found it necessary to enjoin that the sailing rules apply to all yachts, whether sailing in the same or in different matches. Frequently a big vessel has unjustifiably bullied a small one round when beating to windward, but under the Y.R.A. rules a small vessel which is on starboard tack can force a large one that might be on port tack to give way. It seems scarcely credible that such a rule should be required, and it is even less credible that it should be occasionally observed with doubtful willingness.

SCULLING.

The practice of sculling small boats by moving the rudder backwards and forwards (see "Sculling" in the Appendix) is common in calms, and considerable progress can be made by this means. The question has been

raised on several occasions as to the permissibility of such sculling during a match, and two or three protests have arisen out of the practice. It is very useful to scull even large yachts occasionally when they will not come round in light winds, and no one could contend that this was not a legitimate use to make of the rudder; it would be simply "steering," but as no means of propulsion but sails are permissible it certainly is a moot point as to whether sculling, if used as a means of propulsion, should be allowed; and it is satisfactory to note that the Council of the Yacht Racing Association has decided that sculling with the rudder is only permissible for actual steering.

ANCHORING.

Yachts may anchor during a race, but must weigh again, and not slip. Several instances have occurred where a yacht, when kedging in a tideway on foul ground, has been unable to get the kedge on board again. In such a case the crew would heave on the warp until it burst; but if the yacht had let go her bower and chain this could not be done, and the yacht would be compelled to slip and buoy the chain. No adjudication has been made by the Council that exactly bears upon these cases, but the common sense view would appear to indicate that if a yacht burst her warp in endeavouring to recover her kedge, she should not be disqualified on the grounds of slipping. Neither should a yacht be disqualified if after making every endeavour to weigh her bower, she failed and slipped.

Cases have occurred in calms where kedging has been resorted to as a means of propulsion. The kedge has been dropped over at the

bow, and the crew walked aft with the warp, hauled the kedge up over the stern, and let it go again over the bow; or the kedge has been let go over the stern, and recovered at the bow. To get round a mark against a tide such kedging might be successfully practised, but under the rule "that no mode of propulsion except sails shall be allowed," it is clearly forbidden.

SOUNDING.

In the Y.R.A. rules it is enjoined that no instrument other than the lead and line shall be used for sounding. This rule was adopted many years ago by the Thames clubs to stop the practice of shoving a boat along by a pole, yard, or sweep under the pretence of sounding with the same.

HOVE TO ON PORT TACK.

Ordinarily, if a yacht is hove to on port tack and another yacht is approaching her, close-hauled on starboard tack, the one on port tack should in good time fill and get way on and tack or bear away so as to clear the other yacht. But if the yacht on port tack is disabled she could hardly be expected to do this, and the yacht on the starboard. tack should keep clear; so also if the yacht on the starboard tack is free and the yacht on the port tack is hove to (whether disabled or not), the former should keep clear.

LEAVING A YACHT DURING A MATCH.

Under most old club rules no one was allowed to join or leave a yacht after the preparatory gun had been fired. This rule was called into existence on the Thames in consequence of the practice of having a number of hands on board a yacht prior to the start to assist in hoisting the canvas, and these men were turned out into a boat directly the canvas was hoisted. But even supposing that such a practice should be prevented, there would appear to be no reason why a mere passenger should not join or leave a yacht during a match, and under Y.R.A. rules it is simply enjoined that no paid hand shall join or leave a yacht during a match. This of course gives permission to a passenger or owner to leave, but no paid hand could go from the yacht in a boat to put the passenger on shore.

R

In the case of a man leaving a yacht by falling overboard, it is assumed to be an accidental circumstance; and if the man has been recovered again by the yacht's own boat or a life buoy, or picked up by another yacht, neither the yacht that lost the man nor the one that picked him up would be disqualified if one or the other afterwards became entitled to a prize by coming in first or by time allowance. But if a yacht or yachts had been in such a position that she or they would in all probability have won the match, had it not been for rendering assistance to recover a man, the committee can order, if they so please, the race to be re-sailed between the yachts which were prevented winning as stated and the yacht that actually did win. Nothing is said about

the yacht that lost the man overboard being allowed to take part in the match if ordered to be re-sailed, whatever position such yacht may have been in at the time of the accident; and the inference is that a yacht which is deprived of her chance of winning a race by losing a man overboard must abide by the consequence of her own accident and not be given another chance.

AMENABLE TO RULES.

In a match a yacht is held to be amenable to rules directly the five minutes gun has been fired or the Blue Peter hoisted; and she ceases to be amenable to the rules directly she has completed the course by passing the winning flagboat or mark. A yacht, however, should, after finishing a contest, be most careful to keep clear of all other yachts that have not completed the course, even to the extent of giving way to one sailing free on port tack if she herself is close-hauled on starboard tack.

CHAPTER XVI.

CENTRE-BOARD BOATS.

ALTHOUGH it may be difficult to say what is a boat and what is a yacht, when we are speaking of small craft, yet we think a great deal of this difficulty will be removed if we define a boat to mean a vessel that is not wholly decked, and that can be rowed. In selecting one of these craft that is either open or partly open, the main guide, of course, will be the locality. Thus, if the boat is for Brighton, one of the shallow centreboard beach boats used thereat will be the most suitable, inasmuch as they can be readily "beached" or hauled out of water, it being necessary that they should be so hauled up, as there is no sheltered or safe anchorage at Brighton. For the Thames above bridge, where the winds are light and baffling, a very light centre-board gig is the most useful, as it sails well in light winds, and is easily rowed in calms. On the Mersey, where the boats can lie afloat, and where generally there is more wind and sea than any ordinary boat could well tackle, a heavier and deep keel sailing boat is in use. At the same time, a keel boat quite as light as the Surbiton boats has been introduced on the Mersey; but, in order that they may safely encounter the rough water, are nearly wholly decked in. On the south coast all sorts of sailing boats are to be met with, from the old-fashioned skiff and wherry to very many versions of the Itchen boat.

The centre-board, it appears, was invented, or rather adapted, from the lee-board by Captain Schank, of the British Navy, somewhere about 1774. We have not come across any contemporary record of the invention, but in Charnock's "History of Marine Architecture," published in 1802, the fact is alluded to, together with a description of a boat with a sliding keel built by Captain Schank at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1774, for Earl Percy (afterwards Duke of Northumberland). The engraving Fig. 54, on the next page, represents this boat, and, so far as we know, is the oldest authentic record of the sliding keel. At about the same time Captain Schank was

The double centre-board was much advocated in America in 1871, but we believe that no large yacht was built on the plan. However, in 1876 the idea occurred to Mr. W. Jeans, of Christchurch, to have a small craft

The letters a a a a, show the fore trunk; b, lever; c, chain; d, keel; e, aft trunk; f, wheel; s, chain; h, aft keel.

Mr. Jeans thus referred to his boat :

"I found her answer remarkably well, both for speed, hardiness, and weatherly qualities. The keels, which are of iron, are situated fore and aft. The fore keel, having its trunk in the cuddy, takes up no room in the boat, and is lifted by a lever and chain band, which runs over a couple of sheaves on the deck beam to get a straight pull. Holes are bored about