Year: 1879

Hacht1ng.


The past yachting season has developed
a decreased interest in regattas and yacht
racing and decided improvement in the
attendance at the annual cruise There
appears to be quite change in the yacht
ing of the present day when compared with
the feeling of rivalry and competition that
was in existence some ten years ago. 1t
was nothing then to see a feet of fifteen or
twenty schooners start in the annual re-
gatta, while now it is difficult to obtain
representation sufficient to make a race.
The regattas in Now York Bay this sum-
mer brought out very meagre list of en-
tries, and were dull and uninteresting
Yachtsmen seem to have taken dislike to
yacht racing mainly owing to the expense
and trouble that the preparation for race
entails There are more yachts afoat now
than there were some few years back, but
they are kept for cruising purposes and do
not enter the regular regattas. There have
not been many yachts built this season, and
those that have been launched are con-
structed more with view to comfort in
cruising than speed. This is an improve
ment on the class of light draught CENTRE
board boats that were so much in vogue,
and gives us O more stanch and seaworthy
craft The cutter rig has advanced in pub
lie favor, and although as rule they can
not sail with our centreboard sloops they
are certainly safer boats in sea way.


The slight interest taken in the June
regattas did not augur we'll for the success
of the annual cruise. and when the Atlantic
Yacht Club met at Glen Cove during the
latter part Of July Commodore Fish was
quite pleasantly surprised to find feet of
fifteen yachts under his command. The
Commodore showed good judgment in not
staying long in any one port. and the feet
disbanded at Oak Bluffs after very sue
cessful ten day sail. Although yachtsmen
appear to have an objection to entering the
annual regattas they certainly enjoy racing
during the cruise, and the trip from port to
port is always scrub race, in which all
take part and display as much anxiety for
first honors as if they were racing for
q thousand dollar cup. The schooners
Atalanta and Peerless and the sloops
Orion and Stella made the best record dur
ing the cruise of the Atlantic Club. The
absence of Commodore Nicholson Kane in
Europe gave the command of the New York
Yacht squadron to Vice Commodore w. H.
Thomas, of the schooner yacht Rambler,
and that gentleman had the honor to COM
mand one of the finest fleets that have ever
sailed under the New York Yacht Club
- = Al Al.
were over thirty yachts with the feet, in
Guiding fifteen first class schooners. With
the exception of q little dirty weather at the
start that rather scattered the feet for the
first twenty-four hours everything passed
off very pleasantly, and the fleet dis
banded at Newport after quite brilliant
cruise of about ten days. The feet sailed
from Holmes Hole to Newport under the
command of Rear Commodore Waller. ofthe
Dauntless, as the flagship Rambler lost her
mainmast on the run from New Bedford to
Holmes Hole and was disabled. The
honors of the cruise were fairly won by
the Dreadnaught, Tidal Wave, Magic and
Active. The former made good record in
a thrash to windward from New Bedford
to the Vineyard Sound, the Tidal Wave led
the schooners on the run from Greenport
to Newport and again from Newport to New
Bedford, and the Magic won the second
class schooner prize in the New Bedford
regatta, exhibiting remarkable speed to
windward in fresh breeze. The Active
made her record in the sail from Greenport
to Newport, running away from the entire
feet and beating the lot over half an hour.


The great success of the cruise of 1879
gave rise to some talk among the yacht
owners as to the propriety of doing away
with the annual regatta and devoting the
funds to the charter Of large steamer and
band Of music to accompany the yachts.
This would give accommodation to a num-
Der of the members of the club (non-yacht
owners) and enable them to enjoy pleas
ant ten days cruise in company with the
fleet at comparatively trifling expense.
and the steamer would also be Of service as
stake or judges boat or in case of calm
weather. The steamer would also be of
great assistance to the Commodore, as with
its aid the yachts could be given flying
start in the sail from port to port and their
time taken. This would do away with the
rather too prevalent custom of starting be-
fore the gun, trick that has given some
yachts q reputation for speed that they do
not deserve.