The Model Yacht: Volume 9, Number 1 – Summer 2005

LINCOLN MEMORIAL POOL, WASHINGTON, D.C. NEWSLETTER OF THE U.S. VINTAGE MODEL YACHT GROUP VOLUME NINE, NUMBER ONE Summer 2005 NEWSLETTER OF THE U.S. VINTAGE MODEL YACHT GROUP VOLUME NINE, NUMBER ONE Summer 2005 Editor’s Welcome “…for friendly competition between foreign countries.” So reads the Deed of Gift for the America’s Cup. That Cup’s events have drifted far from its original purpose, but the spirit lives on in the UK-US Challenge Cup contest for 36 inch Restricted Class free sailing models. This event is held every other year, and we’re happy to inaugurate our ninth year of publication with a report on the 2005 event, recently held in the UK. Our technical supplement has a well-illustrated article from the Metropolitan magazine for August, 1900, which describes skiff sailing in New York Harbor at the turn of the last century. This represents some of the best pictorial documentation we have of the period, and should whet your appetite for gaff-riggers. And to help you build one, we offer a 1925 article on model sail making. Speaking of gaff-riggers, we describe one of the best beloved of UK prototypes, the Bristol Channel pilot cutter. Standards of seamanship were high in that location, so much so that they were immortalized in the phrase “shipshape and Bristol fashion.” Faith, the one we describe, would make a fine “windling” model. On a sadder note, we must record the passing of Robert Irwin, proprietor of the A.J. Fisher Inc., supplier of vintage fittings and plans for many years. We hope to have a full history of that company in an upcoming issue. Earl Boebert Ebbs and Flows The President’s Message Vintage Membership The VMYG annual membership is $20 for three issues of this newsletter. It is $25 for members outside North America. The VMYG lifetime membership is $100. Members also have access to technical assistance and vintage model plans. To subscribe to or renew our newsletter and services, send check (payable to US VMYG) or cash to: John Snow, c/o US VMYG, 78 East Orchard Street, Marblehead, MA 01945. For detailed information, you can call me directly in Marblehead @781631-4203 or visit the VMYG Web Page at: www.swcp.com/usvmyg 2005 VMYG National Events September 9-11 11th VM National Regatta, Spring Lake, NJ. Coordinator is John Henson, @ 732-458-1370, email: senlivjh@aol.com R/C VM racing and display, with V36 model sailing as well. September 23-25 VMYG Annual Traditional Watercraft Regatta, Calvert Maritime Museum, Solomons, MD. Coordinator is Parker McClellan, at shadow1954@earthlink.net R/C schooner and skipjack-type traditional models regatta and displays, with additional racing for VM and V36 models. Mid-West Representative VMYG has a new Mid-West representative, Tom Pratt, who scratch-builds traditional Page 1 sailing craft models. Feel free to contact Tom about VMYG activities in his area, hosting a vintage event, or traditional schooner-type models. His contact info: 6517 Morrow-Rossburg Road, Morrow, OH 45152; 513-899-4748, tomsbarn@go-concept.com Vintage Etcetera 2005 International Challenge Cup for 36R Models The VMYG continues to monitor interest in V36 designs. As such, Earl Boebert and I were active participants with the American team in the third biennial International Challenge Cup held this year in the UK. This is a US versus UK team event (nine competitors on each side in 2005) and involved two freesailed regattas with 36 inch Restricted Class (36R) models at historic model yachting venues at Gosport, June 18 & 19, and Bournville, June 25 & 26. Graham Reeves, the US VMYG representative in UK, was the overall on-site coordinator of these races and also raced as a member of the US Team. Graham, the UK VMYG and Jeff Stobbe of the San Francisco MYC are to be congratulated on organizing an outstanding mix of activities for this Challenge Cup and for fostering an atmosphere of good sportsmanship and warm hospitality. I personally felt like I was transported back in time to my model yachting roots as a youth at Redd’s Pond; racing M models with vane steering and then socializing with competitors and event personnel afterwards. I am truly looking forward to the 2007 International Challenge Cup event in California, planned for the historic model yachting venues in San Francisco and San Diego. 2005 Woods Hole Model Boat Show The VMYG would like to thank Fred & Sue Abbe, Earl & Judy Boebert, Jim Dolan, Jim Reynard, Bill Roper and Alan Suydam for their active support of the US VMYG exhibit and lectures at the Woods Hole April 16 and 17. Bill Roper traveled with his wife Sue from Grand Haven, MI to attend this Show and display his beautifully restored 1939 Cheerio II freesail model. Bill had scratch-built this model as 15 year-old and raced it against the Cheerio designer John Black in the 1941 MYRAA M Class National Championship at the Detroit’s Belle Isle pool. John Snow A UK-USA Photo Album (Opposite Page) 1. The lake at Gosport. This historic pond was the sight of many of the epic A Class battles of the 1930’s for the Yachting Monthly Cup. Like Fleetwood, it is right on the seaside and generally offers steady and strong winds. (Earl Boebert photo). 2. The lake at Bournville. This venue is very similar to Spreckles Lake in San Francisco, with curved sides and shifty winds because of the surrounding trees. (Earl Boebert photo). 3. The start of a beat at Gosport. Free sailing races are run as two-boat match races, one leg (or “board”) to windward and one downwind. The winner of the windward board gets 3 points and the winner of the downwind board gets two. A round-robin system is used so that each USA skipper meets each UK skipper at least once. A beat involves getting down, launching, getting up, walking the length of the pond, getting down and retrieving your boat, and then retrim and do it again. By the end of the day your body is speaking to you. (Judy Boebert photo). 