ICEBOATS 4I and securely fixed by stays to the outer ends, port and starboard, of the runner plank. Up to twenty years ago the Shrewsbury River boats had four runners and were very fast going, free, and very safe. The Hudsons have the honour of introducing pace to windward. Commodore Grinnell has published a work, "Laws of Ice Navigation," from which the iceboat enthusiast may learn much, especially on beating to windward, when the greatest speed is attained. The following are the measurements of an iceboat, first class, on Hudson River : Centre timber over all, 52 ft.; rudder post to centre of runner plank, 27 ft.; beam, 28 ft.; sail area, 911 sq. ft. Sloop rig and under all circumstances "sheets flat aft." Season, December 1st to March 31st. The exciting moment in these races is when the weather runner lifts, then the balance is critical and more live ballast is wanted on that runner. At St. Moritz the American Club boats are carefully imitated and very successfully, so that the description of the American sport applies in a smaller degree to the limited sport of St. Moritz, where there is no Hudson River, no Shrewsbury River, to race over against "lightning express trains." 66 و, AMERICAN centre-board boats have been for many years quite a national feature. Started originally in consequence of the shallow coasts, where keel boats would be handicapped, they were the outcome of the early form of those primitive boxes or boats which the fowler used to sink as a screen when after wild fowl along the sandbanks on the coast of New York Bay and the New Jersey coasts. Adapting themselves to surrounding circumstances, which Americans so readily do, the boxes were lengthened, finally becoming what were called "scows," or floating blinds, very much like the wild fowl "blinds" used by the Dutch in the winter time on the sea. When the corners were rounded off, these SCOWS became boats; and to give stability in deeper water a hand-board was dropped down through a well slot; the board was not hinged in any way, and soon acquired the name of "dagger boards." Such was the beginning, a hundred years ago, of centre-boards, and now, in looking over the catalogue of models in the New York Yacht Club, which numbers 289 specimens, 159 are centre-board yachts. The numerous steam yachts included in the catalogue do not require them, and the crack racers for the America Cup have now settled down to keel boats, the races being run in deep water. The "Vigilant" and "Valkyrie" contest was one of the most exciting races on record. Sailed in a hard wind, with every stitch of canvas they could set, the marvel is that nothing was carried away, although a big sloop was dismasted just at the time which the sketch represents. When we know that "Vigilant " had a sail area of 12,330 square feet on a water line of 86'19 ft. our wonder must increase. Lord Dunraven's "Valkyrie" was unfortunate at the start of the first race; the wind was so light that their spinnakers hardly drew, and at the first mark "Valkyrie " led, and at five o'clock the committee sent up the recall flag, so that was no race. October is not a good month for a race of such interest, the wind being very light and flukey. A true wind of good strength is wanted for the windward work. |