As a result of these races the Tecumseh, owned by a Bridgeport syndicate of yachtsmen, and designed by Jones & Laborde, of Oshkosh, Wis., was selected to challenge for the cup. The Tecumseh was essentially a light weather boat, and in the cup races on the St. Lawrence only won one race out of four from the defender, Trident, designed by Duggan. As usual the raceabouts furnished plenty of sport on the Sound, and to every one's surprise, one of the American Yacht Club's one-design boats, the Hobo, owned by Trenor L. Park, won the championship. The Hobo was one of a fleet of boats designed by Crowninshield, and only cost $1,100, as against $2,000 or $2,500, the usual cost of boats in this class. Among the one-design classes the Howdy, owned by Stuyvesant Wainwright, won in the American's twenty-one-foot class, and Simeon Ford's Mongoose III. in the eighteen-foot division. In the New Rochelle Club's class R. N. Bavier's Knave won first honors, while the Lambkin, owned by Stephen W. Roach, was successful in the Manhasset Bay Class. So far as steam yachts are concerned something like two hundred of various sizes and types were built in the United States last season, and while a few of them were of good size, there still seems to be a tendency among American yachtsmen to buy large boats abroad in spite of the fact that they are not entitled to American registry. The more important ones built in American shipyards included the Noma, owned by W. B. Leeds and the Rheclair, owned by D. G. Reid, designed by Clinton H. Crane; the Hauofi, designed by Henry J. Gielow for F. M. Smith, the "Borax King:" the Aztec, designed by Gardner & Cox for A. C. Burrage, and the Celt, a Wintringham boat, owned by J. Rogers Maxwell. By far the most sensational event of the year in steam yachting was the remarkable record breaking performance of Charles R. Flint's Arrow, designed by C. D. Mosher, which in a trial against time on the Hudson, on September 6, covered a mile in 1 minute 19 9-10 seconds, or at the rate of forty-five miles per hour. Another advance made in yachting was the adoption of the Turbine principal of propulsion to pleasure craft. No less than three yachts are building abroad which will use the Parsons system, and the largest of these yachts, a 200-foot boat, is for Amzi L. Barber, the "Asphalt King," a prominent member of the New York Yacht Club. Over here an American engineer has devised a new system of Turbine propulsion which, it is claimed, has many points of superiority over the Parsons type, and an experimental boat called the Revolution made a fine showing against the Monmouth and demonstrated her ability to stop and reverse with one set of engines. Something the Parsons boats cannot do as their chief drawback is that they have to employ a special set of engines for reversing purposes. The American boat is of the twin screw type, but carries only one propeller on each shaft, while the Parsons have half a dozen or more on each shaft and are capable of much greater speed. In addition to the above, Colonel John Jacob Astor has invented still another system of turbines for steam vessels which he has presented to the American people free of charge. Trident won by 5 minutes 27 seconds. The races were sailed on Lake St. Louis (part of the St. Lawrence River). AMERICA'S CUP RACES. The Summer of 1903 will see Sir Thomas Lipton's third challenger for the America's Cup attempting to lift that time-honored trophy from the custody of the New York Yacht Club. As Sir Thomas humorously observed two years ago: "I have loosened some of the rivets holding it down, and I think one more pull will lift it from its anchorage." During the past 52 years no less than 11 attempts have been made by British yachtsmen to win this cup, the "Blue Ribbon of the Sea," and it is possible that this 12th attempt may prove unlucky for Yankee yachtsmen. In 1901 there is no question but the cup was in danger, and the victory of the Columbia over Shamrock II. was by the narrowest possible margin, only 5 minutes 36 seconds corrected time separating the two yachts as a result of the three races, or a trifle over 3 2-3 seconds per mile for the 90 miles sailed. Sir Thomas and many others thought that handling and not any real difference in the speed of the boats was responsible for the result, and the Irish Knight was anxious for another race with the Shamrock II. for 1902. The rules of the New York Yacht Club, however, prevent a beaten boat racing for the cup in two successive years, and the project fell through. Sir Thomas, on his return to England, stated that if no one else challenged in the meantime he would challenge with a new boat in 1902 for a race in 1903. No one did challenge, and American yachtsmen were not surprised when a third