4. Big lake, big wind, little boat. A UK boat in typically heavy going at Gosport. The 36 inch restricted rule states that the hull of the boat, less fittings, must fit in a box 37 inches long, 9 inches wide, and 11 inches deep. Rig is unrestricted, and most skippers have multiple rigs from 600 to 1100 square inches of sail. It is a very challenging class to design a boat for. (Steve Poole photo). 5. Mike Stobbe retrims during a run. The UK rules forbid “pushing off” if your boat comes to the side of the pond during a run; you must stop your boat, make some (possibly neutral) adjustment, and restart your boat with the jib filled. This gives your knees another opportunity for a workout. (Graham Reeves photo). 6. Race Director Chris Harris awards the cup to the UK Team Captain (and father of Chris) Mike Harris. Chris ran the event with great energy, authority, and easy wit, no easy task in a multiple round-robin contest. He also performed launch duties for those whose knees were not up to the task. (Steve Poole photo.) Earl Boebert Page 2 1 2 4 3 5 6 Page 3 USA/UK Challenge Regatta 2005 This, biennial event for 36 inch vane steered yachts took place on the two consecutive weekends of 18th/19th & 25th/26th June 2005. The Regatta, which was sponsored by the UK Vintage Model Yacht Group is open to all 36inch yachts and not specifically vintage craft. The venues for this year’s event were Gosport and Bournville where we sailed as guests of Gosport Model Yacht and Boat Club and Bournville Model Yacht Club. Skippers for eight boats from the USA made the trip. Competitors were five from the San Francisco Model Yacht Club, one from San Diego, one from Albuquerque and one from Marblehead. Organizer of the event, Graham Reeves sailed for the USA team, enabling both countries to field a total of nine boats. Things got off to a very good start when on Friday evening prior to the race Martin and Liz. Bandey hosted an extremely enjoyable evening at their home. Skippers their families and friends and model yachting associates enjoyed “the odd glass or two” along with superb food. Saturday morning brought almost perfect sailing conditions on the Gosport Lake. The weather was glorious, an English summer day at its best with the added bonus of a steady south-westerly breeze. Sailing commenced at 10.30 am and the pleasant breeze continued all day. Chris Harris as Race Officer ensured that the race ran smoothly. Janet Harris as Scorer, very ably recorded the points. The day was rounded off with everyone meeting back at the Lake on Saturday evening. The venue was the Bistro above the Gosport Clubhouse; the occasion was the hosting of a three-course meal for the American visitors sponsored by the VMYG. This proved to be a very successful evening, much enjoyed by all who attended. Day two of the event and Sunday brought similar weather conditions to those experienced the previous day with top suits being held by some yachts whilst others sailed to advantage with their No 2 rigs. Sailing commenced at 10.00 am and continued through until about 4.00 pm. Refreshments were served in the Clubhouse whilst the scores were checked and verified. The result of the first leg was a win for the UK team with 369.5 points with the USA team scoring 215.5 points. The leading UK skipper was Alex Austin from the Guildford Club with Mike Stobbe from San Francisco leading the American team. A well earned break from sailing intervened (although I am sure that the few days between the events were packed with sightseeing, travelling and for some “work”). Friday again saw the gathering of competitors, families and friends, for an evening hosted by Wendy and Graham Reeves at their home. This time the weather did not prove to be so kind, but everyone had an enjoyable evening – special treats were the Philippine dishes prepared under the direction of Mila (John Snow’s wife) from Marblehead. Sailing started in earnest at 10.30am on Saturday morning. The Valley Park, Bournville had cooler temperatures and lighter winds than those experienced at Gosport, but all the same the sailing proved to be most enjoyable. That evening everyone came together at a local eatery for yet another opportunity for eating, drinking and discussing tactics. At 10.00 am on the Sunday morning, Chris Harris got everyone underway for the final leg of the event. With the usual Bournville fluky winds sailing proved to be a little more challenging and when the wind finally died away at about 3.00 pm sailing was called to a halt. Whilst Janet and Chris Harris calculated the final scores, competitors, families, friends and club members enjoyed snacks and a celebratory glass of Bucks Fizz. Whatever the score the regatta had been one of the most amiable events held. The atmosphere of friendship, good-natured competiveness and sheer enjoyment was very noticeable. The scores for the second leg were UK 355 points and the USA 275 points. Leading Skipper for the UK team was Pete Hopkins. John Snow from Marblehead took top position for the USA team. The scores for both weekends were totalled and the final results were 724.5 points for the UK with Mike Harris as overall top scorer for the whole event. The combined USA score was 490.5 points with John Snow being top scorer for the USA team. It is interesting to note that the half point in both scores was due to Mike Harris and John Snow scoring a dead heat to windward. Page 4 Chris Harris announced the results and Liz Bandey presented the Challenge Regatta Cup to UK team captain Mike Harris. Mementoes of specially commissioned mugs with the Gosport and Bournville logos on along with Bournville lapel badges were presented to all the USA skippers. During the event club baseball caps were exchanged – the San Francisco Club and the US Vintage Group presented caps to all UK Skippers, and the MYA caps were presented to