Page:The history of yachting.djvu/196

 80 improvement of natural knowledge by Experiment, was this day read, and was all that was done this afternoon, being very large."

Sir William Petty was also the inventor of the "double boat." This idea, together with that of the "double bottom's ship," was probably borrowed from some early navigator who had observed the swift catamaran among the islands of the Pacific. At all events, Sir William built the first craft of this kind in Europe, an illustration of which is here given from the records of the Royal Society, which furnished the first Regatta Committee.

It is notable that the first open sailing-match in the United Kingdom, so far as any record appears, was sailed under the auspices of the Royal Society. The season opened early, and the match was sailed on Twelfth day in January, 1663. Here is the report as it appears in the Society's records:

"The report of the Committee appointed November, 26th, 1662, to examine and give in an account of the matter concerning the Structure and sailing of Sir William Petty's new ship was read and registered as follows:

"They had before them, the draught herewith sent, an exact model of about 2½ feet long of the said present vessel; whereupon most of the company, and especially the seamen, made several objections concerning her strength and otherwise; but declaring their judgment that they saw in her the causes of outsailing anything in use, and