Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-09-11
COST OF THE YACHTS.


Tho Exponso or vohkyrio HI VIZ ADout
o0O, ZOO, but Defender Cost More Than
si7s,OOo-A Million Spent In Keeping
the Challenge Cup.
When Lord Dunravcn expressed himself
not long ago as In favor OF reducing the
load water line OF future cup contestants
from 90 to 72 feet, he doubtless had In
mind .he enormous sum Of money which
IL lost to build and maintain 90 foot rae
ing sloop. Few persons have any idea OF
the amount 1t now requires to conduct an
international race, and II would doubtless
s prise many to know that the cost of the
present series Is not far from $500. 900.
But the figures given below will show that
such Is the fact.
To begin with the Defender The cost
Of her shapely hull Is said by those who
should know to be about $50, 900. Her
four suits of sails including the ramie
cloth suit, cost approximately $40, 900, and
tho value placed on her spars Is also $l0,-
900. Thus tho actual cost of merely build
ing the cup defender was $105, 900. But
that Is not all by any means AS soon as
the weather permitted the syndicate hired
the Colonia and fitted her up as training
ship for the Deer Island crew. That item
cost the members Of the syndicate $40, 900
at the very least. Then, as soon as the De-
fender was launched, tender was hired
for her, and the expense Of this will be
sidered are the wages, clothing and feed
ing Of her crew. Seven thousand five hun
dred dollars 10 a moderate estimate for
md ho
will have been At work four months that
does even this include all. In every race
there Is a bonus given to each sailor--$5
for race won and %. 80 for a race lost.
The total amount distributed In bonuses
may be approximately figured at e6, 900.
Whenever the Defender has gone from one
point to another, IL has been the custom to
have tug on hand for towing purposes
The bill for the tugs employed will foot up
fully 50, 900, and 90, 900 more will have
been laid out In docking the Defender. To
these amounts must be added IS, 900, the
approximate amount expended In convey
ing the Defenders fittings by express In
stead Of freight, and as q final item may
we'll be added $40, TOO expended for repairs
and odds and ends, making the total cost
Of building and sailing the Defender S176,-
900.
The Valkyrie of course Is not suoh an
expensive boat. No exact figures are OBJ
tainable In regard to the cost of building
and maintaining her, but competent ex-
perts figure that the total amount expend-
ed in connection with her will not exceed
800, 900.
They figure the cost Of her hull at not
more than $50, 600, and the COST Of her
sails at about "a, 600, because she has fewer
sails and the cloth is less expensive In
England than 1t is here. Tho expense Of
her Grew Is estimated at geo, 00O and the
total amount of bonuses they will receive
at %, 600, the Valkyrie having sailed in
only three races thus far. TIE value
placed on her spars Is ell 900, and her ten
der and towing expenses will foot up to
about %, 600. Allowing t5, 900 for the ex-
ira fittings for her ocean trip and tho ex-
pense OF the voyage itself and $40, 600 for
general incidentals, tho total amount
comes to 300, 900. Thus 1t is seen that the
two boats themselves, their construction
and equipment make q total expenditure
Of eS66, 600. To this must be added the
800, 600 or more which Commodore George
Gould laid out in tuning tho VigilaAt up
to be a trial hor for the Defender, aud
taking slS5, 600 as the total sum laid out
In connection with the challenge, trial
races, entertainment and similar items,
the cost Of the international races of 1895
will be seen to amount to fully $500, 900.
And now for glance backward The
s CUP Is worth now not mere than
$3.50, but fully 81, 600, 600 has been expend-
ID In keeping IL on this side of the water
since the America won 1t In 1851. The
Boston syndicate, headed by General Paine,
which built the Puritan, laid out fully
b25, 900, and the Priscilla, which was
built In the same year for the purpose of
the trial races with tho Puritan,
,ost not q cent less than $40, 900. In 1885
not n cent less than 800, 900 was laid out
IN defending the cup against the Galatea.
The Mayfower, which was eventually Sc
ected by tho committee, cost about $685.
300, while 500, 900 Is none too high for the
expenses incurred on all sides In preparing
'or tho trial races. Then in 1887 about
e46, 900 was laid out In building and main
aiming tho Volunteer, while $40, 900 more
was expended In tuning up the Mayflower
20 compete with her In the trial races.
Coming down to 1898, 10 Is evident that
not penny less than 1895, 90 could have
been expended in sending Valkyrie III
back defeated boat. The Vigilant her
self cost the sy ndicate which built and ran
her tl25, 900. The Jubilee cost about $780,
200, the Colonia about $40, 600 and the
Pilgrim fully $500
From 1880 to the present time, there
lore, the cost Of building and equipping
,he yachts which intended to compete for
The cup amounts to fully s425, 900, and
with the cost Of the yachts which defended