Two new boats were designed by Mr. G. L. Watson--the 'Valentine' for Mrs. Schenley, and the 'Archee' for Mr. McNish. The elements of all these boats will be found in the table for 5-raters, and detailed drawings of 'Valentine' are given in the sixth edition of Dixon Kemp's 'Yacht Architecture.' 'Archee,' the more capable of the two Watsonites, was built at Wivenhoe. She was beaten on the Solent when she first tried conclusions, but her sail-plan was improved and 5 cwt.

of lead transferred from inside to out, after which she made some good matches with 'Glycera' and 'Alwida.' She scored four firsts for fourteen starts in the Solent, and three more firsts in four ex-Solent races. Her speed probably astonished her designer as much as other people, and this surprise, combined with the success of the 2-1/2-rater C.B. boats on the Clyde in 1891, may account for the best Watsonite in the large cla.s.ses 1892 belonging to this reviled type.

(See Mr. Watson's evidence before the Y.R.A. Committee, 1886.)

But we live to learn. Mr. McNish deserves some credit in this matter, as he thoroughly believed in the centreboard when others (including the designer he employed) were sceptical.

At the end of the season Mr. Payne's boats again headed the list, as will be seen in the table of records (p. 241). They were built lighter, they drew more water, and they were sailed better than the other boats in the cla.s.s; 5/8-inch mahogany planking was employed, but they leaked freely at the garboards, and their floors had to be strengthened.

'Fair Geraldine' only scored one third prize in thirteen starts.

_The 2-1/2-Raters, 1890._

This may be termed 'Babe's' year, as a boat of that name built for Mr.

W. A. Beauclerk from a design by Mr. Payne won fifteen firsts in twenty-seven starts on the Solent. She was not the longest boat in the cla.s.s, but had a foot more than 'Hummer.' She had fairly good depth and displacement, and in some respects was like her princ.i.p.al rival--especially in the faultless manner in which she was sailed and prepared for every race. Her owner a good helmsman and keen sportsman, her skipper first-rate in every way, she came out of the builder's yard as smooth as a bottle, and after two years' racing everything about her was in the same high-cla.s.s racing condition.

The 'Dolphin,' designed by Mr. Clayton, proved to be fast and capable.

In addition, she had the germs of a new type in her--viz. the overhanging end to evade the measurement of length, which has since developed such startling proportions. Drawings of this boat are given in 'Yacht Architecture.' It is difficult to point to any defect in her lines or general design.

'Camilla' and 'Janetta,' 26-1/2 feet, and 'Mliss,' 25 feet, were designed by Mr. Payne, 'Mliss' only doing well. She belonged to Miss c.o.x, whose sister, Mrs. Rudston-Read, had the 'Troublesome' built at Fay's, from a design by Mr. Soper--a somewhat ugly boat with a counter and flare bow. She was fast in light weather, and won the Challenge Plate given by Mr. George Schenley to the Castle Yacht Club.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 'The Babe,' 2-1/2-rater. Designed by A. E. Payne, 1890.]

'c.o.c.k-a-Whoop,' built in 1889 for Captain Hughes's two sons, from a design by Mr. Payne, was raced, as already stated, in the 5-rater cla.s.s at first, but in 1890 she was rearranged to fit the 2.5 cla.s.s, in which she raced.

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

_5-rater. (H. L. Mulholland, Esq.) Designed by A. E. Payne, 1891_.]

Two of the narrow boats, 'Cosette' and 'Thief,' did not fit out for the Solent racing, and the third, 'Queen Mab,' did not succeed in winning a single first prize in six starts. The same remark applies to 'Camilla' with nineteen starts, to 'Janetta' with ten starts, and to 'G.G.' with five starts. Four boats, two being new boats by Payne, and one a 'last year's boat' by Watson, failed to score a single point for their figure of merit! These boats are consequently omitted in the table of records, but full particulars of the racing can be found in a table published October 20, in 'Land and Water.'

We now pa.s.s to 1891, which will be remembered as the 1/2-raters' year.

