Yachting Volume I Part 9

[Ill.u.s.tration: Scudding.]

The Admiralty soon after this proceeded to make a bold experiment, and built a 60-ton brig, the 'Lady Nelson,' with three sliding keels, designed to perform a voyage of discovery to New South Wales. She was built in 1797, and began her expedition of 1800-1-2 under the command of Lieutenant James Grant, R.N., when she first sailed round Tasmania, at the same time as the 'Flinders's' voyage to Australia. A full account was published in 1803. The whole report was favourable to the keels, and H.M. sloop 'Cynthia' was built. Private individuals also made experiments, and some cargo boats at Teignmouth were fitted with them for river-work. About this time a very prominent personage in the yachting world was the Commodore of the c.u.mberland Sailing Society in the Thames. Commodore Taylor had a yacht built with five sliding keels, the ill.u.s.tration here given being his from a photograph of the model now in possession of Mr. Richard Taylor, his grandson. The original lines of this vessel have been presented to the Royal Thames Yacht Club, together with the pennants and ensigns flown by the Commodore during his period of office, and are now carefully preserved in the Club House in Albemarle Street; the cups are still retained in the family, by Messrs. Robert and Richard Taylor. Early in the present century the sliding keels were pivoted (1809) here in England, by Captain Shuldham, R.N.

[Ill.u.s.tration: c.u.mberland Fleet: Commodore Taylor's 'c.u.mberland,' with sliding keels.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Showing the five keels down, as on the wind.]

In America centreboards became general, in fact almost universal, from scows to catboats, catboats to sloops, sloops to schooners and coasters. As regards their application to English modern racers, Mr.

Jameson, who is always to the fore either in adopting improvements or sailing races, built 'Irex' in 1873 with a centreboard; but after careful trials to thoroughly test its capabilities, it was discarded, the slot filled up, and 'Irex' became the crack of the season without it.

'Dora,' 10-tonner, by Mr. G. L. Watson, was a success with a centreboard. In 1892 'Queen Mab,' 40-rater, designed also by Watson, had a centreboard, and at first sailed with it in the Thames; but after Dover it was not used. Still 'Queen Mab' became the 'Queen of the 40-raters' for the year 1892.

Recent yacht-building in America offers some interesting data. Mr.

Edward Burgess, a very successful designer, planned a keel boat, 'Gossoon,' which was a great success in 1890, and many was the close tussle between her and Fife of Fairlie's 'Minerva,' built in 1888.

After the death of Edward Burgess, 'Nat' Herreshoff produced a keel boat, 'the Gloriana,' with new ideas of form and bow, and she acquitted herself well (1891). In 1892 he followed on with the 'Wasp,'

keel boat, and in 1893 two cup defenders were designed and built by Messrs. Herreshoffs of Rhode Island, the 'Vigilant,' centreboard, and 'Colonia,' keel boat. The 'Vigilant' was victorious in the best races, and afterwards won the race for the America Cup; nevertheless 'Colonia,' the keel boat, was the designer's favourite.

The battle of centreboard _v._ keel will doubtless be continued. Among the cup defenders, General Paine, one of the most scientific and earnest yachtsmen in America, decided to throw aside all conventionality, and to have advanced science carried out in a real racing machine 'up to date.' Full details are not obtainable, but they are understood to be: Canoe hull, canoe bow, hull drawing 5 feet. Fin keel of 12 feet with bulb, through both of which drops centreboard; a small centreboard forward like Commodore Stevens's 'Black Maria'

sloop, and the rudder slung on a small fin. It is a matter of general regret that the gear of the boat gave way during the trials. The aluminium blocks were not strong enough, and the jaws of the gaff were carried away. General Paine may, however, be expected to try again.

The general feeling on this side among the very best authorities on the subject is certainly that a keel racing cutter can be designed and built to compete with any centreboard vessel, and the victory of 'Vigilant' in the late races has not yet convinced that excellent sportsman and practical yachtsman the owner of 'Valkyrie' that nothing but a centreboard can win the America Cup. One thing must be remembered: it is neither centreboard nor keel _per se_ that makes a perfect racer; it is the happy combination and balance of quant.i.ties that get the much-coveted 'gun' at the finish.

