New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-07
THE YACHTS CONTRASTED
AN EXPERTS SUMMARY OF THEIR BEST
CHARACTERISTICS

,,,,v TUE r,rrxps OF EACH VESSEL ARE CON-
rrprSr-AN IMPARTIAL CATALOGUE or
CONFLICTING OPINIONS.
Now ,b., the international yacht races are al
hand. a statement Of the possibilities In FAVOR u
each boat will aid intelligent interest THESE rea-
sons for victory contrasted. are given Tor INV
purpose OF Illustrating the IDEAS OF those VIM p
their faith certain beliefs The sroun'' ~
which success IL hoped for are mere co'aios'.u '
the opinions which are current amo"s '.
men. more or less expert. and they prooaoiy SCI
forth the best that can be said for botn Vesse'S'
WHY THE DEFENDER SHOULD WIN
o. MODEL THAT is EASIER IN IN"
WATER.
Tho Defender is several feet narrower than val
kvre ILL., and when going to windward IN P'""e
ing sea IL expected to proceed with an eas'e' ~
usnt Her bows not spreading out 10 the same
width as the Vakyre's. have less OF the o'"'i"e''
which tends TO reduce a yachts headway as she
hur,es IN an on-comlng sea. This point Is not Oh
80 much Importance now as In carrier uays WIZ
the width OF the hull was extended DOWN iu' NV
into the water. The upper nun poruo"o VI "
present models being 30 much shalower now n"'o
10 deal with the water at the SURFACE "".'
more easily displaced than that at greater dep'n
where the pressures. densit'es anu 'e'
greater, according to the theory ~
Tho model of the Defender Is neater ciea"e''
more refined than that Of the Valkyric ~ !, w
so-far best realization OF the uau'''ona"' e
lsh aims which, from time beyond the "e"o''
OF present yachting men, have sought ~ p'o.'
a craft that would ceave the water o" 'u -,
,,ec and refined lines that she would need mh'-
NUN area NJ canvas 10 drive her at ner pes'
snoed In this way the Defender VIII undoup'eu'
be at her best with smaller sail pan 'na', ,'''
Valkyrle's Mr.. Herreshof has SHOWN great J''e
ment and skill In producing the De'ehuer as "'
Improvement on the Britannia, which, uh'h 'n,'
vsar wa. the best all-round boat In the world
Tbs is more fully explained In the second reason
%, prc.rsE OF LESS DISPLACEMENT.
In giving the Defender the same beam az 'ne
pri,onni, though apparently not all her ballast
a., r,..o.,or secured for her a great deal OF the
p-,,onrIa.s phenomenal stability. while at the same
,,,ro no has improved the model under water py
largely reducing the bulk OF the sunkcn por',o"
~ the hull As 10 this point Nakyre III l. a''o
an Improvement on the Britannia IN the iessr''''e
q, the depth OF the hull Gneanlng that upper por-
ton NJ the hull which Il not the keeD nut NOT ~
90 great an extent as the Defender The Amer'-
can representative has a finer middle body than the
yalkvre II is not sunk so low in the water ""u'
commemorative will not offer so much resistance
to 1t. -
7, the Defender wins. it will be chiefly and per-
haps entirely on this point which IS most ""p 80
for the Vakyre Is not so lean in this region. Inc
and whereas the Defender can go through the war
at almost TOP speed and disturb 1t very littie the
Vakyr.e leaves a big wave rolling out from nef
wake This always means that water IS peihs u'e-
turbed in some way that the best science seeks ~
avoid and It always indicates the presence OF so'e
obstacle which assists toward slowness rather ina"
soeed Since her arrival the sailing OF the Nakyre
has already shown although she has not peeh
dressed to top speed that the Judgment regarding
her middle body expressed o. The tribune ""ei'
she first showed herself In drydock was correct IL
does not however necessarily suggest her deiea' us
there are other Items to be consio
cred more especially since 1t is fact that many
wave-rolling yachts have proved winners But tnis
difference In the two boats be confidently de-
ola red 70 show an important advantage FOR the De-
fender no matter what other powers may intervene
to nufy the gain here made
81 HER UPPER HULL Is LIGHTER.
The builders and owners OF the Defender nave
been careful to withhold from the public many par
ticulars regarding her construction. and especially
as to those points in which she may De SAID 70 DC
a first experiment. which In the case OF further cup
defenders being required may prove OF value. IL
has been said that her upper hull is plated Win
thin sheets OF very light metal, ana IL the sue
cess of the process be assured. 1t may hoid Vaiu
able trade secret 1t IL not therefore. necessary
for any outsider to pretend TO knowledge OF what
weight Is thus saved The most reliable publication
IN regord 70 this point Is that the value OF money
ceased 10 be considered when this portion OF the
American champion under construction II
aluminium has been the metal USED, IL may oe tune"
for granted that a great saving OF weight III inc
upper works has been obtained, and that an ad'
vantage is here gained in comparison with the Val.
kyre, whose upper structures are Vi "oou ~
steel.
Part OF the advantage here secured seemed to
have been indicated in the races with the Niglant.
The Defender Is a very quick starter When she
and the Vgllant both turn at the same time Tor the
crossing line at the beginning OF race the De-
fender always gains whole length, or more partly
perhaps because she has not to move so mucn DEAD
wsyht As soon as her sails are filled she goes
and like q rocket She is the quickest starter ever
built far quicker than the Britannia. 'houen ILLS
ability depends on a good deal more than light up
per works which only help.
ID HER RIGGING AND SPARS LIGHTER
7, Will be understood that the weight OF upper
structures on a yacht helps to neutralze the s'"-
b.lity supplied by the deep-down paiast III "e'
keel especially in those narrower vesse's ""'" s.eN
TO maintain uprightness through the ballast rather
than in the broad and powerful blges OF the Tor
mer American model Consequently any weight
that is saved In spars and rigging economies ioss
OF that stability which assists yacht 10 san larry
upright on her kee. Here. the Defenaer mas av
uuired an advantage over the Vaikyrle "h'ch VIII
ALWAYS be valuable so long there are no break
ages The wind resistance Is also minin2ed oy
this general slightness. II In hish VIVA one .''eS
by pulling to straighten rope that Is hanging from
a masthead, one can appreciate the wihu-pies'u'o
on a single line, and thus consider the resS'a"eo
made when all the halards and the two mas's are
hs,rx forced to windward. Any reduction IN the
width OF these will reduce the wind resistance ana
in the case Of the Defender provides an advantage
over the Vakyrie.
go A SAIL THE vALKYRIE DOES NOT HAVE
So far as the general SIT Of the canvas Is con-
cerned. there will probably be little TO choose De-
tween tho two competitors. 1t Is true that the De-
fender has now taken new and untr'ed mann
sail but there Ia reason to suppose that IL VIII
sit any less we'll than the previous ones let .he
Defender has one sail that TIE Nalkyrie apparently
does mt po,sess 1t proved OF great value to her
in the last race but with the Vigilant II Is
,lb topsail. which extends from the bowsprlt end
La liaaL LA