SIR,

IN the Volume of your interesting Magazine for last year I had the honour of commencing an inquiry into the state of British Yachting, and of considering the national utility of Yacht Clubs. In prosecution of my plan I have now to offer a few remarks on the Yachting of the Sister Island; and I am the more inclined to commence with the festivals of Ireland, since I perceive by your last Number that you will shortly be supplied with a series of papers on the Royal Yacht Club, by, I have reason to believe, an experienced and able hand.

I shall first call your attention to the Royal Irish Yacht Club, the richest Yacht Society in Ireland, and certainly the most perfect in plan; and I much incline to think that I shall not err in calling it, as a whole, the most admirable Yacht Club in Europe. This splendid Club was founded in August 1831, by some of the most opulent and influential Gentry of Ireland, whose exertions have been seconded by a host of able and generous men, who have co-operated with them in establishing their Club on the most secure, liberal, and extensive footing. And I need not add that the new Society had scarcely seen one summer before the most lovely women of the South of Ireland were busy in its interests; and, by conferring on it

the blessing of their bewitching smiles, raised the Club to the highest national eminence to which it could possibly attain. The Royal Irish Club consists at the present period of sixty-three yachts, and fourteen race-gigs, which have for their banners St. George's ensign bearing the ancient arms of Ireland in the centre, and a Burgee carrying on the cross the Crown and Harp. The Club possesses all the privileges of the Royal Yacht Club, in addition to peculiar favours granted to the yachts in Foreign Ports, as the letter of Prince Talleyrand, presently to be noticed, will shew. During the usual season the Yachts rendezvous in Kingstown Harbour on the first and third Tuesday in each month, and sail in fleet and manœuvre under the Commodore in the fine bay of Dublin; after which the Members dine together, averaging at dinner generally eighty Members. The new Club House of the Society is a handsome edifice, situated in Clarendon Buildings, Great Brunswick Street; in addition to which the Committee have further provided for the comfort of the Members by establishing temporary Club Rooms at the Royal Hotel, Kingstown, during the sailing months. The uniform of the Club, in unison with the general splendour of the arrangements, is very handsomebeing blue lined with white; the

buttons bearing a crown and harp with the letters R.I.Y.C.

There are upwards of two hundred and eighty Members in this Club, twenty-seven of whom, including Lords Yarborough, Portarlington, and Charles Kerr, have joined since the list and regulations for the present year were printed. Among the opulent and distinguished Members we notice H.R.H. the Duke of Sussex, the Duke of Wellington, the Marquisses of Anglesey and Donegal; the Earl of Belfast; Viscounts Fincastle, Ingestre, and Lorton; Lords Wm. Beresford, Edward Chichester, Thomas Cecil, and Templemore; the Honorables W. H. Beresford, C. F. Ellis, C. H. Grey, W. D. Irby, A. J. Jocelyn, Robert King, P. Moreton, E. Phillips, A. Spencer, H. Saville, L. P. Trench, and G. Vaughan; and the following Baronets Sir RobertGore Booth, Sir J. Baird, Sir W. de Bathe, and Sir B. Hartwell; besides a list of rich and eminent Commoners, whom we have not room to particularise.

Lord Yarborough's ship, the Falcon, 351 tons, is, we presume, the largest vessel in the Club in point of tonnage. Earl Belfast's beautiful brig Water Witch, of 330 tons, and his fine cutter Louisa, 162, take the next rank: while the Marquis of Anglesey's well-known Pearl, 113, loses nothing of her value as a gem of high renown by occupying the fourth station. We then find the Corsair, 85; the Gossamer and Crusader, 72; the Ganymede, 69; the Vampyre, Neuha, Turk, and Caroline, 49; the Water Witch and Druid, 44; Zephyr, Kate, and Adelaide, 42; Don Juan and Tartar, 34; the Zoe and Emily,

33; the Orlando, 25; the Gipsey, Paul Pry, and Shannon, 24; the Morning Star and Dicky Sam, 20; the Eliza, 17; Camilla, 16; Tickler, Emily, Fitzwilliam, Water Witch, Gazelle, Reynard, Black Joke, Lancer, and Fairy, 15; Maria and Daisy, 12; the Red Gauntlet, Penguin, Ivanhoe, Paddy Carey, Harriet, Hotspur, Mermaid, Jane, Caroline, Curlew, Tarquin, and Vivid, of 10 tons each.

Every yacht owner, on joining the Club, is immediately furnished with a numerical and distinguishing flag; and by the eighteenth Sailing Regulation the yachts are always to appear with the yacht-burgee flying at the mast-head. Candidates for admission are to be proposed, at least one clear week before the ballot, by a Member of the Association, who is answerable for the entrance money and for the first year's subscription. Ten must be present at the ballot, and one black bean in seven excludes. Every Member pays five guineas entrance, and three guineas annually. The affairs of the Club are managed by a Commodore, Vice-Commodore, a Committee of twenty-one, and two Honorary Secretaries, elected by ballot on the first Tuesday in February: three to form a quorum. person, not being a Member of the Club, can be admitted to any part of the Club House; nor are politics, gambling, or smoking permitted in the Club Room.