challenge from the Royal Ulster Yacht Club, on behalf of the Irish Baronet, was received by the New York Yacht Club on October 15. A special meeting of the New York Yacht Club was held the following evening, the challenge accepted, and steps were at once taken to organize a syndicate for the defence of the Cup. As the new challenger was well under way by this time, no time was lost in organizing a syndicate, and at a meeting of the New York Yacht Club on October 30, the names of the members of the syndicate were announced as follows: C. Oliver Iselin, managing owner; ex-Judge Elbert H. Gary, Clement A. Griscom, James J. Hill, William H. Leeds, William Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Henry Walters, P. A. B. Widener and Norman B. Ream. At the same meeting it was announced that an order had been placed with Herreshoff for a new defender, and that C. Oliver Iselin would have charge of her and that Charlie Barr would be her skipper. It was also stated that J. Pierpont Morgan would place the Columbia in commission again, and that Edwin D. Morgan would have charge of her, and that "Lem" Miller would be her captain. while August Belmont would manage the Constitution, which would be sailed by Captain Urias Rhodes, assisted by Captain Norman B. Terry. The members of the new syndicate are all well known in business and financial circles, and many are prominently identified with the big commercial corporations. Elbert H. Gary, of Chicago and New York, was the president of the Federal Steel Company, and now that it has been merged in the United States Steel Corporation, is a director of the new company. He was born in Illinois. After leaving college he was admitted to the Bar and devoted himself to the practice of corporation law. He is interested in many railroad and other companies and was one of the organizers of the United States Steel Corporation. Clement A. Griscom is of Philadelphia, and he owns the steam yacht Alvina, and last Summer made a cruise in that boat in foreign waters. He is president of the International Steam Navigation Company and of the International Mercantile Marine Company, which has merged nearly all the transatlantic lines. He is prominently identified with many other corporations. and is a director of the United States Steel Corporation and of the Cramp Shipbuilding Company. James J. Hill, of St. Paul, is the owner of the steam yacht Wacouta, in which he made a cruise to Labrador last Summer. He is president of the Northern Securities Company and of the Great Northern Railway Company. William B. Leeds, of Pittsburg, is the owner of the steam yacht Noma. He is a director of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company and of the American Can Company. Norman B. Ream is a Chicago capitalist and is a member of the Chicago Board of Trade and a director of the United States Steel Corporation. William Rockefeller is vice-president of the Standard Oil Company and a director of the Amalgamated Copper Company. Henry Walters is a member of the Constitution syndicate and he owns the steam yacht Narada. He is a Baltimore man and is president of the Atlantic Coast Line Company. P. A. B. Widener owns the steam yacht Josephine and made a cruise in that yacht in European waters last Summer. He is a director of the United States Steel Corporation, and has large interests in the street railways of Philadelphia, this and other cities. Cornelius Vanderbilt is the only member of the syndicate who has taken an active interest in yacht racing. He has raced the 70-footer Rainbow successfully for three seasons, and recently purchased the big steam yacht North Star. C. Oliver Iselin, who is to be the managing owner, has already managed three cup defenders successfully. He raced the Vigilant against Valkyrie II., Defender against Valkyrie III., and Columbia against Shamrock I. He had intended to spend the next two years in Europe, but the members of the Committee on Challenge and of the new syndicate, urged him to take charge of the new yacht, and he has consented to do so. He will sail from the other side for this port next week. Ex-Commodore E. D. Morgan, who is to manage the Columbia, had charge of that yacht last year, and, like Mr. Iselin, he has given up a season in Europe to take charge of the yacht again. Mr. August Belmont has never had charge of a cup defender, but he has sailed on some of the boats that successfully defended the cup. He was a member of the Vigilant syndicate in 1893, and was on board the Constitution in many of her races last season. He has been an active yachtsman for many years, and in the season just ended sailed the Mineola very successfully. Captain Rhodes, who is to sail the Constitution, was sailing master of that yacht last year. He