About this date--1875--builders were becoming more and more impressed
with the value of a low centre of gravity got by outside lead, which,
in combination with increased displacement, allowed of beam being
reduced and length added almost indefinitely. Indeed, Mr. Dixon Kemp,
probably the best authority on the subject in this country, declared
somewhat later that there was no limit to this process of drawing out;
and though I never could quite agree with him on that point, the
beginning of the end was approaching, and yachts, more especially in
the smaller classes, were getting most uncomfortably narrow. The
older men, however, were naturally timid about the introduction of
external ballast, and it was left to 'the boys,' with the happy
audacity and confidence of youth, to design 100-tonners with 70-ton
keels, which, perhaps fortunately, did not get beyond the length of
paper. But fives, tens, and twenties were built with nearly all their
lead outside, and did not from that fact tear themselves asunder. Mr.
James Reid, of Port Glasgow, designer of the beautiful 10-tonner
'Florence' and many other fast boats, closely followed by Mr. John
Inglis, of Pointhouse, and later by the writer, put all or nearly all
of the ballast outside, and the practice in a few years became
general.
[Illustration: 'Britannia,' 1893.
'Thistle,' 1887.
Sketch of cutwaters.]
Length and displacement went merrily on, as will be seen from the
following tables and diagrams:--
_Elements of 5-Tonners (94 and 1730 Rules)_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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