Model Yachts and Model Yacht Sailing

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About Model Yachts And Model Yacht Sailing

Preface THERE are not many open-air amusements which afford more genuine enjoyment to old and young than Model Yacht Sailing; if practiced in a properly scientific manner it resembles a game of croquet, in which the water is the lawn, the wind the mallet, and the ships the balls ; and the most skilful yachtsman is as certain of winning his match as is the most skilful croquet player. Very few English boys can be found who have not taken, or do not take an interest in model ships, and it is very remarkable, as well as no little disgrace to us as a maritime nation, to note the utterly purpose-less way in which nearly all boys or men sail their model vessels; whereas with the requisite knowledge, a self-acting model yacht is as much under the control of the manager as if he were actually on board : further still, matches can be sailed in which the results are as certain as are those of the matches of ordinary yachts, as may be seen in the tables of actual races at the end of this work (see p. 103). A sailor who thoroughly understands the management of a ship or boat, when he is on board, steers with a rudder, and reduces, augments, or disposes the sails at his will, would find this knowledge of very secondary importance if he applied it, without great modifications, to sail a model yacht. To give one instance only, model yachts require no fixed rudder, in fact, a fixed rudder is such an encumbrance, and so great a bar to perfect action, that it must be dispensed with altogether. This quite upsets the old adage of a " ship without a rudder," and reverses it ; our model ships need no rudder steer better without, save in one way. A rudder is used at times on model yachts, as will be shown in its place, but it must be removed when it has done its work. The sails and hulls of model yachts are also very different to those of full-sized yachts. They are constructed with the mew to being self-acting, and as a model yacht must steer itself, this result can only be o