will be assisted by Captain Norman B. Terry, who sailed the schooner Grayling so successfully and who assisted Captain Hank Haff on the Defender in 1895. Captain Barr is known as the skipper of the Columbia each time she defended the cup, and Captain "Lem" Miller, who is to sail the Columbia next year, was mate on that boat under Captain Barr. With three yachts in the preliminary and trial races to choose from, the boat selected to defend the cup should be in first-class condition by August 20, the date of the first cup race, while Sir Thomas Lipton, with two Shamrocks to tune up the new boat with, should bring his challenger to the line in first-class condition, and this year Sandy Hook should witness the best and closest races ever sailed for the cup. The Royal Ulster Yacht Club's challenge on behalf of Sir Thomas Lipton follows: 7th October, 1902. Dear Sir.-I am requested by Sir Thomas J. Lipton, Bart., K. C. V. O., to forward you this challenge for the America's Cup, subject to the same conditions as governed the last contest, and which proved to be so satisfactory, namely-the best three out of five races over the same courses, with like starts and other details. The first race to be sailed on Thursday, 20th August, 1903. The second race to be sailed on Saturday, 22d August, 1903. The third race to be sailed on Tuesday, 25th August, 1903. Further races (if any), to be sailed on each following Thursday, Saturday and Tuesday until finished. I, therefore, on behalf of the Royal Ulster Yacht Club, and in the name of Sir Thomas J. Lipton, a member of the club, challenge to sail a series of matches with the yacht "Shamrock III." against any one yacht or vessel constructed in the United States of America for the America's Cup. The following are the particulars of the challenging vessel, viz.: Owner, Sir Thomas J. Lipton, Bart., K. C. V. O. Name of yacht, Shamrock III. Length on load water line, 90 feet. Rig, cutter. The Custom House measurement will follow as soon as the vessel can be measured for registration. (Signed) I shall be much obliged if you will cable the receipt of this challenge. HUGH C. KELLY, Honorary Secretary, Royal Ulster Yacht Club. The members of the Challenge Committee of the New York Yacht Club who will have charge of the races are as follows: Commodore Lewis Cass Ledyard, Vice-Commodore Frederick G. Bourne, Secretary George A. Cormack, E. D. Morgan, E. M. Brown, J. P. Morgan, J. Malcolm Forbes, Archibald Rogers, and William Butler Duncan, Jr. Countess of 7.18.46 4.17 09 4.54.53 won by 27.14 6.06.05 5.03.14 Genesta. 5.04.52 Am. won by 16,19 won by 12.02 won by 29.09 Thistle. won by 19.23% won by .41 4.53 18 Aug. 12, 1876 Madeleine.. 3. 1901 Columbia.. Am. won by 11 484 .40 won by 10.35 had walk-over. Course, Around Isle of Wight, 20 m. windw'd and back, Columbia disabled, but finished race. Valkyrie III. fouled Defender, and the race was awarded to American boat, though the challenger finished 47 seconds ahead in 3:55:09. Shamrock II. finished first, but lost race on time allowance of 43 seconds. NEW YORK YACHT CLUB'S NEW RATING RULE. After many years' discussion and endless talk, the New York Yacht Club has decided on a new rule of measurement and next season the old sail area and load water line Seawanhaka rule will be a thing of the past. It was originally proposed that the new rule should be in force for five years, but this recommendation was not adopted, though all sailing yachts except the cup defending class designed this year, will probably be built under the new rule. The Committee on Measurement of the New York Yacht Club, appointed in February last to consider the advisability of a change in the rating rule, which has held good for so many years, but which has been found fault with because of the ease with which freak boats were being developed, submitted its report at the October meeting of the club, and with one or two minor changes, the committee's recommendations were adopted. The committee before making its report consulted with all the leading naval architects in this country and Europe, including Nathaniel G. Herreshoff, of Bristol, R. I.; A. Cary Smith, William Gardner, Clinton H. Crane, J. Beavor-Webb and John Hyslop, of this city: B. B. Crowninshield and A. S. Cheesborough, of Boston. Crossing the ocean, the committee secured the opinions of George L. Watson, William Fife and Arthur Milne, of Glasgow. In England, Arthur E. Payne, of Southampton: Linton Hope and J. N. Soper. of London; R. E. Froud, of Gosport, and J. T. Bucknell. of Bittern, contributed their ideas on the subject. Alfred Benzon, of Copenhagen, and Charles H. Duggan, the Canadian designer, were also consulted. Briefly, the new rating measurement is found by multiplying the length of a yacht, obtained as provided for, by the square root of the sail area and dividing the result by five times the cube root of the displacement. This is a radical change from the old formula. The result is the following formula: Rating Measurement.