ICE YACHTING. Excepting Russia, no country in the world shares with America the sport of ice yachting. and Russia is only a sharer in the sense that a few of its boats, such as those of 'the Russian River Club.' are sailed over a portion of the Gulf of Finland, near Saint Peters burg. As early as the year 1790 there were ice boats, and contests at Poughkeepsie on the Ilud son, the runners of one of the boats being still preserved. It wa, built by Oliver Booth. and was little more than a square box on three run ner one on each side of the box, and the rudder one set in an oak post with an oar-tiller. It was sailed with a small tlat-headed spritsail. More than half a century passed before there was much improvement in this primitive design. The first real innovation was that of Allaire of Red Bank.N. J..on the Shrewsbury River, who in IS5li mounted his three runners on a triangular frame, a pattern that was at Imee Seen to give advan tage o‘er the previous method. From this the Hudson River boats were gradually developed, the side bars forming the body a bridge or runner plank (at right angles with the body of the yacht ) projecting on each side, and tarrying at each end one runner Or skate. The mast was stepped at the junction of the runner plank with the main beam; and they had low sails with large jibs, short non-peaked gaffs, and booms extending many feet out from the stern. This style reached its limit in in the old Icicle, The stepping of the mast over the runner plank placed the centre of effort SO far aft that the boats would run away with their occupants, and throw them out sometimes to their great peril. to t879 this class was practically superseded by the Robrrt Scott type of a single backbone. with an elliptical steering-box. Then the mast was stepped forward of the intersecting runner-plank, and the jibs and boom shortened. Improvements have continued, but mainly in construction, which has aimed at strength combined with light ness in backbone and masts, and springiness in the cross or runner plank: a very desirable con oitilm, for if a runner limier an ire yacht weigh ing 2000 pounds, and going at 45 miles an hour, strikes a hummock of ice, and has no give or spring in it, the consequence may be a shock that will reduce the craft to pieces. in the year 1866 the lateen sail was adopted, both on the Hudson and Shrewsbury rivers. Sew/, with the largest lateen ever rigged, was sent from the Shrewsbury to Poughkeepsie on the Hudson, and entered for the pennant several years. She. as well as -brie/ and Blizzard, were exceedingly fast, but. without apparent reason, would spin round on their heels like tops. or bolt, and in spite of its admittedly many good qualities, and undoubted speed, the rig lost sup porters. Theoretieally any sailing eraft should
do its best with all its canvas in one piece. 1 lyi»a .`4.11d modified the lateen by spreading its 6t5 feet of sail. or catboat fashion, by supple menting it with a small jib, and Vixen and Ranyrr had other developments of the lateen. The lateen sail has still sonic stanch friends. The acoroi, of the Shrewsbury River fleet, and Colonel fligginson's Cold Ware, with the Alo began cot rig. are two examples of it.
The latest design in runners is that of Perey Ashley, known as the rocker type. These have a curve fore and aft. They are especially useful on rough ice. The elongated tiller, too, is of the utmost importance on occasions, because it allows the sailor to lie head forward in the steering-box and guide the yacht with his feet while yet tending sheet with his hands.
The usual course in races is a triangle of one mile on each leg, of which only one can be before the wind, and five times around the triangle eon stitutes a heat. This necessitates ten sharp turns. The time made by boats over such a course necessarily varies very much on each leg, and still more from day to day, according to the condition of the ice, and the force and direction of the wind. The fastest time made in the pen nant championship over the regulation course was by Icicle in 1897 in 46 minutes 19 seconds. Much faster time has been made on a straight away course in a favorable wind: it is not an uncommon incident tinder those circumstances for a boat to pick a race alongside the railroad on the Hudson's banks, and outsail an express ti a in.
The principal original locations for ice yacht. Mg Were the Hudson River above Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, 4111d Orange Lake, N. Y., and the Shrewsbury River in New Jersey. From these the sport spread westward in the sixties to Lake :Minnetonka, Alinn., where it was introduced by Theodore Wetmore, and much fine sport has been had by yachtsmen from Saint Paul and Mune apolis. Lake \\ innebago, Wis., has also a half• dozen clubs on its borders. Lake Pepin, about 40 miles south of Saint Paul, is the centres for the boats of several towns. At Bar Harbor Lake in :Maine there is excellent sport, as well its at !tilt 111114011, Vt., on Lake Champlain. In Canada ice yachting is very popular, and on Lake Ontario there is much racing of boats from clubs, both in the Canadian and American ports. So there is in the Bay of Quinto, and tin the Saint Lawrence River. No favorable conditions are allowed to pass either at ..11ontreal or Quebec, and 011 many other of the large inland lakes followers of the sport test their skill.
There are many prizes annually competed for but as ice yachts are by their nature difficult to move from watershed to watershed, they arc mostly local.