Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-10
.aa Cum Defenders.


gether in order to determine which Is the
best all-around boat, and which shall have
the honor and responsibility Of defending
the cup against the Valkyrie.
Never in the history OF the cup has
there ben so much interest shown in the
performances of the defenders, and never
have there been four cutters like the Wig
liant. Colonia, Jubilee, and Pilgrim built
to defend the cup. No one can charge
yatchtsmen with being unpatriotic. They
have devoted months of study and hard
work to getting the boats into shape II
has cost fortune to construct and main
tain each yacht to prove that American
yachts are still the fastest In the world
and can be sailed better than any foreign
yacht.
When Lord Dunraven challenged,
through the Royal Yacht Squadron, for
a race for the cup, yachtsmen In New
York and Boston at once set to work TO
get all the boats built they could TO de-
fend the cup. They realized that the VAL
kyrie would be a smart kind Of a craft,
and to make no slip up in the defence OF
the cup four yachts were built OF different
types. Two were constructed by the
Herreshoff's at Bristol and two In Boston
OF the two Herreshoff yachts. one is q
centreboard and the other is keel boat.
The Boston boats were by diffent de-
signers. One was from the PICARD of
Stewart & Blnney. This is a deep fin-keeI
craft and the other was from designs by
by Mr.. j. b. Payne. and Is a combination
fin-keel and centreboard.
Mr.. Archibald Rogers was the first man
to give an order for a cup defender. He
placed It with the Herreshofs and ordered
a keel boat. The Colonia is the result of
this order. Mr.. Rogers formed syndi-
cate to defray the expenses Of the boat
The gentlemen associated with him are
Mr.. John f. Brooks, owner Of the schoon-
er Lasca Mr.. w. h. Vanderbilt owner OF
the steamer Valiant Mr.. f. w. Wander
! bilt, owner Of the steamer Conqueror; Mr.
j, Pierpont Morgan. owner Of the steamer
| Corsalr, and Mr.. +. Augustus Shermer-
horn, owner of the steamer Empress.
The Colonla was launched May 10 at
| Bristol. The syndicate asked Mr.. Rogers
| TO take full control OF the yacht, and she
| carries the red and white bulls eve. a
a signal that has been famous in these
waters for many years. Capt Hank
Haf is the Colona's sailing master His
| name Is a household word wherever
yachts are mentioned. The Colonla is
S5.4S feet In length on the water line. Is
feet over all, "a feet beam. AMI 1G feet Gin
| ches draught.
Speaking of the boat recently, Mr.. Ro-
| gers said: The boat is much ike the
| Wasp-as much as the builders considered
wise TO make her with her increased d.
mensions. She Is as light as it was dee med
| best to build her. yet she Will be pow
| erful craft-in fact a good. wholesome.
| sensible specimen OF Il keel vessel with
| out attempting 10 introduce anything OF
the freak order in her construction.
She is wholly u Herreshom boat. 1t is the
embodiment of their ideas pure and sim
| pie. They were not restricted In any
sense. and they must stand by their crea-
| ton whether she Is n success or "A failure.
II she has merit, 1t will be found out
IL she Is a failure. that will be self-Gcmon-
demonstrative. The best viii be done
| to make her successful
| The second Herreshoff boat Is the Wig
| liant She was built for syndicate head
| eddy Commodore Edwin ID. Morgan, OF
the New-York Yacht Club. The other
members Of the syndicate are Messrs. g
Oliver Iselln, .. II. Z. Belmont, August
Belmont, James NJ Waterbury. Charlie,
r.. Flint, George c. Clark, Adrian Ise
lin, Chester w. Chaplin Cornelius Wander
bilt and DR.. w. Barton Hopkins Mr.
Aston Carey, who died before the boa
was built, was also a subscriber
The Vigilant was launched on June II
She Is entreboard boat, and conse.
| qusntly is regarded by many as the boa
that should be selected to defend the cup
because she Is purely American. Her di
mansions are: Length over all. Us feet
on the water line. 1854 feet; beam 2
feet and draught 1875 feet.
She is peculiar to herself In several res
poets and will command much individual
attention. In 1.-THE first place. she r..
presents the beamy centrobOard type
just as the Colonia stands for the kee
boat pure and simple. Again, she intro
duces a novelty in the form OK a TObiI
bronze underbody, and lastly, she carries
the largest sail spread OF the quartet anC
the largest in fact ever bent on racing
sloop in this country. The use Of the To
bin bronze, MIR. John =. Herreshoff say:
will give an advantage of five or ten min
utes In a thirty mile race. She carries he
enormous sail area with ease, standing
up well under mamsail, staysall, jib. anC
working topsail, Is very quick in stays
and is Il powerful windward boat.
| The Nigilant is managed by Mr.. G. Oil
yer Iselin, and Capt. III. Hansen is he
Sailingmaster.
The first of the Boston boats 10 b.
launched was the Jubilee. She Is nov
owned by Mr.. John r. Paine. The Ju
bilee is q steel boat like the others. Sh'
was built at Lamley's In Boston, and wa
| .I...f a limo auaV,
Length over all l23 feet; on the waite
line about S. feet beam % feet inches
draught IL feet inches. Her sailing mas
ter is Capt. John Barr. who sailed TN
Thistle in the last race for the America
cup.
The Jubilee has been termed a freak. II
| her design IL Is evident that an effort ha
been made TO combine the good qualitie
| of both the centre board and thefin-keel
Instead of the deep draught OF the fin
keel the boat has tho moderate draugh
| of the centreboard and at the same tim
the slight displacement and driving powe
of the fin type She also ma
the long overhangs popular with designer
since the advent OF the Gloriana. Her nj
is about 70 feet long on top, tapering q
80 feet at the bottom; the aft end Is per
pendicular, and the forward end slope
from bottom TO top at a considerable an
. | gle. The main centrebOard which Is
steel plated inch thick, Y feet long at tn
bottom, and nine feet at the toI
works in the usual way, using the nm a
a box. The auxiliary fin forward Is ais
Of steel feet deep and about feet Iona
| 1t works up and down through the kee
| and will according 20 the theory OF De
signer Paine, act chiefly TO assist IN
helm In n light wind.
The other Boston boat Is the Pilgrim
She was designed by Stewart & BinneJ
and was launched from Pussy &c Jones
yard at Wilmington, Del. on June L
Then she was lowed TO Erie Basin, Sout
Brooklyn, where her fin was put on, an
later on was taken to Boston TO be SPAR
ed and rugged. She is owned by synd
are Messrs. w. Bayard Thayer r. Suy
dam Palmer, w. Amory Gardner, Davi
Sears, J. Edward Addicks, II. j. Sears,
II. Thomas Charles s. Hanks, Dr. G.
Weld, Gen. Hugh Cochrane, and Gel
Charles H. Taylor. Her dimensions ar
: Length over all. 122 feet; length on wate
: line. S.2s feet; beam 23fset,anddraugf
q feet.
The Pilgrims model Is the most uniqI
: of all. She is like big canoe with =
and bulb of lead attached. Her huh PROF.
, er only draws five feet The fin Is an u
: teresting study; II is IS feet long on to-
: IT feet deep, and about is feet long on u
bottom. At the bottom OF the fin n
plates form a short angle on either sid
| Nd the QiIfQen tons