It is curious that in the very early days of sliding keels a patent for a design should have been taken out, not by a practical sailor or naval architect, but by a London coach-builder. In 1785, Lionel Luken, who followed that trade, wrote a pamphlet upon the 'invention, principle, and construction of insubmergible boats'; such boats were to be protected by bands of cork round the gunwales, to be made buoyant by using air compartments, especially at bow and stern, and 'to be ballasted with or by an iron keel.' Apparently after much trouble Luken found an opportunity of testing his idea, and the first iron-keel boat at Bamborough Head saved lives from shipwreck.

[Ill.u.s.tration: H.M. 'Trial', cutter--sheer draught. Designed by Captain Schanks, 1791.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 'Kestrel,' 202 tons (Earl of Yarborough, Commodore R.Y.S.), 1839.]

CHAPTER VI

RECOLLECTIONS OF SCHOONER RACING

BY LT.-COL. SIR GEORGE LEACH, K.C.B., VICE-PRESIDENT Y.R.A.

Schooner racing has unfortunately for the present become a thing of the past; but the prominent position it at one time occupied makes it desirable to refer to the subject in any publication relating to yacht racing, for the purpose of reviving recollections of the times when races between the 'two-stickers,' or in which they took part, were considered a leading feature of the regattas of all the princ.i.p.al yacht clubs.

The decadence of schooner racing was primarily due to the more extensive use of steam; wealthy men preferred steam yachts, in which they had better accommodation and could move with certainty from port to port, to sailing yachts, in which the accommodation was less s.p.a.cious and the powers of locomotion were dependent on the winds and tides. But to the true lover of the world of waters the pleasures of steaming do not bear comparison with the pleasures of sailing.

Another reason for schooners going out of fashion was no doubt due to the improvement of the speed of the cutters and yawls. Formerly schooners could compete with success in races open to all rigs, for though their powers of turning to windward were inferior to those of the single-stickers, their reaching powers, with the wind free, were generally superior, so that in mixed races they had always a fair chance of carrying off the prize. No schooner has yet been produced which could compete successfully with the cutters of the present day, even with the benefit of the large allowance of two-fifths of her tonnage made under the rules of the Yacht Racing a.s.sociation for difference of rig. The last schooner of note which appeared under racing colours--the 'Amphitrite'--brought out in tiptop condition by her owner, with an able skipper in command, though she had some success, was not on a par with the best of the racing cutters of her day. Again, the building of large yachts for racing purposes has declined for some years past, owing to the great increase in the expense both of building and maintaining them, and because yachting men found that as much, if not more, pleasure was to be obtained in racing small vessels, in the handling of which they could take a large share, than in larger vessels which, as a rule, were sailed wholly by their skippers.

Under all these circ.u.mstances, it is not surprising that schooner racing should, for the present, have pa.s.sed away; though it is by no means impossible that it may hereafter be revived, especially if further experience shall show that the very large cutters which have been brought out this year, with sail-areas of over 10,000 square feet--about a quarter of an acre--are too large for the sometimes turbulent winds and waters round our coasts.

In the early times of schooner racing the yachts were, as a rule, vessels of comparatively large tonnage, with raking masts, standing bowsprits, and jibbooms; and the old salts had then a conviction on their minds that sails with a good belly in them were the right thing.

In 1851 the American schooner yacht 'America' appeared in our waters.

As compared with our yachts she was remarkable for two things. She had a much longer and finer bow than was usually given by our designers, 'a cod's head and mackerel's tail' being the principle which in those days appears to have been accepted; and, secondly, her sails were made to stand much flatter than ours, so much so that it was remarked that when by the wind close-hauled her sails were barely visible if seen edge on.

One peculiarity in the 'America's' sails was that the foot of the mainsail, instead of being fixed to the boom only at the tack and clue, its two ends, was laced to the boom along its whole length, which tended to make the sail stand flatter. This improvement was quickly adopted by our schooners, but it was many a day before it was taken to by the cutters, the impression being that cutters would not sail with laced mainsails, and that a certain amount of curve in the foot was necessary 'to let the wind out.' Now, however, cutters as well as schooners have laced mainsails, with appreciable improvement in their weatherly qualities.

