THE AMERICAN YACHTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 801, 6 April 1867, Page 6

THE AMERICAN YACHTS.

The correspondent of the Daily Tele ■ graphs writing on board the Henrietta, gives the following description of the three American yachts : — The three yachts are lying off the Custom Houae pier at Cowes, some little way out. The Fleetwing is nearest ; then comes the winning yacht, on board which this letter is written, aud at a distance of five or ten minutes* pull beyond us is the Vesta. As *Jhe English public have already teen apprised, the registered tonnage of all three vessels is very nearly the same. It is more nearly the same, indeed, than it has been stated to be; for instead of 212 tons, American measurement, the Fleet•wing is registered at 204 tons only, the burden of the Henrietta being 203, and of the .Vesta 201 tons. In shape also ihe competing yachts which have made their adventurous voyage within so short a time and so nearly together, are much of a muchness, differing essentially from the ordinary lines of English boats. The most distinctive peculiarity, and the first to strike an observer, is the dip of the deck amidships ; for the instinctive genius of the savage, who builds his canoe with a high 4 sheer' both fore and aft, has been adopted by our cousins across the Atlantic as a sound natural principle of ship architecture. To an unaccustomed eye, this hollow scoop or ' bend in the back' is not so pleasing or so suggestive of speed as the arrowy straightpess of our Eoglish yachts; but an objection of the kind gives way before the proverbial wisdom which declares the proof of the pudding to be not in the shape, but in the flavor. To have crossed the Atlantic Ocean in fourteen days is of itself a sufficient warranty of the effective construction of a sailing ship. But there are differences not so apparent as that ■which I have indicated, between the American and the English type of yachtbuilding. In addition to the hollow lines •which characterise alike the Henrietta, the Vesta, and the Fleetwing, there are peculiarities in the form of the hull, especially below the water-line. The idea of the American builder seems to consist in a reliance on beam, rather than on depth of ballast, for good sailing qualities ; and this is an idea ■which concerts well with the American sailing master's belief that he can trim his eaila flatter and go better to the wind than can the yachtsman of the old country. In general configuration the Yankee yacht differs farther from our mode), and draws more water aft and less fore. Indeed, the draught of water near the bows of any of these American boats is next to nothing, they being cut away like a wherry.

Near as \tm each arrival in its turn, it would seem that the three yachts might have come in even more closely together had not certain unlooked-for accidents interfered with their progress. The Fleet■wing's lamentable misfortune no doubt tended very much to retard her voyage. She is a noble yacht, and with some accomplished judges here appears to be the favorite, as she undoubtedly was on the other aide the Atlantic. I have boarded her this morning, acd find her interior as sumptuous as her outward look is imposing. The cockpit from which the unfortunate men were washed is a mere sunken oval space on the after deck, a foot or two deep, with a shallow seat running round it. The wheel is placed here, and not, as in the other two yachts, on the level of the deck, they having no cockpits. The Fleetwing belongs to Mr G. Osgood, son-in-law of Mr Vanderbilt ; and it is said that her owner had bet very heavily upon her winoing. Captain Thomas, by whom she was commanded, is captain of the City of New York steamer, and is well known as a mo-t experienced officer. Of the Henrietta, I ht.ve only time at present to say a half of ■what might be said. The saloon in which I write has a modelled figure of Christmas, "bearing the emblematic evergreen tree ■with its toy fruit, as a conspicuous ornament over the handsome mantel- piece. The state cabin adjoining takes up a good slice of room below, from which fact it would not be wrong to infer that the owner la 3 had serious purpose of passing much of his time on board. Indeed, young Mr Bennett is a thorough sailor, and was in the service during the war, this very yacht having been fourth in line when the fleet was sent to Florida. Her armament then consisted of a pivot and two broadside guns, which she was thoroughly prepared to use, had the expected need arisen. It is some qualification of trut idea of . extreme hardship which everybody entertains on the subject of the late exciting race, that the lurniture, or let us boldly and appropriately say, the <l fixine," ot all these yachts are so very comfortable, nay, luxurious. Mr Bennett ■was most happy in his choice of Captain Samuels for commander of the yacht. Thi3 experienced mariner, now captain of the m&il steamer Fulton, had previously made tie quickest passage on record with the clipper ship Dreadnought, from New York to Liverpool, the time under canvas beinsr thirteen days and eight hours. He has made seventy voyages ucrosa the

Atlantic in the space of ten years. The voyage of the Henrietta to Cowes was performed an hour and a quarter within the limit of fourteen days, aud a heavy bet ha 3 been won on this event by Mr Bennett, from a gentleman who had backed the Henrietta to v^in the race, but who had no confidence in the power of any of the yachts to run the distance in so short a space of time. The Henrietta went no more than eleven miles out of a straight course, and reefed only five times, carrying nearly full sail the whole way.