all USA skippers. A vote of thanks was given to everyone who assisted in making this a memorable event. It was unanimous that everyone one had thoroughly enjoyed the regatta, so much so that arrangements have already begun for the 2007 event. It is hoped that this will take place at two venues – hopefully, San Francisco and San Diego, USA. Graham Reeves and Martin Bandey Model Sailboat Building in Portland, Oregon, Grade Schools, circa 1950: the Sandra Lee and Sun Kiss Up through the 1950s the Portland Public Schools were divided in to grade schools (K8) and high schools. In grade school, in the seventh and eighth grade, the boys took shop and the girls took home economics. For the boys this meant woodworking the first year, then leather and other crafts the next. These classes met once a day for an hour. The first half of the first year was spent, for the boys, learning to use the tools on increasingly difficult projects – the first as I remember was a little peg-board game – leading us to the project that would occupy the whole of the second semester of the seventh grade: a sailboat.1 We had a choice of making an 18, 24, 30, 36, or 50 inch boat. I was the only one my year (1952-3) to opt for a Marblehead – a Gus Lassel Sun Kiss design, the plans provided by the teacher, Mr. Laurence Lovegren. The smaller boats were made based on plans Mr. Lovegren had drawn up himself for the Sandra Lee (at the time I don’t remember knowing the name). How much the Sandra Lee owes a debt to the Porty – or vice versa – I can’t say; at the time I wasn’t interested in history, just boat building. There were three seventh grade classes at our school, Beaumont, and for each class Mr. Lovegren would make an 18 inch boat. He would spend perhaps the first ten minutes of the period showing us the various steps, which we viewed from two elevated wooden benches with a low wall in front. The teacher’s work-table was right in front of this gallery. I can still remember the awe I felt watching Mr. Lovegren build his example. Every motion seemed effortless; every cut, every stroke, just right. It seemed like magic. I don’t know how many Sandra Lees he made over the years, but each one must have been perfect. After the techniques for the day had been demonstrated, we would head to our work-tables and try to keep up. My Sun Kiss was made as the smaller boats were made: cut, planed, and gouged from a single piece There was no set shop curriculum for the school system; it was up to each teacher to plan the class. And in fact there were not that many schools where boats were built – maybe half a dozen. — PS. 1. Page 5 of wood – in my case three pieces of white pine glued together to form one block. Because of its size the profile of the Marblehead had to be cut on a band-saw, something the grade school didn’t have. (In fact, students couldn’t use the one power tool the shop-room had: a table saw.) I can remember driving with Mr. Lovegren after school, in his 1950 Ford station wagon, down to Grant High where he cut the profile. Had this not been done by him I would have gotten nowhere. In the Beaumont shop-room we had fine work-tables – two students to a table – and a locker full of quality hand tools. We also had a gas burner for melting lead, and a “sandbox” for casting the keels’ weights. The one tool I remember using the most was the hand gouge; there was an awful lot of white pine to scoop out. Of course this method did not produce the lightest hulls – mine weighs just under 23 pounds. Because this was a public school project, costs had to be kept at a minimum so everybody would have a chance to make a boat. So the rigging for the Sandra Lee was pretty basic. In fact, the girls made the sails in their home economics class (how times have changed). And the bowsers were made by cutting a toothbrush handle cross-wise into eighth-inch sections, then drilling three holes in these for the line. Most who built the Sandra Lees chose to fit them with the optional rudder, and there was some connection between the sails and the rudder, but I’ve forgotten how this was done. (It couldn’t have been a full-blown Braine system.) For my Sun Kiss, I was able to buy sails (“made by W G Bithell”) and a Lassel vane and sliding rig from a student who had not finished his boat the year before. Looking back on it, I wish I had found out more about where all this came from – did the student buy it directly from Lassel? – but that was the least of my worries at the time: I was trying to get it done. When the boats were finished in the spring there was a regatta at Westmoreland pond in south east Portland, pitting school against school. Awards were given for workmanship and for sailing, though the racing was quite scaled down: We just went across the wind on a reach. (Given that most boats didn’t have much of a steering system, this was an accomplishment in itself.) After leaving Beaumont I lost track of Mr. Lovegren, though I was told by my younger sister that he kept a picture of me with the Sun Kiss in a little display window by the shop-room door for a few years, trying, I’m sure, to get someone else to tackle a Marblehead. And I hope it worked. But more important would have to be the innumerable variations on the Sandra Lee that were built and sailed over the years. And what was learned from the experience – and the teacher. Paul Staiger Paul Staiger’s Sun Kiss, which recently won the San Francisco Model Yacht Club’s M Class Championship. Page 6 Faith A Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter Editor’s Note We recently received a email asking for help in restoring a Bristol Channel pilot cutter. The request was accompanied by a photograph of such an interesting and charming craft that I decided to “look them up” and present one as a good subject for a scale sailing model. As one can see from the drawings, a model in the typical 40–50 inch