Page:Yachting wrinkles; a practical and historical handbook of valuable information for the racing and cruising yachtsman (IA yachtingwrinkles00keneiala).pdf/209

 *siderably faster to windward in a blow like this, and if it pipes any harder he will have to take in his club-topsail, and then he is our meat, sure," he added.

But there is no sign of shortening canvas on the Ghost. Captain Spike will hang on to the great sail until the topmast goes over the side rather than be beaten at "cracking on" by Captain Marlin. As a matter of fact, Ghost stands up to her work very well indeed, heeling over to the pressure of the puissant breeze only a mere trifle more than Phantom.

Other boats are competing in the regatta—a number of crack schooners and some of the new-fangled knockabouts—all of which carry single reefs in their mainsails and small jibs. It is evident, too, that even with this moderate sail they have as much as they can stagger under. We, however, have too much to do in the way of paying attention to our own craft and our immediate opponent to particularly regard the doings of the rest of the fleet.

One thing that strikes me exceedingly is the splendid way that Phantom steers. One of the old-time racing boats would have been yawing about in rampant style in a breeze as potent as is now blowing. The helmsman would have all he could do to keep her on her course, the prevailing tendency of the ancient type being to gripe to windward most damnably. Yacht architects have made great progress since then, and the modern