Page:The history of yachting.djvu/200

 84 they amongst them the two advantages of fabric; for it lies in the Shipwright's skill, to make a boat do well in her course before the wind; or to alter that shape and make her a good sailer by the wind. But both these advantages they cannot in perfection unite in one; the first requiring only a shallow floating in the water, and the other for being windward, a good deep rooting in it; yet both these advantages Sir William affirmed to be in his ship.

"The Company being in great numbers assembled, the mark for goal was agreed on by the parties concerned, which was a ship that rid at anchor about two miles below the haven. The flag of reward was pitched on a pole at the starting place, and to be given to the boat that first sailed round the Ship, and returned against the wind, bade to take it down. It was then tide of flood, and the wind blew very hard, and that in sudden broken flaws as they term it.

"The three boats were, one of them the King's barge; another, a large black pleasure-boat laden with two tons of ballast, and the third a man-a'war's boat belonging to Captain Darcy.

"At the sign given they all hoisted sail, and they got the start of Sir William's and Darcy's boat and kept it by half a score of lengths, until such time as Sir William's was settled in her course and the men had done running up and down, but then she soon passed them by, and come to the ship near one tenth part of the way before her; so that the tacking round, and taking a great stretch back into the