SAILS ON THE CHARLES

The creation of an active Yacht Club for Harvard undergraduates is the fulfillment of a long need. The growth of college sailing in the past few years has been rapid, and although it was the Big Three that started intercollegiate racing many years ago, the Crimson has been left far behind by Yale and Brown with their small fleets and M.I.T. with its Pavilion and close to forty boats. Those who attend tonight's meeting will form the nucleus of a group that is setting out to rectify this situation.

The Charles lies at the front door of the college, and no sailor needs to be told of the pleasure that could be derived from a sail now and then during the spring term. There are hundreds of students who have sailed before and would like to do some more of it. There are hundreds more who would like to learn, for a knowledge of sailing is one of the first requisites in obtaining many of the better summer jobs which the Student Employment Office yearly apportions.

Anyone in the college, from Freshman to Senior, will be welcomed tonight. At first, there will be a natural restriction in the use of the dinghies to those who can sail, but the more advanced members of the group can teach the beginners, and it is to be hoped that as the plan develops, the leaders will follow Tech's example in giving the teaching of the sport an important position in their program. The range from elementary sailing to coastwise navigation, the care of boats and racing tactics is an example of what can be learned about the sport in the fall and spring at college as well as in the summer along the coast.

The plans for this spring are simple. A few second-hand dinghies will be bought by the group itself, and the problem of where and when to sail them will be worked out as experience is gained in the running of the organization. It is all on an experimental basis, but the interest already shown gives promise of rapid growth. The increased competition and increased chance for sailing are certain to improve the quality of Harvard's teams; and the domination of this sport by Tech may be nearing its end.

This is an auspicious beginning. The group is now an independent unit; but if as the spring comes on, the experiment is successful, then will be time for the Athletic Association and the Alumni to come to the aid of the Undergraduates and put yachting at Harvard on the permanent and financially supported basis that it deserves.