Starts
First.
Other Prizes.
Total. Value. 60 21 13 34 £2,020 22 13 4 17 1,465 58 14 IO 24 1,562 Length over all, 168 ft.; L.W.L., 116 20 ft.; beam, 24 ft.; and she rated at 11453 ft. "Rainbow" did not join the class until late in July, and started in but eleven races, meeting with varying fortune. On a reach she was wonderfully fast. but if there was much windward work she failed to concede the allotted time allowances to "Bona" and "Ailsa." 66 "Bona" and "Satanita" raced in the Mediterranean in the early spring, the former, with a record of thirteen prizes, being the more successful. Satanita," on her return, was converted into a yawl, but, devoting most of the summer to cruising, only competed once in English waters. "Ailsa" also made her reappearance as a yawl, and, being entitled to a rig About this time it became evident that the dimensions reached by the big cutters were becoming too great for safety, comfort, and the general prospects of first-class cutter racing; and the Yacht Racing Association, with the object of discouraging the building of yachts over ninety rating, made an alteration, already described, in the time allowances under the linear rating rule, in the direction of slightly penalising yachts above that rating.
Mr. G. L. Watson's production of 1897 was "Bona," of 82 rating, built for the Duke d'Abruzzi, and with the advantage of the alteration in the time scale she had a lion's chance with "Meteor."
There can be no doubt that "Bona" was a more handy-sized craft for match sailing than "Meteor" or "Valkyrie III." She was a beautiful vessel, and her record of sixteen first prizes out of twenty-six starts against "Meteor's" thirteen out of twenty-nine showed her to be in every respect equal to her predecessors. "Britannia's" record for 1897, including her racing in the Mediterranean, was ten first prizes in twenty starts.
Considering that "Britannia " was not preeminent when she first came out, and that her record in 1897, her fifth season, was much on an average with that of her other seasons, an almost unique performance in yacht racing, it would not appear that the length and sail area rule was inadequate for the development of the nearest possible approach to perfection in racing vessels. "Aurora," designed by Mr. F. E. Soper, was the only other first-class cutter built in 1897.
She was not a success. "Britannia" was not commissioned in 1898, and in her absence the brunt of the racing was borne by "Bona," "Ailsa," and "Aurora." No new cutters had been built to the class, but the 'HAMBURG" ("RAINBOW"). allowance, these two yachts met their old opponent "Bona" on more favourable terms than in 1897. "Bona," however, sailed better than ever, and wound up a heavy season's racing at the head of the class, with thirty-nine prizes to her credit. The value of the Watson clipper's prizes amounted to £3,870, in addition to which she captured three Queen's Cups.
Appended is a complete record of the season's racing, the Mediterranean engagements of "Bona" and "Satanita" being included :- ...
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