Yachting Volume I Part 18

On the whole, English yachtsmen would probably feel very disinclined to adopt the new French rule for British yacht-racing.

* * * * *

This concludes the examination of the more important national rules in which sail-area and some hull dimension or dimensions are combined in the formula for the rating, whether the result be cubic, linear, or otherwise.

We therefore now pa.s.s to the simple sail-area rule proposed by Mr.

Richardson in 1886, viz.

R = S 100 (XIV.)A

The rating so obtained being neither cubic nor linear, but superficial, difficulties as regards time scale arose, and neither Mr.

Richardson nor the Council appeared to notice that the rule could easily be made linear by putting it in the form

American R = [V]S (XIV.)B

when American rating and time scale could have been adopted. Also that it might have been rendered

English R = S [V]S constant (XIV.)C

which is the cubic form, suitable for the Y.R.A. rating and time allowance.

The graphic result in the sail-diagram is the same in each case, viz.

a horizontal line for any given cla.s.s, the limit for each cla.s.s being one of sail-area alone.

It was not adopted because the Council considered that the type evolved from it would be one of excessive length and small displacement; and our experience with the Y.R.A. rule, which approaches it more nearly than any other hull- and sail-area rule, has shown that this estimate was correct.

* * * * *

We will now examine a few of the rules which rate yachts entirely by hull-measurement. The simplest of the kind is the pure length rule, used for some years on the Solent for racing small yachts up to 30 ft.

of L. _See_ chapter on Solent Racing.

American R = L (XV.) A

Some trouble was taken in 1884 to produce a special time scale for this formula. It was quite unnecessary, because the time scale for tonnage (see XVIII.) then in use could have been employed, (XV.) A being modified to

R = L{3} constant (XV.) B

and by adjusting the constant this form of the length rule can be adapted to the time scale of _any_ cubic rule. Thus, the divisor 5,000 adapts it to the Y.R.A. time scale for _rating_.

The type resulting from the length rule was, of course, a very fast and powerful boat for its L., carrying an enormous sail-spread--somewhat costly to build and race.

Our grandfathers raced their yachts under the old tonnage rule,

Tonnage R = L B H 96 (XVI.)

H. being depth of hull to deck beam, and L. being measured in various ways at different times. After 1854 it was taken on deck from stem-head to sternpost, and certain deductions made for rake.

Eventually the Thames Rule,

(L - B) B 1/2B 94 or B{2}(L - B) 188 (XVII.)

_The Rating Rules and Proposals_

+-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+-------------+ | | No. | Name of rule or proposal | Rule or proposal | Examples | | Date| in +------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ | | text | Cubic rules | Variableconstant |Decima|Doreen| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ |1886?| I. |Y.R.A. rule (Dixon Kemp) | LS 6,000 | 9.98| 9.96| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ |1892 | II. |Ditto modified (Watson) |(2L+2BD)S 17,000 | 10.06| 9.89| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ |1892 | VIII. |New York modified (Dixon Kemp)|L{2} [V]S 6,000 | 8.69| 9.56| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ |1892 | X. |Y.R.A. modified (Dixon Kemp) |(L{2}S)/[3V]W10,000| 8.80| ? | +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ |1892 | VII. {Seawanhaka modified }(L+ [V]S){3}48,000 | 9.39| 9.75| | | {Y.R.A. Committee's rule } | | | +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ |1892 | XIII. |U.Y.F. rule (G.o.dinet) |G(4L-G) [V]S 520 | 8.57| 9.02| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ |1892?| XIX. |Old French rule |G{2}(2L-B) 176 | 12.58| 13.53| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ |1876?| XVI. |Old English tonnage rule |L B H 96 | ? | 10.60| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ |1876-| XVII. |Thames tonnage rule |B{2}(L-B) 188 | 15.9 | ? | | 80 | | | | | | +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ |1880-| XVIII.|Y.R.A. tonnage rule |B(L+B){2} 1,730 | 13.8 | 17.9 | | 86 +-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ | | XIV. C|Richardson's rule, cubic form |S [V]S 6,000 | 9.97| 15.7 | | +-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ | | XV. B |Length rule, cubic form |L{3} 5,000 | 9.08| 11.01| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+

+-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+-------------+ | | No. | Name of rule or proposal | Rule or proposal | Examples | | Date| in +------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ | | text | Linear rules | Variable constant |Decima|Doreen| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ |1882?| III. |Seawanhaka rule | L+ [V]S 2 | 38.33| 38.82| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ | ?| IV. |New York rule | 2L+ [V]S 3 | 37.45| 38.57| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ | ?| V. |Y.R.A. Rule (Dixon Kemp) | [3V]LS 1 | 39.12| 39.11| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ | 1893| XI. |Y.R.A. modified (Thala.s.sa) | LS/M 72 | 37.23| 38.34| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ | 1893| XII. |Seawanhaka ditto (Thala.s.sa) | L+ [V]S-[V]72M 1 | 36.71| 38.23| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ | 1893| IX. |Herreshoff's new rule | L [V]S / [3V]T15 | 38.69| 37.01| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ | 1892| VI. |Watson's rule, linear form | 2L+2B+D+[V]S 3.8 | 37.60| 38.58| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ | ?-86| XV. A |Length rule | L 1 | 35.65| 38.05| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+ | 1886| XIV. B|Richardson's rule, linear form| [V]S 1 | 41.00| 39.60| +-----+-------+------------------------------+---------------------+------+------+

_The following Dimensions were used in the Examples_

+--------+-------+------+------+------+------+-----+----+------+------+ | ---- | L | L{2} | S |[V]S | B | D | G | M |W tons| +--------+-------+------+------+------+------+-----+----+------+------+ | Decima | 35.67 | 1272 | 1679 | 41.0 | 11.0 | 8.5 | 36 | 22.2 | 14.3 | | Doreen | 38.05 | 1448 | 1572 | 39.6 | 11.2 | 8.5 | 36 | 21.7 | ? | +--------+-------+------+------+------+------+-----+----+------+------+

N.B.--G is only approximately correct. It is measured in the French way was evolved and adopted by the Y.R.A. in 1876. And in 1878 it was decided to measure L. on the water-line. In 1880 the Y.R.A. altered the rule to

English T = B(L + B){2} 1730 (XVIII.)