-L multiplied by the square root of S A, divided by five times the cube root of D. This means the length multiplied by the square root of the sail area, divided by five times the cube root of the displacement shall be the rating measurement of a yacht. The quantity L. representing the length of a yacht, is to be obtained as follows: "To extreme beam (B). wherever found, add greatest beam at load water line (b), and divide by eight (B+b: by 8); lay off line parallel to and this distance from middle line of hull on deck and take extreme length of hull measured on this line; to this add length of load water line on vertical projection of this line to water line plane and divide the sum of three lengths so obtained by two." The displacement is to be found as follows: At points dividing the length of the load water line into five equal parts find areas of immersed cross sections in square feet: from the areas in square feet obtained and load water line length and approximate displacement in cubic feet. The limit of draught for all yachts exclusive of centreboards, except cup defenders and challengers, under the new rule is fixed at 18 feet, and it is provided that "should the extreme draught of any yacht in racing trim exceed the limit of draught specified for her rating by the following scale, such excess of draught shall be multiplied by five and added to her rating." Another provision is that "should the load water line of any yacht in racing trim exceed the length by more than 10 per cent, such excess of load water line shall be added to her rating." It is also provided so as to limit sail area that "should the square root of the sail area of any yacht exceed her measurement of length by the foregoing formula more than 135 per cent, any such excess shall be added to her measurement.' A new classification is also provided as follows: A new formula for time allowance is also provided as follows: "Time equals .8 (3,600 divided by the square foot of one) minus 3,600 divided by the square root of L." The 3,600 represents the number of seconds in an hour. I the rating measurement of the small yacht, and L the rating measurement of the large one. The committee In recommending this change says: "It was considered desirable by many that the full theoretical value of time allowance-100 per cent-be allowed, but the committee, wishing to be conservative, recommends that the tables now in use be raised from 60 to 80 per cent, as in the above formula, and that all vessels shall receive time allowance according to their rating in all races. except when ctherwise specially provided." A new crew rule was also adopted, which allows Classes A and F to carry one man for every 250 square feet of sail area or fraction thereof, and one man for every 300 square feet in Classes B, C, D, E, G, H, I, J and K. The committee which suggested the above changes consisted of S. Nicholson Kane, chairman; C. Oliver Iselin, W. Butler Duncan, Jr.; A. Cass Canfield, Harry F. Lippitt, John F. Lovejoy, Oliver E. Cromwell, Newbury D. Lawton, Archibald Rogers, E. D. Morgan and George A. Cormack, secretary. ROWING. By TROY KINNEY, Yale '96. The rowing season of 1902 was marked by no spectacular features. For the fifteenth time since 1878, Yale 'Varsity crew defeated Harvard on the Thames course at New London. Cornell won the intercollegiate on the Hudson at Poughkeepsie over a field of the best college oarsmen in the country. C. S. Titus again won the National Amateur Championship, for single sculls, at the National Regatta held at Lake Quinsigamond, Worcester, Mass., easily defeating his only opponent, Frank B. Greer. The Oxford-Cambridge race, at Putney, England, March 22, was won by Cambridge by an official distance of five lengths. The time was 19 minutes 9 seconds. The Diamond Sculls at the Henley Regatta were won by F. S. Kelley, of Balliol College, Oxford, and the eight-oared race for the Grand Challenge Cup was won by Third Trinity, of Cambridge University, who defeated Leander. American interest in rowing is centred always in the Yale-Harvard race, and not even the annual football game between these two universities attracts so much general attention as the battle at New London for water supremacy. The rowing crowd may fall short of the football crowd by several thousand, but it has more enthusiasm, and the result of the contest is watched almost as closely in England as in America. The race of 1902 took place under unusually favorable circumstances, and though the Varsity contest had