range should be able to carry a scale rig, especially considering how easy it is to shorten sail on a cutter rig. The drawings and text in this article are from Douglas Phillips-Birt’s Fore and Aft Sailing Craft, and are reproduced here for purposes of education and research. motion to save damage when alongside a ship and to facilitate boat work. “The cutters varied much in design, and until the last years were built from the model carved by eye. Nor was the accuracy to which they conformed to the model always close. Some boats were very fine forward and full aft; others leaned back to the older cod’s head and mackerel’s tale tradition. Some had full, barrel-shaped midship sections; others pronounced hollow in the garboards. In their basic characteristics, with the straight stem, short counter, deep forefoot and long keel they resembled the Brixham trawler, but with higher freeboard amidships, having no need to sacrifice dryness in this important area in Phillips-Birt’s Text “In the Bristol Channel we come to the restless waters of the pilot cutters. Perhaps this famous class of vessel, together with the Scandinavian pilot and lifeboats by Colin Archer, and the fishing-schooners of the Grand Banks, are the three types of fore and aft rigged working craft with the highest reputations for sea-keeping qualities. The rig of the Bristol Channel pilot cutters was the European cutter in its most highly evolved state as a flexible, efficient, easily handled means of propulsion and control. “The pilots’ trade was a rich one. Before the 1914-1918 war a successful pilot might make [1000 Pounds]1 a year, and at one time there were regularly one hundred and fifty boats in the work. It entailed cruising at all seasons in the area between the Scillies and the south of Ireland, where gales from the south-west through to the northwest running against a strong spring ebb created one of the most notoriously wild of European seaways. Under these conditions the boats would be out waiting to put their pilots on board, and having done so would have to be sailed home by two, or often one man. The qualities required of them were exceptional ease of handling, and sea kindliness not only in the sense of safety in severe winter seas but also reasonably easy 1. Roughly $110,000 today, but worth much more relative to the earnings of a typical workingman. – Ed. Page 7 the cause of facility for handling nets. All sizes and shapes of cutter had in common much inside ballast, apart from the external keel usually but not always fitted, and the former was piled high, almost up to the waterline level, to ease the motion—which reduced their internal headroom. “The cutters ranged in size from 34 ft. overall to about 56 ft., and in spite of a reputation they had for speed they were not fast. Their sail area was too small to drive them well in light winds, while their hulls were too heavily ballasted for them to be other than wet and almost perilously dead in their actions if sailed hard to windward in heavy conditions. But, in practice, they were not driven hard; and there was no recorded instance of a pilot cutter foundering, though many were lost through being run down. “They were not well built as a rule. Surgeon Rear Admiral Muir has written (Messing About in Boats): He told me that he could build a cutter from [350 Pounds], hull, spars and blocks, and fitted up below in pilot fashion. It sounds cheap and was cheap, much too cheap to allow the materials used to be of good quality…. I was inclined to believe that not a single one of them could stand a rigid survey after ten years’ service, and it was only necessary to poke your head down the hatch of most of them to learn, from the unmistakable odour of rotting wood, that they were far gone in decay. “One of the most important characteristics of their rig was the worm operated rolling reefing gear [illustrated] and surviving in elaborated, though not always improved, form in the yachting fleets. This was not fitted in the earlier cutters, but was adopted by the major- ity later. The worm, operated by a crank handle, engaging in the cogwheel at the boom’s inner end, rotated the boom and rolled up the sail. By means of this powerful gear and a suitable layout of rigging a reef might be taken in when one man alone was on deck. Halyards had purchases, and the peak halyards were led aft to the cockpit through the coaming. To reef, a man went forward and having set up the topping lift turned the reefing crank with one hand while slacking off the purchase of the throat halyard with the other. This might be done with the ship running or on the wind. Reefing had never been a simpler operation than it was in the pilot cutters, and by means of the gear the mainsail might be rolled down to an effective area of a few square feet in the shortest time. Then the bowsprit would be run in—again one man’s job—the staysail reefed, and the boat would be snug. “This stage of evolution is represented here by Barry pilot cutter Faith. Her designer, the late Mr. Harold Clayton of Penarth, claimed her to be the first cutter built from an architect’s drawings, and this claim has never been questioned. She differs from the traditional cutter in several respects; the short, overhanging bow, the cut-away forefoot, and in the accommodation, which in pilot’s terms was elaborate. But the rig shown in the sail plan is typical of pilot boat practices, with its big staysail and small jib.” Douglas Phillips-Birt (1962) Page 8 Square Rigged Notes I was privileged to use a Philip Roberts’ sloop-of-war brig for several months several years ago. During this time I up and down rigged the model perhaps a dozen times and participated in sailing the model two times. Recently I revisited his web site “modelsailingships” after a fairly long absence and discovered that he has sold about 30 models or kits of the two square rigged vessels, the