The Royal Yacht Squadron arranged a race without time allowances round the Isle of Wight for a 100_l._ cup, the 'America' being one of the compet.i.tors, which included both cutters and schooners. The 'America'

quickly showed her superiority over our schooners, being more weatherly and going more smoothly through the water, and she won the cup, but would not have done so if the conditions of the race had been enforced, as she did not go round the Nab Light, thus gaining a considerable advantage; but she was treated generously and not disqualified. She would also probably have been beaten by the cutters 'Alarm,' 'Arrow,' and 'Volante' if the two first had not been put out of the race by the 'Arrow' running aground in Sandown Bay, the 'Alarm'

going to her a.s.sistance, and the 'Volante' by the carrying away of her bowsprit in a collision with the 'Freak.' All these cutters were well known to be much faster than the 'Aurora,' which came in only eight minutes after the 'America.'

The cup thus won by the 'America' was presented by her owners to the New York Yacht Club as a perpetual Challenge Cup to be sailed for by yachts of all nations, and is known as the 'America Cup.' It has since been competed for by several English yachts, the 'Cambria' and 'Livonia' schooners, the 'Genesta,' 'Galatea,' and 'Thistle' cutters, and lastly--up to the time of writing--by the cutter 'Valkyrie,' owned by Lord Dunraven. The conditions under which the cup is held, however, appear to unduly favour the holders, and do not commend themselves to yachtsmen on this side of the Atlantic.

We were not slow to learn and take advantage of the lessons taught us by the 'America.' In the following year the 'Alarm' cutter, 193 tons, owned by the veteran yachtsman Mr. Joseph Weld, of Lulworth Castle, was lengthened, given a longer bow, and converted into a schooner of 248 tons; and for some years, with Jack Nicholls at the helm, was the fastest schooner in the fleet.

In 1855 the 'Wildfire,' of 59 tons, owned by Sir Percy Sh.e.l.ley, was brought out as a schooner with a running bowsprit and head-sails like those of a cutter, in subst.i.tution for the usual standing bowsprit and jibboom of a schooner. She was the first racing schooner so rigged.

The alteration of the head-sails greatly improved her weatherly qualities, and she was raced with success by Captain John Herbert against both cutters and schooners.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 'Pantomime,' 1865 (formerly Colonel Markham's schooner). Designed and built by M. E. Ratsey, Cowes, Isle of Wight.

Length for tonnage, 92 ft. 3 in.; breadth for tonnage 19 ft. 3 in.; tonnage T.M. 144.]

No further material improvement was made in the schooner rig until 1860, when Camper and Nicholson, of Gosport, built the 'Aline,' 216 tons, for Mr. Charles Th.e.l.lusson. Up to this time it had been usual to give the masts of schooners a considerable rake aft with the idea that it made their sails more lifting, but the 'Aline' came out with masts nearly upright like the masts of a cutter and quickly dispelled the illusion. She also, like the 'Wildfire,' had a running bowsprit. In the hands of her able and experienced owner the 'Aline' proved a great success, and, with variations in model, was the type on which all the best schooners which followed her were based. Although several other schooners were built to beat her, notably the 'Evadne,' 206 tons, by the same builders, for Mr. John Richardson in 1862, she remained up to 1865 the most successful schooner afloat. In that year two new schooners, which were destined afterwards to make their mark in the yacht-racing world and to wrest some of the laurels from the 'Aline,'

