Year: 1867

FROM THE LONDON TINES, I'd.


*** \ achting is one of the most popular pas
times of Englishmen. Probably we have
greater number Of Yacht Clubs than all the
world besides and almost every vessel of the
whole fleet is turned to actual account. In
the summer months it would be hard to find
port without yacht or two in it, always
to an ordinary eye, trim, clean, and shapely
vessels. Yet the Americans when they first
began the sport sent over yacht which
beat everything IN these waters: and now
they have accomplished race which sur
passes Just as completely all the races we
have ever designed. OF course it is only
special feat. We may say if we please that
it is not thing which would be done often,
or should be done often; that it is more offs
brilliant sensational and exceptional exploit
than an example of regular steady going
practice. But the performance has double
aspect even in this sense. If we may infer
eholy catastrophe on board the Fleetwing,
we may also infer the practicability of the
passage from the perfect impunity of the
Henrietta, which came into port without
the loss of a spar. To read the log of the
winning vessel and 10 see her rushing along
night and day like the Flying Dutchman,
over the waves of the Atlantic one would
hardly think such a voyage could hardly be
performed twice and yet the other two yachts
were but few hours behind her. The
Americans have taught us this among other
things-that q vessel of 200 tons can be
taken across the Atlantic at an average
speed of 200 miles a day. 1t is not the
mere burden of these yachts which makes
the feat SO remarkable for smaller vessels
have done as much; nor yet the mere quick
ness of the passage for large ships have
made it more quickly but the smallness of
the tonnage combined with the rate of say
ing renders the result very extraordinary
indeed.


1t was actually the slowest boat so an,
American gentlemen now tells US, which
won the prize and that too is an incident
which should commend itself to our consid-
Grafton. In dimensions, build rig, and
equipment the racing vessels were so evenly
matched that there was not pin to choose
between them. They were rather short
handed but the crews were doubtless all
picked men. The Fleetwing's loss would
necessarily cost her all her chance of the
prize but perhaps the Henrietta owed her
victory as much to good navigation as good
handling. Anyhow, she won not by any
great distance all things considered but with
singular case to herself Nor does she ap-
pear to have been an uncomfortable boat in
any way or to be deficient in any of those
qualities which are priced as much as speed
in English yachts. Our sailors will do well
to note all the circumstances which charac-
terize this contest and determined its event
the more so indeed on account of its very
novelty when contrasted with our own per-
formances. Very likely some of our ''canoe
voyages and similar marine adventures may
be as memorable in their way as this Ocean
Race, but the fact still remains that the
Americans accomplished the Ocean Race,
and we did not. In fact we should never
have thought of such thing. Itinvolves just
so much of genuine Trans atlantic exagger-
alton as to be beyond our sphere. The Ion.
gest race and the biggest stakes in the world
are true American conceptions but the ac-
tual success OF the scheme is real Amerl-
can triumph.