frigate and the sloop of war. (I have not included the numbers of the schooner even though she has three square sails on the foremast.) This note briefly describes this experience. The model has some interesting features. The braces for the crojack and fore course yards lead from the under-the-deck servos up each mast to just under the tops and then forward or aft to their respective yards where they are fastened to the yards a few inches from the mast rather than to the usual place at the outboard ends of those yards. This looks strange but works fine. The leaches and foot of the foresail hide a stainless steel wire that makes these three sides of the sail rigid. The foot is held down by a single line attached to the middle of the foot and down to the deck. Thus there are no sheets and tacks attached to the foresail’s clews. One servo controls the jib sheet and the spanker sheet, one controls the foresail yard (and the foretopsail), one controls the main mast crojack yard and topsail (and topgallant), and the fourth controls the rudder The sheets of the topsails and main topgallant are short rubber bands that attach the clews to the yardarms below. The masts are in tabernacles. The foremast folds aft and the main topmast and topgallant (as one assembly3 are pulled out of a hole in the mainmast (which is then folded aft) and moved a little forward before laying them down on the deck. The lanyards of the shrouds are black elastic and adjust themselves to the up and down rigging. The bowsprit assemble pulls out of its “hole” and is returned there during up rigging. During up rigging you fasten some stays using plastic cable holders and these are cut with scissors during down rigging. In this fashion 99% of the usual running rigging of these vessels has been eliminated. (You might want to add dummy bunt lines, and clew lines to your model as these are so often obvious in full sized ships, as well as brails and topping lifts on the spanker). Unfortunately, we only were able to sail the ship twice. The first time was with our full three man crew in Constitution Pond in down town DC. We had very little breeze and somehow managed to blow a fuse which cut all power to the servos. The second time our “crew” was reduced to one and the launching area was down a long steep grass slope. Further, the launching site was a narrow beach surrounded by water bushes on a lee shore. A lack of time and the adverse conditions caused us to abort after a few attempts to come about near the bushes. This is a beautiful model, but if you are 70 and have a bad back or launch in a difficult place you will need to recruit a younger crew to help you with the launching and recovery of the ship. George Steele Referenced URL: http://www.modelsailingships.com/ The Model Yacht is published three times a year by the U.S. Vintage Model Yacht Group. Copyright 1998 to 2005 U.S.V.M.Y.G. Reproduction for noncommercial purposes permitted; all other rights reserved. Other copyrights are maintained by the original holders and such material is used here for nonprofit research and educational purposes. Editorial Address: 9219 Flushing Meadows NE Albuquerque NM 87111 Email: boebert@swcp.com Phone: 505 823 1046 Officers of the U.S. Vintage Model Yacht Group: President: John Snow Eastern Vice-President: Ben Martin Western Vice-President: Dominic Meo, III Midwest Vice-President: Tom Pratt Southeastern Vice-President: Thom Mclaughlin Vintage M Class Coordinator: John Henson Vintage 36 Inch Coordinator: Al Suydam A Class Coordinator: Rod Carr U.K. Coordinator: Graham Reeves Canadian Representative: Doug McMain Historian: Earl Boebert Archivist: Jim Dolan Page 9 Lilliputian Cup Defenders by Harry Dillon Jones THE AMERICAN MODEL YACHT CLUB AND ITS SERIOUS, ELDERLY MEMBERS, WHOSE NAUTICAL HOBBY ABSORBS THEIR INTEREST AND LEISURE .The crash of an explosion goes noisily on its way across the dancing waters of New York Bay, ending its career in the hills off Staten Island. The little brass cannon of the Lilliputian fleet has spoken with no small voice in calling together the members for the great cup race of the modelyacht season. And if the cup is less imposing in appearance than the one that Sir Thomas Lipton failed to ” lift,” and the yachts that sail for it smaller and easier to handle, there is just as much excitement and interest on this occasion in South Brooklyn as when the hearts of two nations are set upon one of a pair of white-winged flyers showing the other how to win races. The members of the club believe model-yacht racing to be a serious matter’ and any one hinting at races between Lilliputian boats being boyish sport would find a chill come over the warmth of his welcome at the clubhouse. Yachting talk buzzes on every side when the members gather on the float from which the pretty little craft are launched. In the clubhouse are housed at least fifty small boats modelled on the lines of the swiftest racing craft afloat. They are all seaworthy and could cross the Atlantic, if necessary, with their owners to accompany them to trim sails. You cannot offer a greater insult to a member of the club-all of whom, by the way, are clad in conventional yachting costume and wear the badge of the American Model Yacht Club, than to refer to these interesting craft as “toys.” Page 10 Page 11 It is claimed that by modelling a boat on tiny lines and testing her sailing abilities on a small scale the best idea possible can be gain ed of the speed that the ordinary-sized craft will make when built in like fashion. Naval constructors have argued that these small boats are not built in exactly the fashion of the big yachts, but the members of the A. M. Y. C. assert that some, at least, of their fastest boats, if used as models for international racers, would place the safety of the American cup beyond the possibility of doubt. To witness a race or a regatta of the