CLa.s.s RACING, 1891

The 10-raters 'Dis' and 'Decima' raced in a few matches on the Solent; but it was tame work, the old story being constantly retold. In the end, however, 'Decima' was found to be over her rating and had to disgorge her prizes. Hence the final results are only misleading, and are not entered in the record table on p. 246.

_The 5-Raters, 1891._

'Valentine' was replaced by the 'Windfall,' and 'Glycera,' by the 'Savourna,' the two new boats being designed by Mr. Payne and built by the new firm of Summers & Payne, which like a phoenix had risen from the ashes of a disastrous fire at the Belvidere yards of A. R. Payne & Sons and Black & Co. (late Hatcher & Co.).

Mr. Summers, having command of capital, bought up both these firms, took Mr. Arthur Payne into partnership, erected labour-saving machinery, rebuilt the premises in a very substantial manner, and brought a good business capacity to bear upon the whole concern.

In the two new 5-raters the fin-keel, the lug, and the general arrangements on the 'Babe' and 'Hummer' were carried into the larger cla.s.s with complete success. Mr. Langrishe joined the cla.s.s with a new boat, the 'Iernia,' built at Gosport and designed by the son of Fife.

She differed from Mr. Payne's boats in possessing considerable overhang, in a flare bow, and a long counter. Her hull was somewhat similar to 'Valentine,' and she was rigged as a lug sloop like 'Savourna.' 'Windfall,' however, sported the divided skirt in front of the mast.

_Racing Records, 1891._

+-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Prizes | Figure | | 1891 | Starts |-------+-------+-------| of | | | | First | Other | Total | merit | |-------------------------+--------+-------+-------+-------+--------| | _5-Rating Cla.s.s_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Windfall | 40 | 22 | 12 | 34 | 45 | |Savourna | 40 | 14 | 20 | 34 | 29 | |Alwida | 29 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 16 | |Iernia | 29 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | | | | | | | | |_2-1/2-Rating Cla.s.s_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | |The Babe | 45 | 36 | 3 | 39 | 67 | |Avadavat | 40 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 25 | |Fiera | 33 | 7 | 9 | 17 | 17 | |Janetta | 36 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 2 | | | | | | | | | _1/2-Rating Cla.s.s_ | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Spruce | 12 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 35 | |Tiny | 33 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 34 | |Narua | 25 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 28 | |Bairn | 29 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 25 | |Dee Dee | 38 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 17 | |Jeanie | 50 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 8 | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+

'Katherine,' a new 5, built, designed, and sailed by Mr. Black (who had retired from business), was a capable boat of 31 L.W.L., with a straight stem and a pretty counter; but she failed to score.

'Quinque' had been altered during the winter, but was not improved.

'Alwida' was not changed until in August the lug was adopted, when the same was done for 'Quinque.' Their sailing was improved, but not enough to win.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE 'BABE'

_2-1/2-rater. Designed by A. E. Payne, 1890._]

The racing proved the superiority of Mr. Payne's designs, which now and for the third year headed this cla.s.s. See table of records, which shows that 'Windfall' and 'Savourna' competed in no less than forty cla.s.s matches. This was due to the senior yacht clubs like the Squadron, Royal London, Royal Victoria, and Royal Albert giving extra match days for the Solent cla.s.ses. Coincident with this fashion of giving numerous races there arose in some quarters a desire to do it economically, one club being specially noticeable. For instance, at its annual regatta, 1891, the second prize was not awarded to Lord Dunraven, as only three boats started, although the prize was given to the club by another owner and several rather heavy entrance fees had been collected. In fact, the club cleared 7_l._ 15_s._ by the race.

This, and other cases of the kind, may cheer those who tremble at the cost of giving races, and may even point a way whereby less wealthy clubs may 'turn an honest penny.'

_The 2-1/2-Raters, 1891._

'Humming Bird,' 'Mliss,' 'Dolphin,' and 'Camilla' did not race, 'Hummer' eventually going to Ireland and 'Camilla' to the East coast, 'Mliss' and 'Dolphin' to Plymouth. The new boat 'Fiera' was designed for Miss c.o.x by Mr. Payne, who also turned out the 'Avadavat,' 28 feet L.W.L., for Mr. Wilson h.o.a.re. Mr. E. N. Harvey had the 'Undine' built at Cowes from a design by Mr. Clayton, and Sir G. Pearce the 'Squirrel,' designed by Stone. 'Janetta' was raced again.

