A Fourth of July Armada: Seattle's Yacht Clubs Race and Light Up the Harbor

Of the many ports here on the Fourth, none will be more interesting than the international race, so eagerly looked forward to from year to year by yachtsmen and friends. At the meeting of the Northwestern Yachting Association, which takes place this evening, will be decided the rules, hour of racing, time allowance, etc. This meeting will be under the auspices of the Seattle Yacht Club, and will take place at its club house at West Seattle.

This association was formed August 20, 1892, at a meeting held in Seattle, and the following clubs immediately joined: Anacortes, Bellingham Bay, Key City of Port Townsend, Seattle, Tacoma, Victoria, Port Angeles.

The officers who have served this year are: President, Fred E. Sander, Seattle; vice president, Roland G. Gamwell, Fairhaven; secretary, Frank P. Dow, Fairhaven; treasurer, Hamilton R. Foote, Victoria, B.C.; executive committee, John Barneson, Port Townsend, Norman R. Smith, Port Angeles; admiral, J. A. Hatfield, Seattle; vice admiral, H. A. Marsh, Anacortes; commodore, G. A. Kirk, Victoria, B.C.; vice commodore, A. Mulcahy, Victoria, B.C.; fleet captain, Cecil H. New, Whidbey Island.

The Elliott Bay Yacht Club will join at the annual meeting and its boats will therefore be allowed to enter, and will probably present the following fleet: Flagship Nora, Commander Hensel; Tyee, Commander McClelland; Comet, Commander Fellows; Doris, Commander Graff; Truant, Commander Billings; Mamie, Commander Brown; Mollie, Commander Boyd; Axohila, Commander Keating; Essie Tittell, Commander Forbes; Nellie, Commander Watson; Evelyn May, Commander Jones.

From the Seattle Yacht Club are: Eirda, Commander Johnson; Kelpie, Commander Sander; Rainier, Commander Heilbron; Edna M., Commander Spender; Karl, Commanders Hooker and Barnes.

From Everett the Josephine and Storm King will participate, while from Victoria the Volage, Frou Frou, Daisy Belle, Dora and Irene are expected.

Commanders J. H. Johnson, of the Seattle Club, and Henry Hensel, of the Elliott Bay Club, and I. A. Nadeau have been appointed the committee of the naval parade, which takes place on the evening of the Fourth after the races. Fireworks galore have been purchased to the extent of nearly $1,000 and will be distributed at the different yachts that take part in the parade.

Fred E. Sander has been appointed special commander on this occasion, and has worked hard to make this one of the successes of the day. The judges will be B. H. Colby, Amos Brown, Capt. Miner and E. P. Lansing. The boats will be towed by tugs around the harbor and with their Chinese lanterns strung from stem to stern the sight will be beautiful. The sham battle and burning of the monitor will close the marine display.

The Kelpie, under the direction of Capt. J. A. Hatfield, went on the beach at West Seattle last week, and has been thoroughly overhauled from the bottom of her enormous keel to her masthead. The keel was polished so bright one could almost see his face in it, and with a shining coat of white paint she presents the appearance on the water that her name indicates. Capt. Hatfield has taken great pride in this yacht, and has sailed her in most of the races. He expects to go abroad the middle of this month, and will be missed by his many yachting friends, especially by the crew of the Kelpie, for through his skillful management she broke the record for fast sailing around the Seattle Club course last September.

The Karl's owners and crew have been practicing for the races the past week, and she is expected to give a good account of herself. While using the spinnaker for a balloon jib last Friday she carried away her rudder head, and was put on the beach for repairs. She will be copper-painted, and will be in fine condition for the event. Messrs. Hooker and Barnes, her owners, are very enthusiastic yachtsmen.

The favorite, Oracle Felltz, has been here for the past ten days, and will be among the entries. Capt. Towle, her former owner, has again purchased an interest, and will probably sail her. He has been in command and won so many times that it is safe to say he will get more speed out of her than any one else, and wagerers have already been made that she crosses the line first, of course barring the Myth, of Whatcom.

The Myth now measures in corrected measurement over 40 feet, and consequently will enter in the A class, and it is a foregone conclusion that it is a waste of time and money for any boat on Puget Sound to compete with her, except possibly in a cyclone breeze. Reports come from Whatcom that she is barred there in the races on July 7, inasmuch as the yachtsmen refused to enter against her, thereby conceding that they have no show of winning. Commodore Learning, her owner, was given the facts, and he agreed not to enter her. There is a rumor on the Seattle front that he will be asked to do the same thing here, as most of the first-class yachts, it is said, will not enter against her.

The matter places the clubs in a very embarrassing position as it does not look like etiquette, to say the least, to bar any yacht that comes here to race, but rumor again has it that this class of boat is not allowed to enter at any of the Eastern events. The matter, however, will come up at the meeting of the association this evening.

The schooner yacht Agnes, recently bought by Mr. E. F. Sweeney, left San Francisco for Seattle over a week ago, and as she was in Port Townsend yesterday will probably be here in time to enter. All her running rigging was put on new prior to the trip, and a fine suit of sails was hung. This yacht is 52 tons burden, 60 feet over all, and 23 feet beam. She contains four staterooms, with bath, either fresh or salt water, and is beautifully fitted out for a long voyage. Mr. Sweeney's brother has charge of her, and has seven men as crew.

The Nora's friends expect to see her do good work, as she has been improved since the last race at Victoria.

Commodore Johnson's Linda will also enter, but, like other heavy weather boats, does not expect to make a record unless there should be a strong breeze. He derived a great deal of satisfaction from making the best time of any yacht from here to Victoria in May, and as he remarked, it was a fine breeze.

The Edna M. was on the beach last week, has a new keel, and her owners are more satisfied than ever with her as a comfort.

A. B. Kibbey's America is seen most daily on the bay with her friends, and she is certainly sailing well.

The by-laws that govern all races are by invitation and may be of interest to yachtsmen and contestants. As for boats: "Any yacht winning any one trophy two times in competition shall become its absolute owner, the owner of the winning yacht is not charged."

For association racing, yachts are divided into classes as follows: Class A, or 40-foot class: All rigs over 30 feet, and not exceeding 40 feet, corrected measurement. Class B, or 30-foot class, standing ballast: All yachts of all rigs not exceeding 35 feet, corrected measurement, with standing ballast. Class C, or 25-foot class: All yachts of all rigs not exceeding 25 feet, corrected measurement. Yachts of a smaller class may be allowed to sail in a larger class by submitting to the average.

The measurement for yachts shall be their load water line, with one-half of all overhang, fore and aft, added, and the time allowance for each class shall be three seconds for each foot of corrected measurement per nautical mile, the formula being: Length over all, water line length, sailing measurement.

At least three yachts must start in each class. There shall be no restriction as to sails, the manner of setting or working them. First class yachts contending for prizes shall be allowed one man for every five feet or fraction thereof, exclusive of helmsman, corrected length, and yachts of second, third and fourth class shall be allowed one man for every four feet or fraction thereof, exclusive of helmsman, corrected length.

A yacht running aground by fouling a buoy, vessel or other obstacle, may use her own anchors, boats, warps, etc., to get off, but may not receive any assistance except from the crew of the vessel fouled. All yachts not racing shall keep to leeward and out of the way of racing yachts. Every yacht must go fairly around the course and must not touch any mark, but shall not be disqualified if wrongfully compelled to do so by another.