The 'Dragon III.' was crack of the 20-rating class, and she had a very brilliant record--namely, 31 prizes, value 445_l._, in 34 starts. The 'Dragon' did not go through the season without a little doctoring, her formidable opponent, the 'Deirdré,' being found very hard to beat after being shortened about 10 in. on the water-line, and getting 45 square feet more sail-area; so 'Dragon' was altered in like manner, and 'Deirdré' had again to take second place. The new 'Vigorna' was a failure, and 'Dragon' and 'Deirdré' were too good for the 'Molly' ('Dragon II.'). The 'Zinita' would perhaps have proved equal to tackling the 'Dragon III.' by the wind, but Mr. Hill's boat would certainly have been able to score heavily with checked sheets. 'Deirdré's' record was 21 prizes in 35 starts, and the 'Zinita's' 18 in 24 starts. The 'Phantom' was the crack of the tens, with 14 prizes in 24 starts; and the 5-rater 'Red Lancer' in going round the coast managed to win 24 flags in 34 racing essays. [Illustration: Mr. Hill's 'Dragon III,' 20-rater.] This review would not be complete without some reference to sails, and it may be said that those made by the joint firms of Laphorn and Ratsey were really wonderful and perfect specimens of the art. Still, 'Valkyrie's' canvas elicited the greatest praise in America, and especially from General Paine, who said her suit 'fitted like a glove; the most perfect canvas he had ever seen in America.' The quality of the material and workmanship was strikingly evident in 'Britannia's' mainsail, which lasted a season through, and after all the fagging and rough work it had, it kept its shape to the end of the season. The 'Valkyrie' had a mainsail made of Sea Island cotton for the America Cup matches, but most people would vote flax good enough after seeing such a sail as 'Britannia's.' The 'Satanita,' 'Calluna,' and 'Valkyrie's' mainsails stood equally well as 'Britannia's,' and those of the 40-raters 'Lais' and 'Vendetta' could not have been better. The twenties were quite as well done by; but the plan of giving the last-named class wide cloths in a measure spoils the beauty of the sails. The patent jibs introduced by T. Ratsey were very pretty sails, but they seemed liable to go across the diagonal seam in a gusty wind. CHAPTER XII THE AMERICAN YACHTING SEASON OF 1893 BY LEWIS HERRESHOFF The yachting season of 1893 was inaugurated by the laying of 'Navahoe's' keel in the autumn of 1892, at the construction shops of the Herreshoff Company, in Bristol, R.I.