made their _debut_ in the Royal Yacht Squadron race for Her Majesty's Cup at Cowes: the 'Egeria,' 153 tons, built by Wanhill, of Poole, for Mr. John Mulholland (now Lord Dunleath), and the 'Pantomime,' 151 tons, built by Michael Ratsey of Cowes for Lieut.-Colonel Markham. The 'Witchcraft,' 240 tons, built by White of Cowes for Mr. Thomas Broadwood, also came out this year, and with the 'Alarm,' which had pa.s.sed into the hands of Mr. George Duppa, again commissioned, and a fleet of racing schooners made up of such vessels as 'Aline,' 216 tons; 'Evadne,' 184; 't.i.tania,' 184; 'Albertine,' 153; 'Galatea,' 143; 'Viking,' 140; 'Gloriana,' 133; 'Circe,' 123; 'Fleur-de-Lys,' 90; 'Iolanthe,' 75; 'Intrigue,' 72; 'Madcap,' 70; 'Fiery Cross,' 51, and 'Reverie,' 43, it probably would not be wrong to date the approach to the zenith of schooner racing from this period.

The races this year were chiefly of the mixed order, that is to say, races which included yachts of all rigs, schooners, cutters and yawls.

The princ.i.p.al schooner race of the season was that for the Queen's Cup at Cowes, for which the entries were the 'Aline,' 216 tons; 'Aquiline,' 55; 'Albertine,' 156; 'Egeria,' 153; 'Galatea,' 143; 'Pantomime,' 151; 't.i.tania,' 184; and 'Viking,' 142. There was a strong north-westerly wind, which gave them a reach to the eastward, and a close haul with some turning to windward when going west, over the usual Queen's Cup course, round the Nab Lightship and a mark-boat off Lymington. The 'Egeria' proved a very smart vessel on all points of sailing, coming in neck and neck with the 'Aline,' and winning the Cup in her maiden race. Two days afterwards, she again beat all the schooners in a race round the Isle of Wight.

In the following year the racing season opened early, with a memorable contest from the Nore to Dover, under the auspices of the Royal Thames Yacht Club. There was a large entry--six schooners, nine cutters, the 'New Moon,' lugger, 209, and the 'Xantha,' yawl, 135--seventeen in all. The schooners were 'Evadne,' 206; 'Blue Bell,' 170; 'Egeria,'

153; 'Gloriana,' 140; 'Iolanthe,' 83; and 'Fleur-de-Lys,' 82. The 'Blue Bell' was a new vessel built by Camper and Nicholson for Mr.

Edwards. Among the cutters was the 'Lulworth,' 80, formerly owned by Mr. Weld, but then recently purchased by Mr. George Duppa. The other cutters ranged from 65 tons to 40, and included many of the cracks of the day. A hard E.S.E. wind was blowing, which, with a lee-going tide, kicked up such a sea as is not often seen in the Thames channels.

Those who sailed in the race will remember it. The 'Xantha' snugly canva.s.sed though with a jib-headed topsail aloft, went away from all the other vessels in the beat to windward, but the 'Sphinx' and 'Christabel,' though much smaller, sailed remarkably well against the heavy head sea. The 'Lulworth,' from which much had been expected, proved too tender for so strong a wind, and when off the Prince's Lightship was put out of the race by starting her chain-plates, with considerable risk of her mast going over the side. The race between the schooners was a good one, but the new vessel, 'Blue Bell,' did not come up to expectation. The 'Egeria' was soon in front of all but 'Gloriana,' and eventually pa.s.sed her just before they reached the North Sandhead Lightship. When it was rounded sheets were eased off, the troubles ended, and it was an easy reach along the edge of the Goodwin Sands, in which the power and weight of the schooners quickly began to appear by their overhauling the smaller cutters, the 'Egeria'

being carried by the send of a heavy sea past the leading cutter, the 'Christabel,' not more than a few hundred yards from the winning line.

'Xantha' finished 20 min. before any other vessel, 'Egeria' being second, thus establishing her reputation as one of the fastest of the schooners. Only seven out of the seventeen were timed, several having either come to grief or given up. Fortunately the tide was sufficiently high to let the yachts into dock. 'Egeria' got p.o.o.ped by a heavy sea when running in under small canvas, luckily without any unpleasant consequences beyond a ducking for all in the after part of the ship.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 'EGERIA'

_153 tons. J. Mulholland, Esq. (Lord Dunleath), 1865._]

'Blue Bell' raced again in the schooner match of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, and was beaten by the 'Gloriana' and 'Circe.' But in the R.Y.S. race round the Isle of Wight she was successful against both 'Egeria' and 'Pantomime.' A little later, however, she raced against, and was beaten by, the 'Aline' at Ryde.