to be postponed for two hours on account of rough water, from the spectator's viewpoint nothing more could be desired. Harvard 'Varsity put up a great race and never ceased to try to wrest a victory from defeat until Yale was safely across the finish line. Yale won by three and a half lengths, in 20 minutes and 20 seconds. Harvard's time was 20 minutes 33 seconds. Harvard played her best in the first two miles, and for the first half mile acted as pacemaker. Yale took the lead at this point and Harvard weakened. At the start Harvard's crew was hitting a stroke of 38 while Yale was down to 36, and Harvard was ahead by nearly half a length. With almost incredible rapidity Yale's boat crept up to the Crimson shell, and then Harvard's crew put every pound they could muster into their oars. Yale dropped her stroke to 33 and rowed like a perfect mechanism. Harvard's men were powerful, splendid individuals, but they lacked the crew work which gave Yale the advantage. The Crimsons splashed considerable and their boat seemed to travel on an uneven keel. At 1.500 yards Yale had a slight advantage and this was increased to 10 feet at the mile. Suddenly Harvard's stroke dropped to 32 and the Blue forged further ahead, still keeping to the swinging 33. Two miles from the start Harvard made a last effort and raised her stroke to 35 for half a minute, but it was beyond endurance, and it dropped back again to 32. Yale kept up the steady 33 that brought her victory, daylight came between the two boats, widened, and the people on shore saw that the finish would be a procession, with the sons of Eli far ahead. Not a man toppled in the Yale shell when the race was done, but all looked very tired. Harvard's men stopped just before the finish line was reached, exhausted and disappointed. Watches gave the time as 20:20, ten seconds slower than the record. Yale's victory seemed to be due to superior crew work. No matter how good an oarsman is developed from an individual, unless the entire eight work as one man, the skill of one may be detrimental rather than beneficial to the whole. In no sport so much as in rowing. does perfect team work count for so much. The slightest drag of one oar, or the tip of the blade touching the water retards the forward motion of the shell in what seems to be a proportion far exceeding the cause. Perfect time, the ultimate goal of team training, was Yale's throughout the contest, and won the race for her. Harvard took the lead with a high stroke, and in less than half a mile lost her advantage through Yale's superior time. Harvard's boat rolled and her men splashed. Without preparation Harvard's stroke was dropped six points, doing no good, but demoralizing the men still further. Yale continued to row a low stroke that became mechanical before the first mile was passed. It will be found to almost always follow that a steady low stroke in a four-mile race will mean victory for the team able to keep it. The stroke should never be lowered suddenly, but, if necessary, let down gradually. It seems to be always bad policy to lower the stroke and then attempt to increase it. Even the best trained crews will be thrown out of time by such tactics, and it would seem that Harvard's stroke had shown questionable judgment in starting the stroke at 38, dropping it to 32, and then raising it to 35, then dropping again. The Freshmen eight-oared race, the curtain-raiser to the 'Varsity eight, was a dead heat, the time being 12:13. This was plainly Yale's race up to a point just beyond the flags marking the one and a half mile. Here Yale's coxswain lost his bearings and steered a crooked course, allowing Harvard to gain a lead. It would have been a victory for the Crimson but for the magnificent spurt the Blue crew made in the last 100 yards, which enabled them to get up in time to make it a dead heat. The Varsity four-oared race was won by Harvard by two and a half lengths, in 11 minutes 19 seconds. Yale's time was 11:25. Harvard caught the water first and forged right ahead, opening up a length in the first quarter mile. Harvard's stroke throughout most of this race was 38 and Yale splashed all the way along the course trying to keep up to 37. At the Intercollegiate Regatta at Poughkeepsie everything went to Cornell; the 'Varsity four and eight and the Freshman eight. It was simply a field day for the Ithaca oarsmen, and every race, and especially the big race, was won with consummate ease. The victory may be attributed to the so-called Courtney stroke, which, after considerable series of modifications, has become similar in essential respects to that of Yale and the English universities; to the solid crew work that has become a tradition at Cornell, and to the polished watermanship that her oarsmen