largest body and the greatest draught happens to be. These yachts, like all vessels of a similar rig and build, are never tacked, but are always gybed, and naturally in a triangular course they lose much time when racing against cutters and schooners. [Illustration: Royal Bombay Yacht Club. 1886. Sailing Course.] The rules of the Yacht Racing Association, with the measurements, regulations, and time allowances, have been adopted by most of, if not all, the clubs mentioned in the Australias and elsewhere, and nothing can equal the cordial reception accorded to all lovers of yachting who visit their colonial cousins. It is only to be desired that, as in rowing and cricket, so in yachting, a systematic and frequent interchange of friendly contests may soon be inaugurated between them and their mother-country which shall eventuate in a general enlightenment all round on things pertaining to yachting. BERMUDA BY R. T. PRITCHETT The Bermudian's hobby is going to windward, and to be really happy he must have a semicircular fin or plate on his keel like that described by Lord Pembroke. Bermuda has a Royal Yacht Club which gives prizes and holds regattas at Hamilton. There is also a Dinghy Club, of which the Princess Louise is Lady Patroness. Lord and Lady Brassey each presented a Challenge Cup when they visited Hamilton in 1883 in the 'Sunbeam.' One class here deserves special notice. 'Fitted Races' are the chief joy of the true Bermudian. The owner apparently gives up his boat to the fiendish devices of his 'pilot,' as the nigger boatman is called, who gets the biggest mast, spars and sails he can find, often a 50-foot mast in a 25-foot boat, and a 35- or 40-foot boom topping up with a huge square-sail as big as a ship's maintop-gallant-sail. He then collects all the other niggers he can find, dresses them in striped jerseys and caps, puts them up to windward, over a ton and a half of shifting ballast, serves out a lot of rum all round, and off they go, generally with the head of the mainsail lashed (no halliard) to the masthead, so that she must carry her whole sail all through the race or swamp. The present writer's experience is confined to many good dustings in that admirable craft the 'Diamond,' with her very able skipper Burgess, coloured gentleman (_bien culotté_), both of which were lent to Lady Brassey by Admiral Sir Edmund Commerell. She was built of cedar, and her lines and midship section are given in Dixon Kemp's 'Boat-sailing.' [Illustration: Fitted races at Bermuda, 1863.] _Dimensions of average Bermudian boat of 5 tons_ Length 25 ft. Mast 44 ft. Boom 33 ft. Bowsprit 19 ft. Spinnaker boom 25 ft. General rule, greatest girth + length = height of mast and hoist. Mr. Charles Ricardo, Secretary of Upper Thames Sailing Club, who sailed with the owner of the 'Cara,' a 28-foot boarder, kindly furnishes the following description of a Fitted Race.