club is to convince the doubter that if speed is the essential the models are certainly worthy of attention from the owners of larger craft. But now Commodore Lane, a veteran modeller of yachts and a man who looks as though he had been lulled to sleep all his life by the music of the sea, takes his place in a rowboat and is pulled out to the starting point of the course, marked by a flag placed there by Official Measurer Nichols, who seems to be the most active man in the preliminaries. Three pistol shots warn the racers that it is time for them to get into position. The first race is one between second-raters. Three contestants await the signal. Almost unconsciously the novice at this peculiar sport finds himself warming up to the proper pitch of excited interest. As for the members of the club who are gathered around in boats, watching the contestants get their little craft into place, they have eyes for nothing but the Page 12 Page 13 from being possessed of lifelike thinking powers. Carefully as the owner of the boat has fixed the rudder, the perverse craft insists upon flying off at a tangent from the line which leads straight to the stake. Now comes the crucial test of the seamanship of the owner. Every time the boat is touched, according to the racing rules of Lilliputian yachting, the one touching it loses ten seconds. The problem that confronts the skipper when the boat veers from her course is: Will it be less costly racing yachts with their tall spars, snow-white sails, and gaily painted hulls. The owners of the boats–and it is a club rule that the owner must sail his own boat, seamanship being as important a quality in the race as speed-tow the yachts to the starting line, and, first seeing that every sail is properly set, the rudder fixed in the right position to make the most of the breeze blowing, and the ropes taut and trim, rest on their oars and wait for the commodore to give the signal. When all is ready the pistol barks and the boats are off. It is pretty to watch the jockeying for position. The greatest skill is necessary to keep the boats on their course and to get them across the line so as to avoid any crossing by the opponent, for there are as many tricks of seamanship open to the clever sailor in these miniature contests as in ordinary yachting. As the little boats fly along their way toward the red flag that can be seen bobbing up and down on the water half a mile away, the rowboats follow swiftly, the oarsman keeping a close watch over his shoulder at the yacht on which his hopes are centred. The tiny boat skims, across the water like a thing of life, but its actions soon show that it is very far Page 14 to yank her back again and trim the sails afresh, or to let her take her course in the hope of some friendly breeze catching her up and whirling her into the way she should go? Surely Captain Hank Haff never cudgelled his brains over a more knotty problem than this. With sails bellying out, deck awash, and every stitch of canvas doing business, the little yacht is flying through the water at a pace that taxes the rowing powers of its skipper to keep up with; but it is flying in a direction that will take it clear out of the course, and meanwhile the rival boat, as though it hears the cheers of the excited spectators who follow the race in their rowboats, is skimming along toward the red flag at a giddy speed. It is heartbreaking to have to do it, but the wanderer has to be hauled in, her sails changed, and her rudder reset. ” One touch,” calls out the watchful referee, and the commodore marks it down. Page 15 By this time the boat that looked so like winning has suddenly lost her head. Instead of keeping on its sensible course for the flag, it suddenly whirls of in the direction of the Narrows, apparently seized with an insane ambition to try its sailing qualities with a splendid pleasure boat that is bound south. It takes some time to persuade the puny yacht that such a contest would be ill advised, and by this time the other racers have regained lost ground, and the stake is rounded in something like equal time. Then comes the run home, which is made to the accompaniment of shouts of encouraging advice from the rival yachtsmen. The finish is so close as to be almost a dead heat, and but for the fact that one man had only three ” touches ” recorded against him, while the others had six and nine respectively, it would have been a question for the committee to settle. But, as one of the yachtsmen explained for the benefit of the novices, seamanship is the whole Page 16 thing, and touches may be avoided by the exercise of proper skill in the sailing of the craft. The great cup race brought together contestants from numerous other clubs, and was sailed in heats over ~ triangular course. Each boat carried the colors of its club and was escorted to the starting line by a cheering contingent of admirers, who anchored their rowboats so as to form a floating grand stand at the finish mark. Much more excitement and interest was evinced over this race than the other, for the winner would carry off the cup, and this trophy, in the estimation of model yachtsmen, is only one remove in importance from the object of Lipton’s racing hopes. The swiftest craft in the fleets of the various clubs enter for this race, and the cleverest seamen in the club are selected to sail them. Should a poor sailor own a particularly fast boat, it is expected that his club pride will prompt him to admit some skilled skipper to a part ownership, so that the boat may have the benefit of a practised hand for the great cup race. If the second-raters caused the spectators to become excited, what words are adequate to express their feelings during this infinitely more important race? “Tips” are given privately to the skippers of the boats as they gather for the start. The pet tricks of the rival sailors are explained