But a man may be uninfluenced by considerations of size, comfort, prudence, or cost ; he may simply want to shine as the owner of a successful racing (Taft, and pile up a huge, if almost meaningless, heap of prizes in one year. If such is the desire, search must be made amongst the records of matches sailed during the last decade, and little difficulty will be found in coming up with the magic size for prize-winning. So far as the record of the last decade goes—or, indeed, the record of the last thirty years might he taken—we think there is not much doubt that the most useful size, so far us cutters are concerned, for successful racing, has been 60 tons or near that tonnage. Mosquito, Volante, Fiona, Vanguard, Iona, Neva, have achieved more in the way of prize-winning than any of the same rig of 100 tons and upwards; but within the last four years the 60-tons racer has almost disappeared, and the 100-tonners have constantly proved quite equal to the time allowance they have to concede whenever in competition with yachts of inferior size. Evidence was afforded a few years since that this condition of things might arise. In 1873 the Kriemhilda, of 106 tons, in the face of almost unexampled competition, won more than any cutter had previously done, and the brilliancy of the achievement was enhanced by the circum stance that, excepting on two occasions, she won a first prize every time she started, and came in first every time but once, and all the matches were sailed in good breezes. This latter circumstance somehow appears to have a great deal to do with a big vessel's success ; and if there has been a succession of light baffling winds during the summer, it is generally found that the smaller vessels have come off the best, so far as prize-winning goes. It is therefore still quite possible that, for competition in the large class, a cutter of from 60 to 80 tons should be chosen, as the probability is, if the vessel be a good one, such as Ratsey or Fyfe builds, that a very valuable amount of plate will be collected. On the other hand, more éclat naturally attends the successes of a big craft : she is generally ahead of the fleet—and the sympathies of the crowd invariably go with the leading craft ; and if she wins (say from a 60-tonner), she is almost certain to be three or four miles ahead at the finish. This feature in itself is, no doubt, a most impressive one, both on the owner and on the spectator; and there can be no question about the éclat of winning with a 100-tonner eclipsing the splendour of winning with a 60-tonner. This certainly is the vanity of the thing ; but there are vanities in sport as there are in other occupations, and if it is a man's vanity not only to win prizes, but to revel in the glory of " coming in first" in the cutter class, then he must have a vessel of 100 tons or 120 tons. If, on the other hand, his vanity, if more peculiar, is less ambitious —is to win, one way or another, the greatest number and the greatest value of prizes—then he may have his wish gratified by owning a yacht not larger than 80 tons nor smaller than 60 tons.
Cutter racing is not confined to 6O-toners nor to 100-tonners. Within the last ten years classes have sprung up, and no class has earned more laurels than the 40-tonners. Three builders—Hatcher, Fyfe, and Ratsey—have made this class, and hitherto no other builder has been able to compete with the productions of these famous constructors. For real sport, there is not much doubt that the 40-tonners are to be preferred to the vessels in the larger class : there is no time allowance ; the exact merits of the vessels, and of their handling, are easily read ; and, as a rule, the winning vessel can only arrive first at the goal by contesting every inch of water sailed through. An attempt was made five or six years ago
to establish a 60-tons class, but it was unsuccessful, mainly because sailing committees did not promptly stop the introduction of vessels which were a few tons over the class. However, we do not think a 60-tons class was much to be admired, and probably a class of 80-tonners would have been more successful. With regard to the 40-tonners, a man fond of the sport need have no hesitation about building for their class : if he succeeds in heading the class, he will have performed a very imposing feat ; and, under any circumstances, if a vessel is " built up to the class," he is certain to have most lively sport from beginning to end, and will become acquainted with the art of yacht sailing in the Very best school. Some gentlemen keep 40-tonners for the love of the sport of racing them, and live in large comfortable cruising schooners during their season afloat ; however, if a man has not too much money, he will find a 40-tonner comfortable enough, and his sailing master will seldom report the weather too bad to show out of port in.
The 20-tons class is a very numerous one, but improvement so far appears to be at a standstill, inasmuch as the Vanessa, built in 1873, and as yet unaltered, has matched all corners up to the end of last season (1878) ; and in no class is competition more keen than in this, and if it would be hard to put a vessel in the 40-tons class that would come out with the longest string of winning flags at the end of the season, it would be even a little more difficult to do so in the 20-tons class. It is not likely that anyone would " yacht " in a 20-tonner for the sake of the mere repute of owning a yacht; a man, to own, race, and live in one of these craft, must love the art of sailing, be enthusiastic in competition, and think of gaining the honours of the match by sheer hard sailing, and not of getting the prize by fluking or wrangling. This also must be said of the 10-tons class and the 5-tons class ; and so long as these small classes exist, so long will there be evidence that love of the art of yacht sailing is one of the most striking characteristics of the British gentleman. Some men, of course, revel in the passive pleasure of sailing about in a yacht, without knowing anything or caring anything about the mariner's art, just as some men will derive pleasure from riding on the back seat of a drag, and knowing and caring nothing about the tooling of the cattle in front of him. These are the gentlemen whose yachts we meet and hear of in all sorts of out-of the-way ports ; and as they make " life on the ocean wave " as pleasant as it is possible to make it, be assured that they are agreeable men to cruise with.
A few words should be here interpolated about the 15-tonners. Seven or eight years ago they were certainly a favourite class, but the 20's, 10's, and 5's have almost dispossessed them in favour. However, most of the 15-tonners that have been known to fame—such as Dudu, Queen Ildegonda, Satanella, Torch, Fairlie, Glide—are still in existence ; and, as this fleet is being augmented by three new craft, the class shows signs of revival. The class is recognised by the Y.R.A., and a great many contend that it should have been encouraged instead of the 10-tons class. There can be no doubt that a 15-tonner is a more comfortable cruising craft than a 10-tonner, and the expense of working the former need be but a trifle more than that of working a 10-tonner ; and, as the modern 15-tonner, as exemplified in the Maggie, has all the accommodation of a 20-tonner of ten years ago, it would not be surprising if we found the 10-tons class giving way to it.