Yachting: Volume 33, Issue 5 – May 1923

YACHTING for May Model Yachting A New Model Yacht Club at Washington Ts nation’s capital, Washington, is the latest city to come into the organized field of model yacht building and racing, with the recent organization of the WashIt is ington Model Yacht Club. hoped the new club wi!l shortly take steps toward affiliating with the M. Y. R. A., but this is a detail that will be left pending further organization. While there have always been a number of fair sized models sailed in the park ponds of Washington, this is the first step toward organizing a club and going at the thing in ship-shape fashion. With its still limited membership, a fleet of eight sloops and schooners has _ been signed up, and there are as many more boats in prospect that have already been completed, while other hulls are still on the ways. Two electric driven and two steam speed boats are included in the list. The members are exceedingly fortunate in the facilities at their ber, vice-commodore, Model-owning Shriners who plan to attend the Order’s convention on June 5, 6, and 7, are invited by the club to bring them along and help it inaugurate the season in a regatta and races which have been planned. Model Racing at Norfolk Three races have been held re- cently on the Elizabeth River, off Norfolk, Va., for 36-inch models sailing over, a two-mile course, windward and return. At this writing the championship lies between the Fran, owned by J. G. Miller, and the Norva, owned and sailed by H. S. Hudgins. Ina recent race in a strong breeze the boats made excellent time, doing the one-mile leg down wind in less than 15 minutes. This is very fast for 36-inch models. A speed of 3% miles an hour in models of this size is considered excellent, with four miles about the limit to which boats of this size can be driven. The many government departments where help may be available the Navy Department, Coast Guard and Navy Yard are the most important and offer resources and libraries to the club. And speaking of libraries, there are none to compare with the Library of Congress for a store of maritime authorities. The club stands by its cruising and racing waters as being unbeatable. For “pond” sailing it has the pool that forms a part of the parking around the Lincoln Memorial, 2,000 feet long, 160 wide and no deeper than four feet in the middle. There is always a good breeze here. for testing pool purposes adjoining, is 275 a feet long, 160 wide and the same depth. Each has a curb with the water surface about half a foot from the top. For “outside” sailing the club has the Tidal Basin, a sheet of considerable area, stretching to the foot of the Washington Monument, and three-quarters of a mile on each of two long axis. twenty feet. on the and very light air will guide the boat in the proper direction when The forstarting to round out. ward lever is connected with the quadrant on the tiller by two pieces of fine wire, stretched tightly be- tween them. The tiller has a spring on forward end to bring it back when the strain on jib is released. A Model Yacht Club in Los Angeles A new model yacht club has been formed in Los Angeles recently, and model racing will soon be going strong in southern California. The new organization has bagk of it the Southern California Yachting Association headed by Commodore Overton, who has long been The cominterested in yachting. modore of the new club is P. Gordon Lewis, who has done considerable model building and sailing. During the last two years he started model building and sailing at Portland, Oregon. The purpose of the new club is to promote model we ployed at the Smithsonian Institution, where a magnificent collection of all types of “boats, ships and vessels” can be studied. Of the smaller John Several members are em- disposal. Then and Quinlan, secretary-treasurer. Depth, fifteen to A clubhouse and shop Basin is the club’s aim, but for the present headquarters are es- tablished at 524 Tenth Street. Temporary officers are: A. W. Payne, commodore; Paul E. Gar- ont 7 Rudder Rat ey «a? irk. Yee” ° J Mase Sestlic Ore , Device for steering model with the jib to prevent rounding to when off the wind. final result of the championship races will appear in a future issue of YACHTING. A Device for Steering a Boat Before the Wind J. G. Miller, of Norfolk, Va., owner of the 36-inch Fran, writes that he has devised a new steering device for running before the wind, which is practically automatic. and fool-proof. This device is operated by the jib, which makes it impossible for a boat to “run out” as long as she is standing on her feet, as the second her jib fills the rudder is thrown over against the tiller chock, thus bringing the boat back on her course. In the event that other miniature yachtsmen have difficulty in keeping their boats on the course before the wind, a description of this steering arrangement, and a sketch of it is given herewith. By placing a quadrant at the rear end of the tiller, as shown in sketch, and making the forward lever about six inches long, considerable leverage is thus obtained—consequently a small jib yachting, boating and racing in Los Angeles County, and the Southern California Yachting Organization felt the need of such a club in the city to get the youngsters interested in boating. Organized racing will be started this summer, principally in 36-inch class models, and the Los Angeles Herald has offered a one- hundred dollar cup to be raced for this season. The Conrad Special Motor A motor of a popular size, 12-16 h.p., 3%” bore by 4” stroke has been put on the market by the Motor Utilities Co. of 10 S. 18th St., Phila. This is an exceptionally sturdy, compact and well designed outfit gotten out especially for runabouts, work boats and auxiliaries up to 35 feet. A feature of the engine is the fact that the working parts are in terchangeable with Ford parts, so that replacements can be made anywhere at very short notice. The water-cooled manifold is a feature of the motor as it insures perfect carburetion and economy of fuel. The engine can be run on either gasoline, kerosene or distillate. 315