New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-14
THE YACHTING OUTLOOK.
PROBLEMS WHICH TWO DESIGNERS HAD
TO MEET.
MR.. WATSON HAS TURNED OUT BOAT BUILT FOR
AMERICAN wATERs-A GREATER SPREAD


| AMERICAN wATERs-A GREATER SPREAD
OF SAIL FOR THE DEFENDER.
| Nearly every day Of the last two weeks has con-
tributed facts which show that the coming struggle
| for the yachting supremacy OF the world Is going
to be desperately contested. All the yachtsmen have
welcomed the that the Defender is about to
| have a larger sail area. To carry canvas and lots
| OF II, Is now, and always has been. typical OF
| American yachting. Other countries have developed
| solidity. ability for heavy seas. and other desr-
able qualities. according to local necessities. but
| the distinguishing quality Of the American yacht
| has always been speed. In the past trihe may
| have sometimes been rlsked In the matter OF
strength to gain this end, but 1t has been difncult
to possess everything and Americans have been 80
| far content II they gained that which they most
aimed at-the possession OF the heetest boats in ex-
| istence.
There Is one impression that foreigners invariably
carry away with them, that American boats carry
huge areas Of canvas and are crammed through for
| all they worth. This Is real yachting Ii Is
| the sport that makes the pulses Jingle Nay, the
tinge lasts forty years after the contest. and
| Ii somehow runs counter to all previous Ideas OF
| the typical Amelcan boat to hear that the new
| challenger has been carrying sailspread much
| greater than the craft built for the cup defence
Confidence has materially assisted by the order
now given by Mr. Iseln for the preparation OF
main boom 105 feet long. True. this still leaves
something like a thousand feet OF extra area In the
Valkyrie HIS sails but the Increase now to be
made will certainly bring to the general public an
easier feeling.
THE DEFENDER is NARROWER.
Valkyrie III needs this extra thousand feet. and
perhaps a good deal more, to shove her through
| The four feet neary) Of beam which she possesses
| in excess OF the width of the Defender VIII GER
tainy need an increase OF power to drive 1t. and
II will be seen that the comparative narrowness OF
| raiia ~ he
rying sail area equal to that Of the English
Yacht Even as II u.s. when the cubical dlmen-
| sions OF the two hulls compared. the Defender
will carry the greater area OF the two IN proper
| ton to the bulk to be driven through the water
1t is now calculated that with the new mainsa''
she will carry over eleven thousand feet-pernaps
| ll5Oo-and this will be enormous spread FOR
| boat OF her BEAM Peculiarly great It appears
| when one considers that 1t is many hundreds OF
| feet more extensive than that carried by the pre-
| yous cup defender Vgilant boat OF a 1901
beam.
| The necessity for this enlargement became quite
J apparent when the discovery was made mat the
| valkyrie III was especially designed and can
vased to win in light weather. The only hesita-
ton on the part OF the Herreshoffs was caused py
| the question as TO whether the Defender couid
carry a larger suit than that which they supplied
for her. But that the trial trips at Bristoi
| have made It abundantly clear that she can carry
| the Herreshofr canvas with unnecessary ease
every effort will be made meet the Valkyrie on
| her own especial ground.
| When the designer. Mr.. Watson. left New-York
after the last cup races. he returned with large
! amount OF information to what was cnieny
| necessary for victory at the Sandy Hook course
He then produced boat OF extreme power and
| clothed her to travel fast the merest catspaw
| Mr. Watson knows that the conditions requisite lot
success In England markedly dissimilar 10
| those In America. He knows that the atmospheres
| OF each country differ greatly IN the way they a.
| feet racing yacht
| THE EXPERIENCE OF THE VIGILANT.
| The Vlgilant proved this for all time to come. II
had for many years been noticed by English yachts
men that their craft seemed ito fall dead as soon
as they attempted race in this country Al
! though sometimes almost over-canvased Tor Eng
llsh winds and seas they proved Sluggish ana us
| appointing In the neighborhood OF Sandy HOOK. or
| course all this raised a smile when the visitors
were so continually disappointed In the way their
boats acted. But another set OF people were smii-
ing as the yiglant was making her discoveries re-
| gardng the atmospheres OF the respective coun-
! tries Before she had finished the outside races IN
| the Clyde and of Ireland she found she could not
carry her New York-szei canvas, and before she
! came 70 Cowes It had to be cut down. Even after
! this reduction the writer her sailing so much
| on her side that she created much anxiety among
! spectators who were novices.
This wind at Cowes had not so great velocity
| as that In which the Vigllan with much greater
sail area had won in NewYork while enjoying al
most dry decks. Regard now the dinerence on her
| return 10 America. She not only resumes her
nower N carry her former canvas. but has for the
| trial races with the Defender been provided with
new suit containing some five hundred feet greater
area 1t is true she has taken In little more bal
last but this may be practically ignored when 1t Is
seen that she Is here able TO handle sail plan SO
vastly greater than that when Iau her nat on the
| water In the winds AZ Cowes.
The results OF these experiences OF the Nigllant
are OF vital interest 20 all those interested In inter-
| national yachting Precisely the same set OF occur
rences we're experienced by Royal Phelps CARROTS
waters but the deductions were not noted
publicly at that time. 49,. .x.oss ., ,,o,s,rra
In the English air created an atmospheric density
which in the breezes affected sans msSn NOR, s p0w
NewYork 1t sounds Irish but II Is cute eHrreS,
blowing any faster than in New-York. With cloud,
less skies and hot suns. the ar becomes so rarneu
much greater per hour than would guess at II
| Judging solely by its effects on sails .,- A.
watson prepared for and after the foregoing ex-
PLANTATION lord Dunravens remark Will be much
had this vaikyrie built for the American sailing
| and not for the English The way ms last boat
| actlv what he expected. and what was proved to
be inevitable by the vieilant and the Navahoe =.
Course nr cannot possibly exhibit the same stability as
those prepared solely for British courses ana WINCH
iiLe tho Rrita mia refuse moisten their lee deck
| planking under any circumstances
| BRITONS WHO WERE DECEIVED.
But one might try to hammer these truths into
| the heads of British editors for fifty years. and at
| the end OF 1t The London Times would come out
| and denounce any yacht that careened much. In
| deed Lord Dunraven's attempt to conceal his new
boats speed by Intentionally keeping her behind her
| trial competitors amusingy knocked on the
| head when the London "Thunderer' exclaimed that
g. was Sheer madness to send such a boat Amer
| lea Under a universal mistake regarding Lord
| naner in England that the owner practically