Not one of them could touch the 'Babe,' which seemed to go faster than ever now that her princ.i.p.al antagonist, the 'Hummer,' was out of the way.

The record for the season will be found in the table, and 'Babe's'

figure of merit--67--obtained by thirty-six first prizes in forty-five starts, was a wonderful performance.

_The 1/2-Raters, 1891._

Just as the 2-1/2-raters had been the outcome of an agreement among some members of the Castle Club to build and start the cla.s.s in 1888, so the 1/2-rating cla.s.s in 1891 was produced by a similar agreement among certain enthusiastic boat-sailers of the Bembridge Sailing Club.

Mr. Payne was consulted, and quite a fleet of these little ships was built in the Belvidere yards during the winter of 1890-91--viz.

'Narua,' 'Eileen,' 'Otokesan,' 'Dee Dee,' 'Idono,' 'Ladybird,'

'Kittiwake.' These were all capital little boats--miniature yachts, in fact--with rather heavy lead keels of the fin type, and with good displacement--some 11 or 12 cwt.--about three-quarters of it being ballast.

Two more of similar type--viz. 'Tiny' and 'Dancing Girl'--were built at Hamble from designs by Mr. Herbert Ridsdale, and the 'Coquette' was built at Gosport from a design by Mr. C. Nicholson. A boat designed by Fife, the 'Jeanie,' had a counter 4.6 feet long. Their L.W.L. usually varied from 15-1/2 to 17 feet. The 'Mosquito,' designed by Mr. Soper, was built of cedar; the others were planked with mahogany, and all were good specimens of the modern art of boat-building.

Most of the sail-plans consisted of a large lug and a spitfire jib secured to a roller which could be revolved on the forestay as an axle by means of cords led aft to the well of the boat. Thus the sail could be reefed by rolling it up like a blind. This was the invention of Captain Du Bowlay. It is very convenient, especially for single-handed sailing. By a further contrivance, the roller can be carried on the end of an iron or steel arm pivoted in a goose-neck secured to the front of the mast and worked by guys from the well; in which event the forestay is rigged in front of the roller. Thus the jib can be reefed or unreefed, or set at an angle, and converted into a spinnaker in a few seconds. (See ill.u.s.tration on opposite page).

These little craft are wonderful sea-boats, and created quite a furore of enthusiastic excitement throughout the season, several ladies taking an active interest in the sport, and some of them steering their own boats in the roughest weather. But they were not destined to have all the fun to themselves. In the middle of the season a spruce young gentleman arrived from the metropolitan waters with a contrivance termed a 'canoe yawl'--a shallow, light, buoyant thing having little or no ballast except the crew, who sat in a canvas-bag arrangement to be emptied as occasion required on rough days. The craft was as easily upset as righted; but the crew combined the acrobat with the water-rat, and showed great skill in keeping the little ship right side up.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 'Mosquito,' with roll foresail. Designed by Soper, 1892.]

The 'Torpedo,' another device of the kind, and owned by Mr. Stewart, came from Oxford.

The owners of the Solent half-raters were not too well pleased to see some of the prizes going into the lockers of these canoe yawls, and a fine string of letters appeared in the 'Field'; but the excitement moderated when it was found that the raters usually scored honours.

One other type was tried--the C.B. dinghy. 'Bairn,' however, was the only example in this cla.s.s. Many of the clubs limited the crew of half-raters to two hands. This did not suit the 'Bairn' type, which requires three or four hands to windward as 'ballast' in the usual Solent weather.

It is impossible to give a summary of the racing in this cla.s.s, because it is very imperfectly reported in the sporting press, and the club secretaries do not invariably retain correct records even of the starters and winners.

'Kittiwake' was generally considered the best boat of the year; but several others ran her close. The only boats recorded in the 'Yacht-racing Calendar' are 'Tiny,' 'Narua,' 'Bairn,' and 'Jeanie,'

and for these the figures are given in our table of records.