by yachtsmen who have watched them race a boat and know just how near they try to go to breaking the rules without actually infringing, and critical and experienced eyes examine the trim of the racers and volunteer advice without limit. Now the yachts are in line, the tow ropes cast off, the commodore blazes into the air again, and the fate of the cup is a matter of but a short sail on a choppy sea and the skill of a model yachtsman. Page 17 Harry Dillon Jones (1900) Sail Making for Model Yachts Editor’s Note This article by Thomas Darling appeared in Yachting magazine for February of 1925, and was later reprinted in his book Miniature Racing Yachts. All the cloth materials described here are extinct; the best approximation today is “down cambric,” used for down pillows and comforters; look for “long staple” cotton of 150 threads per inch or more. Thomas Darling’s Text The making of sails is an art whether they are to be used on large vessels or on a miniature. A great many novices have an idea that any piece of cloth cut to fit spars is a sail. We shall see, as we proceed, that this is not true, as several very important factors must be taken into consideration before an efficient, good looking product can be had. One of the most important things to consider is the material out of which we are to make the sails. There are several kinds of cloth which will serve, such as Union silk. Balloon cloth, Lonsdale cambric, and the linen obtained by washing out tracing cloth. The first named material is a mixture of silk and cotton and is used by the English model makers extensively. Balloon cloth is a good material provided 1t can be obtained as it comes from the loom, as it will then be nearly impervious to moisture. This condition is said to be due to the peculiar qualities of the raw material which it is woven and to the sizing used in its manufacture. It can be obtained at model supply stores. Lonsdale cambric can be bought at any department store; only the best grades should be used. When washing out the tracing cloth use warm water. This will leave just enough sizing to allow creases for tablings or hems to be rubbed easily. It can be washed again when hemmed if too stiff, or when tinting for color. Let us refer to Fig. 1 and get acquainted with the names of the edges and corners of the sails in a Marconi or jibheaded rig. The forward edge of the mainsail that fits the mast is the luff. The opposite or after edge is the leech. The edge which runs along the boom is the foot. The corners marked A, B and C are the clew, head and tack respectively. The parts of the jib or staysail are named in the same manner, the luff running along the headstay. Referring to Fig. 2, we note that the edge of the mainsail which runs between the peak, B, and the throat, C, is called the head; the other edges being named as in the jibheaded rig. The topsail has a leech, a to b, a luff, b to c, and a foot, c to a. The edges of sails must be so shaped that when set the canvas will not hang as a plane surface, but will be concave when filled by the wind. In other words, the cloth takes the shape of a parabolic curve from luff to leech. This is the shape of a bird’s wing. The shaded portions of the sails in Figs. 1 and 2 show where the greatest bag or draft should come in sails of this type. Broken lines in Fig. 1 show proper curve when looking from top of sail toward foot, the draft being near the luff and fading out into a flat leech. I advise making a template for each sail for a model yacht. This enables the maker to check himself when laying out another suit. If the first does not fit as desired, the template can be changed accordingly. Templates can be made of heavy wrapping paper or bristol-board. As the jib-headed rig is the most from Page 18 popular, let us consider its layout first, taking our measurements from Fig. 1. These dimensions are for a 40″ (overall length) craft. Draw the chord of the leech arc 49″ long. The ends of this line will give the location of the head and clew. As some allowance must be made for stretching, allow 3/8″ on foot, and 1/2″ on luff. Draw chords or straight lines between the head, tack and clew. The curve that is to be laid out on each edge is called a roach, and these roaches are what give the sail the desired shape. It is assumed that the spars are straight. If the mast, boom, or club has a buckle, you must allow an extra curve for it. Measure up one-third way along luff, and lay off 3/32″ from straight line. Measure out onethird way along foot and lay off 1/16″ from chord. Divide leech chord into halves and measure out 2″ for roach. Sweep a fair curve from clew to head, giving slightly more curve at top half of leech. Now sweep luff curve in, and repeat the operation for the foot roach. Use a spline or batten for this purpose. Lay out batten pockets. These should be 1/4″ wide, and three times the distance of the roach from the leech chord. When laying out the template for the jib make the luff straight, allow the slightest roach along foot, and shape the leech as shown in Fig. 1, 3/16″ being allowed for stretch on foot. Spread the sail cloth on an even floor or table top so that the weave lies naturally without creases or wrinkles, securing so that it cannot shift. Place and secure template for mainsail, with leech chord parallel to the selvage, but far enough away to allow 3/8″ for hem or tabling. Ordinary straight steel pins are best for this job as they make a very small hole in the sail cloth. Outline the template, using a very sharp-pointed soft lead pencil. Mark the place for the batten pockets, at leech and the inboard end. Now measure out beyond template for the hem allowances, 1/2″ on luff and foot, and 3/8″ on the leech. Remove the template and cut to these marks, using a sharp pair of scissors. When turning the “tablings,” as the sailmaker terms the hems, it will be best to do it the