seem to acquire as an invariable part of their college training. Within ten strokes from the start the Cornell men caught their gait; then it was an even rhythm of 32 strokes to the minute that brought their shells in first in every contest. Cornell won the big race by fully three lengths, with Wisconsin second, one and one-quarter lengths before Columbia; then came Pennsylvania, two and a half lengths behind Columbia, and then Syracuse and Georgetown, too far back to count. The four-oared race was won by Cornell by two open lengths, with Pennsylvania second and Columbia third. The Freshman race was the Ithaca men's only hard fight, and in this contest Wisconsin finished less than a length behind. Columbia was third, one and a half lengths behind the Badgers, and three lengths back of Columbia were Syracuse and Pennsylvania. The time in the 'Varsity race was: Cornell, 19:05 3-5; Wisconsin, 19:13 3-5; Columbia, 19:18 3-5; Pennsylvania, 19:26; Syracuse, 19:31 3-5; Georgetown, 19:32. The four-oared race was won in 10:43 3-5; Pennsylvania, 10:54 4-5; Columbia, 11:08; Freshman eight, 9:34 4-5. It is interesting to note that the race of 1902 between Harvard and Yale came within a month and a half of the fiftieth anniversary of the first Yale-Harvard race, held on Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, August 3, 1852. Nothing remarkable in the way of time was made at the Henley Royal Regatta in 1902. Third Trinity of Cambridge University defeated Leander Rowing Club in the finals for the Grand Challenge Cup, and earned a place of honor for itself. The time of the race, 7:17, was the poorest in six years. The winner of the Diamond Sculls, and with them the title of Amateur Champion Single Sculler of the World, was F. S. Kelley, of Balliol College, Oxford, who defeated R. B. Etherington-Smith, of Leander, by two and one-half lengths in 8:59. Since 1897 the Diamond Sculls have been in the hands of Americans, Edward H. Ten Eyck being the first from the United States to win the trophy. In the first heats of this race C. S. Titus, who won the American Amateur Championship at Worcester, Mass., in August, defeated W. W. Field, of Oxford, and Louis Scholes, of Toronto, Canada, beating the latter by a length and a half in 8:33, only 4 seconds behind the record time. In the ninth heat, however, he showed poor form, and lost to Kelley. In the first heats of the Grand Challenge the Americans made an excellent showing, when the Argonauts, of Toronto, Canada, beat University College, of Oxford, by two and a half lengths in 7 seconds. The Argonauts were defeated by Third Trinity, however, who won the cup. The Oxford-Cambridge race, at Putney, on March 22, was a surprise in that Cambridge defeated Oxford easily and unexpectedly. Oxford rowed a slow stroke and lost on the start. The official time was 19 minutes and 9 seconds, and the distance separating the boats was given by the officials as being five lengths, though observers on shore claimed it was at least eight lengths. In the Oxford boat were two Americans, J. G. and Devereaux Milburn, of Buffalo. One of the features of the opening day of the Grand Army encampment at Washington, D. C., in October, was the regatta of the Potomac River Regatta Association, the first regatta held at Washington since 1896. The most interesting races were the intermediate eight, won by the Vespers of Philadelphia, and the junior double sculls, won by the Potomac Club from the Seawanhakas of New York. The senior eight-oared event was won by the Dauntless crew of New York from the Vesper crew of Philadelphia, in 7 minutes 4 seconds. The National Amateur Regatta was held at Lake Quinsigamond, Worcester, Mass., August 8 and 9, and was notable chiefly for the good fellowship shown to and by the visiting crews. G. S. Titus, just back from defeat at Henley, won the championship singles from Frank B. Greer, in 9:59. The senior eight was won by the Vesper crew of Philadelphia, who defeated the Philadelphia Barge Club crew in 7:57. interesting feature of the regatta was the invitation war canoe race, in which there were five starters. This was won by the Quinebequins of Dedham, Mass., with the Tatassits of Worcester second. An Increased interest in rowing during the past few years has aroused a good deal of talk about an American regatta based on the plans of Henley. The American Rowing Association, formed for the purpose of exploiting this idea, sent out a circular to rowing associations in June, explaining its plans. The Board of Stewards held a meeting in May and decided that the first regatta under the auspices of the Association would be held on the Schuylkill River, Philadelphia, in June, 1903. The Board of Stewards consists of men prominently interested in rowing. |