" NOTE.-A competitor is allowed to use either a drop or deep keel. The greatest depth allowed in drop or deep keels is 18in. beyond the fixed keel; but when hauled up they must be completely housed within the canoe. The greatest depth allowed in keels more than half the canoe's length is 6in. beyond the fixed keel. All ballast, except centre boards, but including anchor and other metal weights, shall be carried inside the canoe when sailing. Ballast may be started or shifted during a match. There is no restriction as to material or mode of building, or as to ballast, sails, or rudder. Each canoe shall contain one man only." Having thus far glanced at the general features of canoeing, the next step will be to attempt a practical classification. Hitherto a canoe has generally been classed under one or other of the original type classes, namely, Rob Roy, Ringleader, or Nautilus. Such a classification would only be useful so long as the original model remained unaltered, and succeeding canoes were exact copies of the originals. Even then it is an unsatisfactory attempt at classification ; but it will be patent to all canoeists that succeeding Rob Roy and Nautilus canoes have been built widely differ ing from their predecessors, and also that many craft, taking points from each, have sprung into existence, and claimed a type title of their own.
The Rob Roy was a small, short, strong, and straight-floored canoe, chiefly intended for paddling, and was built without sheer. The Ring leader was a craft similar to the Rob Roy, but of great length, and very light build—in fact, a river canoe. The Nautilus was a short beamy craft, chiefly intended for sailing and cruising in open waters, and was built with considerable sheer, a rockered keel, and rising floor. There fore, it may be taken that, under this classification, all canoes built with sheer and rockered keels must belong to the Nautilus class, and canoes built without sheer belong to the Ringleader type if long and light, or to the Rob Roy if short, strong, and flat ; of course variations must result from such a classification, unless simply " sheer " or " no sheer " is to determine the question of type.
The following is submitted as a more practical classification :—