Year: 1869

Cambria.


The yacht Cambria has been ''badly beaten"
In race sailed by several boats owned In the
Royal London Club. As the cable report gives
US only meagre statement of this main fact
Interpretation is necessarily somewhat at fault;
but we venture the thought that the defeat,
when all its particulars are known, will prove
far from disgraceful to the gallant craft that
became famous for her victory over the Sap
to be taken with salt, and we have known in
stances in which it meant simply hairbreadth
escape of the victor from the fate described by
the emphatic words. The Cambria may have
been beaten on time allowance, which human
nature naturally looks upon as at best only a
technical defeat, and It is likely enough that
the race was not on a course fitted to afford
the best chance for her splendid capabilities,
as it was perhaps, river race. There may be
many reasons why this defeat should not de-
tract from the worldwide and well-earned
fame of the Cambria as fine sea boat of the
first class in regard to speed. Still the fact
remains that she has been beaten, and we must
not lose sight of what this implies, especially
to our yachtmen who visit Europe this sum-
mer, and who may be tempted to too ambi-
tious clutching for laurels. II implies, then,
that the Cambria is not the fastest boat to be
met on the other side the water. Despite all
we have heard of her, and despite her victory
over the American boat, 1t seems to imply that
British clubs can upon occasion present several
craft greatly superior to her. We have, in
deed, heard it whispered that she must give
place to such British yachts as the Aline, the
Alarm and the Blue Bell, and now we have
fact worth many whispers H. then, this
craft that came off with such good record in
her contest with visitor from the United
States shall finally appear to be only third
or fourth rate among British yachts, our own
adventurers must consider what they under
take In their summer excursion.


Apparently such a warning is not needed to
stimulate the efforts that are in progress to ft
our yachts for gallant struggle. We hear
very favorable reports Of the improvements
that have been made in the Sappho. 1t is said
that her performance on her recent trial trip
was up to sixteen knots an hour. She win
then in all probability 60 to Europe decidedly
better craft than she went before-a faster
boat, and in hands likely to present her at her
best. But even though she be beaten we have
still the probability Of making good show
with the Meteor, recently built by Mr.. Robert
Fish-a naval architect Of great ability and
originality. The Meteor will perhaps prove to
be very fast. She is, as the America was, an
experiment, but an experiment in direction
that promises the best results. From expert
ments thus boldly made, and from no other
source, can we expect any real progress or i'm
provement in the build of yachts and here
also we must remember that there is great
point against us in the fact that where we
make one experiment English yachtmen make
fifty. Whatever may be the capabilities and


fitness Of our boats for performance on the
other side, however, we must suppose, from
present appearance, that Mr.. Ashbury and the
Cambria are in advance ruled out Of any con-
test made there for our champions cannot
match with beaten boats. They must race
with first rates or their victories will be of no
value. Besides this they must be warned by
Mr.. Ashbury's own example. He has per-
haps been beaten because he made river
race with boats smaller than his own; and as
he fears to venture our boats In the open sea
because they are larger and their size is an
advantage in the sea, 80 they must naturally
refuse contest in waters that give better
chance to smaller craft. But this need be
nothing in the way Of his friendly trip to this
side, where he would meet boats of proper
size ready to sail him on any fair terms. We
have here the Fleetwing, fast yacht, built by
one Of our best naval architects, Mr.. Van
Dusen, which boat was second in the race Of
1866 across the Atlantic. This boat is as
nearly as possible the size Of the Cambria, and
Mr.. Ashbury, II he could beat the Fleetwing,
would have laurels worth the wearing wherever
fine yachts and good seamanship are held
in honor. But even in contests on this side
we should regret his recent defeat for in beat
ing his boat, say in race for the Queens cup,
we should still feel that we had not beaten the
best boat that British clubs could send.