Yachts and yachting : with over one hundred and ten illustrations . aft,has given a stability to the mast which pre-vents the canvas from getting out of shapein strong breezes. This, of course, neces-sitates a double-head sail instead of theone large jib formerly used, and althoughthere is in this substitution a loss of pro-pelling power in moderate breezes, a defectof the old rig is cured by this substitution,and the yacht is handier in a reefingbreeze. Formerly, when the wind in-creased so that the mainsail of the sloophad to be reefed, there was a difficulty inreducing the forward canvas. A
Yachts and yachting : with over one hundred and ten illustrations . aft,has given a stability to the mast which pre-vents the canvas from getting out of shapein strong breezes. This, of course, neces-sitates a double-head sail instead of theone large jib formerly used, and althoughthere is in this substitution a loss of pro-pelling power in moderate breezes, a defectof the old rig is cured by this substitution,and the yacht is handier in a reefingbreeze. Formerly, when the wind in-creased so that the mainsail of the sloophad to be reefed, there was a difficulty inreducing the forward canvas. A reef wasclumsy in a jib; a bonnet — for a yacht —nine-tenths of whose service is in wholesail breezes, was scarcely to be thought of,and a bob jib was an the double-head sail, the difficulty isobviated, and generally, the small jib canbe carried in any breeze to which the usualservice of a yacht exposes her; and at allevents, she can always carry the fore stay-sail. A mistake made by sailing masters 43 44 THE ITT STORY OF AMERICAN ^s at the first introduction of the double-headsails, was that, in racing, they took in thejib first. This should never be done, aslong as it can be carried; as there is butslight propelling power in the staysail. The advantage, however, of the largejib is so apparent, that some of the yachtshave their forestays fitted so that they canbe come up with at will, and the big jib canbe used, if necessary, in races; while, forordinary sailing or cruising, the handierdouble sails are used. From year to year,however, we have been improving, andwhere we formerly used ordinary canvas,such as was made for coasters generally,now, for a yacht of any pretensions, thecanvas is manufactured especially for her,and of narrow cloth. It was in 1870, that the Eastern YachtClub — now one of the most important in the country — was organized. The Dor-chester and the Manhattan also came intoexistence this year, and were followed
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidyachtsyachti, bookyear1887