It was not until 1868 that anything noteworthy occurred in schooner racing. In that year the 'Cambria,' 188 tons, was added to the schooner fleet. She was built by Michael Ratsey of Cowes for Mr. James Ashbury, and was destined to obtain some celebrity, not only in our own waters, but also from winning the race across the Atlantic with the 'Dauntless,' American schooner, belonging to Mr. Gordon Bennett, and from being the first to challenge and compete, though unsuccessfully, for the 'America Cup.' She made her first appearance in the matches of the Royal Thames, New Thames, and Royal London Yacht Clubs, but was beaten by both 'Egeria' and 'Gloriana.' The contests between the 'Cambria' and the 'Egeria' during the time the former was owned by Mr. Ashbury were frequent, and keenly contested. They met in most of the princ.i.p.al races, with varying results, but on striking a balance the 'Egeria' appears to have been the victor. Mr. Charles Th.e.l.lusson sold the celebrated 'Aline' to Sir Richard Sutton, and brought out the 'Guinevere,' 308 tons, which was built for him by Camper and Nicholson of Gosport. There was good racing in the Solent among the schooners, in which 'Guinevere,' 'Aline,' 'Cambria,'

'Egeria,' and 'Pantomime' took part. 'Cambria' proved herself to be a fast and powerful vessel, especially in strong winds, and sailed about level with the 'Aline.' 'Egeria' also sailed well, but there was little opportunity of estimating the qualities of 'Guinevere,' as she was only entered for one race. Two of the races were across the Channel, one from Ryde to Cherbourg, the other back to Ryde. The latter was not completed until long after dark, and the night will be remembered as one of the dirtiest in which a race was ever sailed; a hard, squally wind, intense darkness, and blinding rain made the sailing anything but agreeable. 'Cambria' won, beating the 'Aline' by 7 min., but it was not until after their arrival that they were aware they had been in the darkness such close compet.i.tors.

A challenge was given this year by Mr. Baldwin, of New York, on behalf of the American schooner 'Sappho,' 310 tons, which was promptly taken up by the schooners 'Aline,' 215 tons, and 'Cambria,' 188 tons, and the cutters 'Oimara,' 165 tons, and 'Condor,' 129 tons, and a race was arranged round the Isle of Wight under the direction of the Royal Yacht Squadron. It took place in August, after the Cowes week. The yachts were started to the eastward at 10 A.M. before a light north-westerly breeze. In the run and reach to the Bembridge Ledge Buoy all the English vessels were ahead of the 'Sappho' except the 'Oimara.' Just after rounding the buoy 'Sappho' carried away her martingale, and a little further on the 'Oimara' carried away her big topsail-yard. It was now a beat to St. Catherine's against tide, and 'Oimara' soon pa.s.sed 'Sappho.' At 1 hr. 15 mins., when 'Sappho' was going about under Ventnor cliffs, she carried away her jibboom, which destroyed any winning chance she might otherwise have had. After rounding St. Catherine's the yachts were all able to lay their course for the Needles, which were rounded in the following order:--'Oimara,'

'Condor,' 'Cambria,' 'Aline,' and 'Sappho.' In the run back to Cowes against an ebb tide the two schooners got ahead of the cutters, the order of arrival being 'Cambria,' 6 hrs. 17 mins. 50 secs.; then the 'Aline,' 'Oimara,' and 'Condor,' the last being 7 mins. behind the leader. The 'Sappho' did not get in until nearly an hour and a half after the leader. The breaking of the 'Sappho's' jibboom was unfortunate, but before the accident it was made tolerably clear that in a light wind the English vessels had the heels of her, both with the wind free and sailing close hauled.

