rollocking
back to prewar days.
Big Field Seems Assured
There is every indication to-day that
there will be as many vessels sent
away in the proposed cruise as there
were five or six years ago. Many
yachts are to be put into commission,
and prominent among these will be q
large number of moderate sized racing
craft and cruisers.
The ports of call for the cruise have
not been announced, but there will be
the usual races from port to port and
the final contests for the Aston and
Kings cups off Newport, which will
probably be the crowning event of the
social season at that resort.
At Robert Jacobs yacht basin. at
City Island, yesterday, it was said that
many yachts were being made ready
for service, and while several of them
are tentative starters in the big over
seas race for the King Albert cup, Mr..
Jacob said that he was not at liberty
to say which they were.
The Tribune was informed last night
that no official entries in the trans-At-
lantic contest would be announced this
month, due to the fact that the COM
mittee in charge Of arrangements. of
which Baron de Cartier, Belgian Am
bassador to the United States, is the
head, has not been able to get together
in its entirety.
There is every indication that the
entries, which, according to informa-
tion available yesterday, will represent
every maritime nation Of any conse-
quance, will be announced during the
2-a~A T. = A.