Yacht Racing Association.
In my early days of sea racing, being much impressed by the want of a central authority to regulate all matters connected with yacht racing, I brought the question under the notice of Mr. Dixon Kemp, the yachting editor of the Field. He consulted Colonel Leach, a very leading and influential yachtsman, with the result that we formed the Yacht Racing Association. We secured the Prince of Wales as our president, and the Marquis of Exeter as our chairman, and very speedily recruited a large number of members.
I was elected a member of the Council and subsequently chairman of the Measurement Committee, which had very important work to do in connection with the rating of yachts for racing purposes. The old Thames rule was played out; yachts had become of such excessive length and depth that a new rule of measurement became necessary. We took a large amount of expert evidence, and finally drafted a rule which was adopted and remained in force until the present international rule superseded it.