In 1869 Count E. Batthyany brought out the 'Flying Cloud,' 75 tons, which in his hands proved to be one of the fastest of the smaller cla.s.s of schooners. The old 'Alarm' was also again in commission, and with such a fleet of schooners as 'Guinevere,' 308; 'Alarm,' 243; 'Witchcraft,' 221; 'Aline,' 216; 'Pleiad,' 205; 'Cambria,' 188; 'Egeria,' 156; 'Pantomime,' 151; 'Siesta,' 127; 'Gloriana,' 133; 'Flying Cloud,' 75; 'Amy,' 72; and others, the racing could not fail to be keen and interesting.

One race deserves special notice, because an American schooner, the 'Dauntless,' 336 tons, the property of Mr. Gordon Bennett, was one of the compet.i.tors. The Emperor Napoleon, desirous of encouraging aquatic sports, gave two prizes to be sailed for by yachts of all nations from Cherbourg round the Nab Lightship and back, a distance of 130 miles. A third prize, open to French yachts only, was also given. The entries were: 'Dauntless,' 336, Mr. Gordon Bennett; 'Guinevere,' 308, Mr.

Charles Th.e.l.lusson; 'Shark,' 204, the Duke of Rutland; 'Egeria,' 156, Mr. J. Mulholland; 'Mystere,' 118, Count de Sesmaisons; 'Diane,' 98, Mons. Bescoit Champy. Bar accidents, the race for the first two prizes lay between the 'Dauntless,' 'Guinevere,' and 'Egeria.' The yachts were started at 2 P.M. on August 16. The weather was fine and bright, with a northerly 7-knot breeze, which enabled them to lay their course close hauled for the Nab. Every st.i.tch of canvas that would draw was set, the 'Dauntless' putting up a jib-topsail of a size which made those carried by the other yachts pale into insignificance. The jib-topsail having been long known as the 'topmast breaker,' it was felt that if there came a puff the 'Dauntless' would have a good chance of losing hers, and this soon afterwards happened, topmast, jib-topsail, and gaff-topsail all going over the side. The wreck, however, was very smartly cleared away, and a jury-foretopmast rigged with a small gaff-topsail upon it. A large balloon jib was also set, as well as a larger main-topmast staysail. The 'Dauntless' had edged a good bit up to windward, and she was right in doing so, for when the Isle of Wight was sighted about 7 o'clock it was broad on the weather bows of 'Guinevere' and 'Egeria.' The position of the yachts at this time was, 'Guinevere' leading by about 1-1/2 mile, 'Egeria' second, with 'Dauntless' on her weather quarter and a little astern; the others from two to three miles behind. The 'Egeria,' having to luff, did not go so fast through the water, and the 'Dauntless,' closing up upon her, the two yachts rapidly approached each other, and then occurred one of the most interesting incidents of the race. The 'Dauntless' tried to pa.s.s the 'Egeria' to windward, but the latter luffed to prevent her doing so, and it became a neck-and-neck race between them. In a short time it was evident that 'Egeria' was sailing a little closer to the wind, and slowly drawing ahead of her powerful rival; and in the course of an hour she was well clear, and had the 'Dauntless' under her lee, dropping astern fast. The sea was smooth, which was no doubt much in favour of the smaller vessel. The 'Guinevere,' sailing splendidly, considerably increased her lead during this little by-play, and was rapidly nearing the Nab Lightship, which she ultimately rounded without a tack, thus gaining a considerable advantage, especially as she carried the last of the ebb tide until she was clear of the island. The 'Egeria' and 'Dauntless'

were not so fortunate; the wind fell lighter and headed them, so that they had to make several tacks before they could round, and all but the 'Guinevere' met the flood tide against them after rounding the Nab. The times taken by a French steamer were as follows: 'Guinevere,'

10 hrs. 17 mins.; 'Egeria,' 11 hrs. 12 mins.; 'Dauntless,' 11 hrs. 22 mins.; 'Diane,' 11 hrs. 57 mins.; 'Mystere,' 12 hrs. 40 mins.

After rounding, sheets were eased well off to the port side, but about 2 A.M. the wind came out from the north-east, and a gybe had to be made, and square-sails and square-topsails were set. When morning broke 'Guinevere' was out of sight of the other yachts; 'Dauntless'