The type evolved, as might have been antic.i.p.ated, had a long, narrow, heavily ballasted, deep-bodied, wall-sided hull, possessing little beauty, small _initial_ stability, and no great speed, considering the sail-area employed to drive it. There was little scope for improvement, and the energies of our best designers were directed to producing yachts which carried large sail-plans on narrow hulls, their L.W.L. often approaching and sometimes exceeding six beams.

Nevertheless, this '1730 Rule,' as it is often called, governed first-cla.s.s racing in British waters from 1880 to 1886.

Another hull-measurement rule is the one used for some time in France, and often called the 'Girth Rule.' In its simplest form, it was:--

French T = G{2}(2L - B) 176 (XIX.)

G., the girth, is taken as in Rule XIII. The rule taxes draught heavily, and does not appear to have given satisfaction, or it would not have been changed last October to No. XIII.

Many other hull-measurement rules might be mentioned; in fact, a short time ago the yachting press was full of such proposals; but those who make them must be aware of the general feeling among sportsmen in England, France, and America, viz. that sail-area should be taxed in the formula for rating. Any lengthy discussion on rules which do not conform with this opinion is, therefore, a waste of time and energy, and the hull rules just described have been noticed princ.i.p.ally on account of their historical interest.

* * * * *

The rules are numbered consecutively in the order in which they have been examined; the tonnage rules last, although some of them are the most ancient. But it may be convenient for the student to have them grouped somewhat differently and this has been done in the tables on pp. 183, 184, which also afford an opportunity to compare two yachts of similar hull-dimensions, but differing in regard to their length and sail-area, except that the product is equal. 'Doreen' and 'Decima'

make an excellent pair for such a comparison, being each 10-rating by the Y.R.A. rule, and of nearly the same beam, draught, girth, and depth of hull, but differing in length and sail-area.

The tendencies of those rules which aim at encouraging larger body, like Mr. Herreshoff's, or larger immersed body, like X., XI., and XII., are shown in the tables on pp. 183 and 184, and the student is invited to work out some examples for himself to test their action, as the New York committee has reported in favour of some such modification of existing rules.

CHAPTER VIII

YACHT'S SAILING BOATS

BY THE EARL OF PEMBROKE AND MONTGOMERY

'Why in the world do not yachting people make more use of their sailing boats?' I have often thought, while gazing on a bright breezy morning at some great steam yacht, capable of carrying one or more fine sailing boats, and presently observing her owners and their guests, all arrayed in faultless yachting costume, departing for the sh.o.r.e in their steam launch to spend their time pottering about some dull and dirty little seaport town, when they might, some or all of them, be enjoying the most glorious sail, with who knows what possibilities in the way of fishing thrown in. Even landing and putting off to the ship become a pleasure when they are done under sail instead of steam or oars. I have had many an interesting and exhilarating day's sailing which has been made up entirely of trips between the yacht and the sh.o.r.e with pa.s.sengers, luggage, provisions, telegrams, and what not. Yet, though in these days large yachts may be numbered by the hundred, and many of them carry fine sailing boats, I can count on the fingers of one hand the vessels I happen to have met which both carry and habitually use a sailing boat for the purposes of cruising, landing, and fishing. It is really very curious; and I can only account for it by supposing that many people who go to sea in large yachts do not know how much amus.e.m.e.nt there is to be got out of such a boat, and the ease and nicety with which she can be handled.

For when there is any wind at all a sailing cutter can land anywhere where it is safe to take a steam launch, and with a little practice it is as easy to take her alongside a ship's ladder as a six-oared gig.

And when a yacht is on a cruise, moving daily from port to port, a sailing cutter takes considerably less time to get ready than a steam launch. Anywhere on the coast she can generally be carried in the davits with her mast stepped and rigged, so that there is nothing to do but to lower the ballast into her and loose the sails, and she is ready to start. Of course there are places and days when the steam launch is of use and the sailing boat is not; but they are not so numerous as one might suppose. One year when, after a severe illness, I spent all the spring and early summer cruising in the Mediterranean, and the autumn on the coast of Scotland, I thought it advisable to take a steam launch as well as my sailing cutter. I found that at the end of this long cruise I had used her just three times. I have never carried one since. It is not advisable on vessels of less than 400 tons (yacht measurement) to carry two such heavy boats. They are not safe in the davits on an ocean voyage, and two of them carried inboard completely block the deck amidships; but a yacht of 500 tons or more can perfectly carry both, if a steam launch is considered necessary.

As for the fun to be got out of her, a good sailing boat simply doubles the pleasure of yachting. It combines the amus.e.m.e.nt of small yacht sailing with all the advantages and comforts of a large vessel to sail in from port to port. When the anchor goes down, and fires are banked or put out, your fun begins rather than ends. In less than half an hour you are off in your cutter, to sail, to fish, or to explore; perhaps, when you are tired of sailing, to land in some snug, inviting cove, and to feel the fascination of a ramble in strange and beautiful ground; to sit on the hillside and watch the sun go down in glory, and to make your way back to the ship as the rosy light dies out and the purple hills grow black.