way he would go about it. Turn the leech tabling over roughly, for its full length. Place the point of the scissors at the head mark using the right hand, and with the left bring the crease on the leech mark. Now hold this much of the tabling by spreading the thumb and index finger along sail as shown and rub tabling with scissors, creasing to the leech pencil line. The scissors are held in the right hand and the fingers spread as in Fig. 3. After you get started in this manner drive a pin in where the index finger would be and take a slight strain with the left hand, rubbing the crease with the scissors held in the right hand. This method will insure against distorting the natural shape of the edges, or stretching. Rub the tabling, singly, completely around the sail, and then place the raw edge in the crease which will give a double tabling when rubbed down. The tablings will now be 1/4″ wide on the luff, and foot, and 3/16″ on the leech. Tack the batten pockets in place. Do likewise with any reinforcing or corner pieces that may be thought necessary for more realistic appearance. The stitching down of the tablings is very important. Watch the tension of the thread, both top and bottom, so that drawing or puckering of the edges will not take place. Try it out first on a waste piece of sail cloth folded as is the tabling on the sail. Run a row of stitching around the edge of tabling, as shown at “a,” Fig. 4. Fold the corners at clew, tack and head so that no raw edges will show when sewing is finished. Starting 3″ above clew on edge of leech run another row of stitching around the sail as at “b” and “c,” Fig. Page 19 4; ending 2″ below head on leech. One row on leech is enough, as it must be free and smooth for a proper set. More stitching would tend to draw or harden it. Sew batten pockets and corner pieces carefully, leaving a proper amount of slack in pockets so that they will not pucker the leech. Proceed the same way when cutting Proceed the same way when cutting out the jib. Have the leech chord parallel to the selvage, allowing 1/4″ for tabling on the leech. Cut 1/2″ outside of template for tablings on the luff and foot. Rub them up as on the mainsail. The stitching should be laid out as in the mainsail, two rows on luff and foot and one on leech. Let the edge row run around head and clew for 2″ as on leech of main. Battens are not needed on this sail. If the instructions are followed carefully, a well setting sail with good draft and strong edges can be made. There are other methods of reinforcing edges. One is to bind the edges of the sail with a tape which has been creased double. This is done on larger sails. One must be careful when laying the sail edge in the tape that a proper relation between the tension of the sail itself and the tape is maintained. The tape should be shorter in length than the foot of the sail. In other words, slack sail is allowed. When the sail is stretched out along the spars this slackness will work out and the sail will be smooth. Another way, and one that makes for strength and snappy appearance, is to place a fishing line inside the tablings. Work the line out to the edge crease and run a row of stitching as close as possible to the line. Bleached or white materials can be tinted by dipping them into coffee or tea. They will then resemble Sea Island cotton. Should you tint your sails and they become partly wet when sailing, wet them all over before drying. This will insure against unsightly stains and uneven fading, and the sails will hold their shape longer. If you are planning to lay out a sail plan similar to the one shown in Fig. 2, proceed as described for the jibheaded rig. Be careful to lay out the proper lengths for the two diagonals, 1 and 2, as these dimensions control the angle at which the boom and gaff swing. Make the head of the mainsail straight unless the gaff buckles, in which case you must allow for this condition. The luff of the topsail can have the slightest roach, but this sail should set rather flat. There are several methods of bending or securing sails to spars. The most common is to fasten each corner and roll a lacing or thread about the boom and gaff, having hoops or rings on the mast. The principle of this arrangement is wrong, as the sail should not be in a fixed position on the spars. It should be allowed to come and go as occasion requires. Fig. 5 shows a simple device which will allow the sail to be stretched out gradually and it can be completely slacked up when the boat is housed. The very smallest crochet rings are sewed to sail edges, as at R. Very small screweyes or staples are driven into spars, as at S. A thin wire is passed through these, being secured at gooseneck, and made taut at masthead and outer end of boom. Staples can be made by bending pins or using galvanized wire. A hole is bored in the end of the boom and an outhaul rigged with a bowser on under side of boom. Figs. 6 and 7 show an arrangement that is neat and efficient. A small aluminum tube, with an inside bore large enough to allow the passage of a bead, is cut lengthwise and spread. (Refer to Fig. 7, view A and C.) This makes a passage for the thread with which the beads are sewed to the sail edges, as shown in view B. The tubes are screw-fastened to the mast, boom, and jibclub. As the gauge of the tubing can be very light the weight will be negligible. Figs 8 and 9 show the jib and masthead rigging, using this device. The halyards, marked H in both figures, can be run down to the deck if desired. Bend your sail, hauling it out toward the ends of your spars gradually. Do not try to make it go out to the limit at first, for if you do, a poorly set leech will result. Pull out, exerting a fair strain each time the boat is sailed, and eventually it will be completely stretched. When through sailing slack your out-hauls and halyards. Page 20 Thomas Darling (1925)