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It is highly honorable to this splendid Body that they have manifested in their arrangements a spirit of liberality worthy of the high name they bear, and fully indicative of the esteem they entertain for naval and military

heroism. Officers of the Navy afloat, and Officers of the Army on full pay, are elected by ballot as Honorary Members without any charge, and are admitted to every advantage from the Club House in Dublin, and the temporary one maintained during the summer at Kingstown. They gladly avail themselves of the privilege thus nobly granted, and are, of course, too sensible of so high a compliment to give the Members any reason to repent their generosity. These Honorary Members do not take part in the proceedings of the Club. Long may this happy and auspicious union of plan and purpose prosper! Long may the warmhearted Gentry of Ireland blend under the bright banner of the Royal Irish Yacht Club the Anchor, the Lion, and the Harp; and remember that by unity and public spirit they will become in vincible by any other Society in the world!

The Sailing Regulations of the Club are very excellent. All Yachts contending for prizes at the Regattas must be entered one week previous to the day of sailing; and the distinguishing flag appointed be carried at the maintop mast-head until she gives up the race. Cutters are allowed to carry at the Club Regatta four sails only-main-sail, fore-sail, jib, and gaff-top-sails: Yawls, the same sails, with the addition of the mizen: Luggers, three lugs, jib, and main-topsail: Schooners, main-sail, fore-sail, fore-staysail, jib, main-gaff-topsail, fore-topsail, and fore-top-gallant. No booming out allowed. On an appointed day previous to the Regatta the Sailing Committee, selected by the Committee from

VOL. VII.-SECOND SERIES.

their own number, and aided by such Naval Officers as they may choose, attend in the Club-Room to see the stations drawn for, and the necessary preliminaries adjusted in due course, that all delay may be avoided in the management of the ensuing race. There must be in each vessel either a Member or an Honorary Member on the days of sailing.

The Rowing Matches of the Club are pulled for in four-oared gigs, pulled and steered by Gentlemen, one of the crew at least being a Member of the Club. Each boat is provided with a flagstaff, carried in the stern five feet clear of the gun-wale; and there can be no Match unless three start in each race.

Members of Yacht Clubs coming over to contend for prizes at these Regattas are, in the most handsome manner, admitted to the privileges of the Club Rooms at the Royal Hotel, Kingstown, and the Club House in Dublin, equally with the Members of the Association. An arrangement is now pending between the R.I.Y.C. and the Irish and Scottish Divisions of the Royal Northern Yacht Club, to have only one code of signals and one set of flags for both Clubs. This would tend much to simplify signalising; independently of which, the advantages of such a consolidation of interests would be immense; and, from the good feeling which exists, we doubt not that we shall soon see the accomplishment of the scheme.

From what has now been said, it may appear that some cause not discernible at first sight may have contributed to the unexampled prosperity of this Club; and I am proud to acknowledge that No. 39.

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droits de douanes et de tonnage. Il faudra seulement que la Société transmette à l'Administration des Douanes Françaises co-exemplaires de la liste de ses embarca. tions, et qu'elle renouvelle cet envoi tout les ans : à l'aide de cette condition indispensable toutes difficultés de la part de l'Administration des Douanes seront prévenues. Mr. Le Ministre de la Marine venues. a de son còté donné de nouveaux ordres à ses agents dans les ports, pour que les Yachts y trouvent toutes les ressources dont ils pourront avoir besoin.' Recevez, Monsieur, l'assurance de ma parfaite consideration.

such is truly the case. I say, Mr. Editor, that I am proud to confess it; because this success is to be attributed to the unwearied exertions of every Member of the Society-to the "pulling together" of all in the promotion of the great national cause which they have united to uphold-and to a conviction that every one must contribute his best exertions to the common stock, in order to enhance the splendour, maintain the opulence, and secure the wellbeing of the Royal Yacht Club of Ireland: and I cannot pass by in this place the obligations under which I am laid by the constant kindness of John Patterson, Esq. in contributing to me much information of great value in the composition of this paper; nor omit to notice the pleasure it has afforded me to see among the Members, and on the Committee, of the R.I.Y.C. a Gentleman whose zeal in its cause and ability in the promotion of its interests are above my feeble praise.

In the commencement of the present year negotiations were pending in order to procure for the Club the patronage and favour of the French Government; and it is with much satisfaction that I lay before your readers the following official letter from Talleyrand to Colonel Lloyd, one of the Secretaries :

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"Hanover Square, London, April 25, 1833.

"MONSIEUR-Mr. Le Ministre de la Marine vient de me transmettre la ré. ponse de MM. les Ministres des Finances et du Commerce, que j'ai eu l'honneur de vous annoncer par ma lettre du 4 April dernier. Le Directeur des Douanes a été autorisé à donner des ordres afin que les batimens du Royal Irish Yacht Club' soient admis dans nos ports sans payer de

that the funds of the R.I.Y.C. are It is almost unnecessary to add

very prosperous. The prizes of 1832 amounted to 7001. They amount this year to 8501., including two splendid Cups presented by H. R. H. the Duchess of Kent and His Excellency the Marquis of Anglesey, and another presented by the Garrison of Dublin.

The following are the Officers of the Club for the present year:

The MARQUIS of DONEGAL, Commodore-Yacht Caroline. SIR ROBERT GORE BOOTH, Bart. Vice-Commodore--Yacht Water Witch.