THE ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON Measurements of the "Britannia"-L.O.A., 1215 ft.; L.W.L., 87.8 ft.; breadth, 23'66 ft.; depth, 15 ft.; rating, 15113 Y.R.A.; sail area, 10,328 sq. ft. The years 1893 and 1894 soon put her qualities to a severe test, for the American "Navahoe came over to challenge for the Gold Cup of the Victoria Club. The challenge was taken up by the "Britannia," who won three out of five races and retained the trophy. The illustration shows " Britannia" running up off Ryde with housed topmast, and leading "Navahoe." The latter was a beautiful boat, designed by Herreshoff, and represented a remarkable blend of American lines and the English cutter type. She was, however, very tender, and not up to the weight of our English breezes. She started eighteen times and won five prizes. In 1893 the "Britannia won the Queen's Cup at Plymouth, and the Queen's Cup in the Clyde, taking in her first year, in addition to these, twenty-seven prizes. Mr. William Jameson represented the Prince all through her brilliant career, whilst Captain John Carter was her skipper, a proud position to hold. 66 In 1894 came the tug-of-war for the America Cup. The defender, the Vigilant," came over after beating "Valkyrie" at Sandy Hook. She was one of Herreshoff's designs, with a centre-board, but her experiences during her visit here tolled the knell of centre-boards for big boats in this country as well as in America. The "Vigilant" met the "Britannia,” with the result that she was beaten twelve times in eighteen starts. was, however, a much more powerful boat than “ Navahoe," even with her centre-board down. She The race on the Clyde for the Queen's Cup in 1894 was a scene of extraordinary excitement, and Scotch enthusiasm was at fever heat, the shore black with spectators, and the water crowded with every kind of boat. It was a grand and close race, and the visitor was allowed plenty of room to round her last mark. The "Britannia" won, to the joy of all. The only regret, however, was that the Prince was not there in propriâ persona, to see how "Britannia 'kept the goal." 66 In 1895 the Prince's cutter carried off all three cups given at Cowes, Ryde, and Queenstown; and now the "Britannia,” having done credit to all connected with her, stands forth as the grandest all-round cutter of modern times—not as a racing machine, but as a delightful home and a wholesome craft in bad weather. THE ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON. THE "SUNBEAM.” So well known is this yacht that her name is almost a household word, and her doings and cruisings have given pleasure to thousands of people who hardly know what a yacht really is. She claims prominent mention, in that when she first came out she founded a new class and period in yachting. In 1854 Lord Brassey, then Mr. Brassey, began his experiences with an eight-ton cutter, which gave him a real zest for sailing; and in 1857 he won the Queen's Cup in the Mersey with " Cymba," a 50-ton cutter, designed and built by Fife of Fairlie. From 50 tons the next step was to the "Albatross," then to an auxiliary schooner of 164 tons, the "Meteor," followed by "Muriel," Dan Hatcher's favourite 40tonner; and the "Eothen" auxiliary, 340 tons. Based on his experience of twenty years, Lord Brassey decided to have an auxiliary steam yacht after his own heart, to the design of Mr. Alexander Richardson. The love acquired in early days with "Cymba" for canvas had to be carefully considered, for the new yacht was not to be a steamboat, but, as a model cruiser, she was to be fast under canvas, with auxiliary steam power only to help her in doldrums or dead calm, or again, when she should be well in command, going into harbours or through narrow passages with a head wind. Time has shown that these qualities were well carried out, as proved by the "Sunbeam's" record of ocean cruising in 1874, 12,747 knots; in 1876-7, one cruise, 37,000 knots round the world; 1883, 13,545 knots in a cruise to the West Indies. And then she started for a second voyage round the world, a voyage cut short by the sad death of the late Lady Brassey, whose travels, and the bright way in which she related them, have delighted many. Having given some idea of the performance of the Sunbeam as a cruiser, let us turn to some of the details of her construction and rig. Material of hull: iron frame with teak skin; built at Liverpool in 1874. Length over all......... 170 ft. 159 ft. Engines by Laird of Birken- Draught 13.6 feet. Horse power, 70 nominal Stowage of coal, 70 tons. 99 ,, water, 16 tons. Original sail area ... 9,200 sq. ft. 13 The success of the combination of good qualities in her led to the "Chazalie" being built in 1875, followed by the "Czarina," for Mr. Albert Brassey, in 1877. Then the "Lancashire Witch" in 1878, which made some wonderfully long runs in ocean cruising. This quartet settled the qualities required, and started auxiliary steam yachts on a firm basis, the "Sunbeam" being the Madre of the fleet. After this, riches and luxury went for bigger game, and now we have steam yachts of immense size, like private hotels-de-luxe, or palatial mail steamers. In America everything is on a large scale, and Mr. Vanderbilt has a steam yacht, the "Valiant," 2,350 tons, brig-rig; whilst in our own home waters may be seen Mr. Laycock's "Valhalia," 1,400 tons, shiprigged. It is hard to credit that she is a yacht when bearing down on you, until perchance the white ensign may be seen flying at the peak or the R.Y.S. burgee at the main. Burgees seem rather out of place in these large craft. For a long cruise there is no doubt that Lord Brassey's "Sunbeam " has been a great success; and the owner has always been her navigator. She is large enough for any weather anywhere, for Lord Brassey's experiences vary from studding sails and skyscrapers to being battened down and laid to, with canvas reduced to one jib headed main trysail. On one occasion, in the West Indies in 1883, I remember the weather bright and clear, temperature perfect, every stitch that could be carried set, studding sails on both sides and jackyarders. Looking up with admiration from the taffrail, Lord Brassey suggested a trip to the flying jibboom so as to study the " Beauty" from that point of view. We were well rewarded; looking up we saw the clean white canvas splendidly illumined by the bright sun shining through it, the graceful curves of the sail, the tension of the sheets, the rich colour of the spars, and suggestive bend of the studding sail-boom. That was above; below was the grander sight by far, her white hull, ploughing with her fine bow through the deep blue waters of the Spanish main, was beautified by the contrast of her bright copper, the colour of which was graduated from the water-polished surface to the richer tones left from the last visit of the copper punt. And then, on another occasion, between Cape Hatteras and Bermuda, she laid to in a long gale like a duck, with reefed trysails, although constantly luffed up to meet an unusually big comber. |