New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-20
WHAT DUNRAVEN MAY HAVE SEEN.

WHICH MAY ALTER THE APPARENT
WATER LINE.
! The mistakes made by Lord Dunraven have often
been made before. Not in matters OF such impor-
lance these international yacht races prove TO
be. but before the beginning OF minor yachting
contests. The late challenger is not the FIRST man
who has been ready make affidavit that the trim
OF competing yacht was altered pe1ore she De
gan her race There have been many such;
and all OF them wrong while fully convinced that
they right.
The expana tons OF these curious facts are under
stood by practical yachtsmen. They form only one
of vastly numerous sets of conditions IN which the
eyes Of ordinarily good sailors are 0ecelVed III ways
which may be thoroughly convincing at the time
and yet thoroughly incorrect. At such times
part but not the whole of the situation Is seen oy
the observer Certain positions OF the hull or OF
the sails are or thought to be seen' wh'ch IN
some cases are wholly illusory; or when not ilu-
sorry are attributed TO wrong causes so many
yachtsmen have felt forced toward opinions re-
gardinG which subsequent facts showed the fahacy
that attention may properly be drawn TO the many
sinners who sin without knowing It,
For example of what is meant may be mentioned
the case where two competing yachts are peating
to windward on opposite tacks The reports Of the
Yachting reporters the different newspapers VIII
in nearly every race give different accounts OF the
positions OF the boats when some distance apart
Sometimes the report runs something IKE 'iS
"At this time the Naikyrie was ahead, but aiter-
ward as the boats neared each other the De-
fender seemed to get a favoring slant. which had
the effect Of giving her the windward posliioh
whom the Yachts met and crossed each other.
In 20 per cent OF such cases the reporters state
ment incorrect. because In fact the Defender TN
the supposed case) was ahead. l. e. fur'her 10
windward AL the time Whole shiploads OF sight
seers get fooled in this way. including many good
yachtsmen who not sufficiently on their guard
against those ilusory effects which In the progress
of yacht races often battle the best judgment oil
practical sailors. often II has been reported mat
one of yachts sails was not properly hoisted wheh
| a sIanting light threw shadow which caused this
appearance There is literally no end TO the optical
| decen,ions 70 which sailors subjected. and
nothing but a long education In the possibility OF
error combined with practice. VIII correct them:
Lord Dunrayen's pamphlet says: when put MI
Henderson, my representative. on board the DEFEND
or at Q a m, after the Hattie Palmer had .eft her
I felt certain that the Defender was Immersed deep
| or than when measured. Not only was her boostay
bolt nearer the water which might have been the re-
cult OF an alteration OF trim; but Judging by the ie
OF bronze plating. and by the fact that pipe aid-
ships which was flush with the water when meas
ured WAS nowhere visible, che was. In my deliberate
| opinion, floating about four inches deeper III '"e
! water than when measured
At such a time this, when close TO the soe OF a
yacht about to compete dozens OF men nave al'iNe,
| at precisely the opinion LORD DuhraNe" "au
evidently gone out IN the dngey which put MI Hen
| derson aboard the Defender, and In this way hau
chance 10 look for the ppe-1ole which his eyes had
| previously taken as mark by which to gauge her
| depth
| Nov, II must be remembered that when these
boats are measured the entire number OF people 10
he carried in the race including the crew" are Paoe
amidsh,ps The number Of these may here be CUES ei
at as in the neighborhood of hfty-fve But 'he ofu
nary pace of the Is not amidships' except ioi
special purposes and when ordered there IN 'ne t'i
| ming Of the vessel. Just before a race and wnen
attending to hosting the canvas stopping heausa'S'
| etc. they will nearly all be forward OF the mast VI
| sitting about In the bows OF the ship
Thi. placing Of say. fifty persons IN the long DOW
| which project more than twenty feet peyoho 'ia'
mart of the hull which is Immersed, that Is 10 say
| On q horn which hangs unsupported In the air IL
| bound TO have effect In sinking 'he cu'"a'''
And these cutwaters on both the competing ya'h'''
from the surface of the water at very acute
angles and project over 1t for long way "ii'e az
most touching it, SO that very sight depression
| caused by weight shifted INTO the bows VIII cause d
! great Increase in the water-lne length
| In his remarks Lord DI1raven seems TO be aware
that this seeming difference in point OF engh as III
dcated 10 him by immersion OF the bobstav poI''
NAV have been caused in some such way az sus-
gested And indeed, under such conditions ~seh
bv occur The long. projecting horns OF ines Doa
far removed from the heavy ead ,' When hung
nearly twenty feet under the surface y 70 d T t
come con, Immersed so as provide support these
boats sink rise. for shor. distance, VERY VERY See
sor short distance without much exerton OF lotce,
somewhat as plank rocks across 'e'''' "''"
Therefore, with the placed in the bow IN.
stead amidships nothing else ceud napPen gtb
an apparently marked increase OF Wd1er- ;i sght
| This Of course would be accompanies WIN sh ;I
rise at the stern s ana one oreoVer if Lord Dunraven
| was close 10 the side of the Defender III SeaIcihs
for the pIpe-hole. and at the same time aDe TO se
the bobstay bolt. he was not able 9w W. 10 10 ,h
cIrves OF the ship the sternmost polnt OF we
| water-ne at the same time. ana 'he'eio'e' 0o"''
| not see how the stern vas raised -, - ,,,,-ed
These points which no do rrh,n VIII nvestieaon
is made and 1t will be only proper tnat Lore nm
raven shall submit himself to dI ress When
eisg 70 the submerslon Of the alleged ppehole and
we we nmrpose Of Lord Dunravens explanation on
whetber or not the Defenders mainsail and gan,
,onsaU were hoisted at the time Nothing Is SAID
in the pamphlet about the amount OF vino thas IVA, WSS
hs, me fact seems to have escaped both him and
writers ea sit h have bee caused by
sIght lateral sail pressure while the Defender rode
n is almost impossible detect this slight caTeen,
ing when one sits in dngey alongside n, large g
E IA ne topsa a hundred feet directly overhead
and dozens Of other men have made this same ms
imagined boa, be heavily balIasted tn.d
She merely because she was iSe ssV know
that the breezes which come to vessels a a,
nsde far off on the land. and in other
Ways are ntful that yacht Is rarey p G1ts
| Tne Defender Is not like the old form OF yach
! Which drew nothing but surface water Wheh a,
| arnbor with her centreboard housed; On the con-
arw che moves Sideways very slowly when iorcsd
nv these lateral pressures when at ancnor no 9,n NO
~ ~, W. has TO dlspace wall Of water extending
down twenty feet. and; under The urgency OF one one
~ ,heee LIGHT and htful airs. which IN THIS locaHiy
OF M. -" ,,,ch she would remain slightly careened
for a long tme-cerainly for long enough TO aliow
inrj Dunrayen his cursory search Ior ms pPe-
49, ,,,ben close 10 the Defenders hull. Ana aiter
NO dinpcv moved away he would be unable. in any
case TO see the plpe-hoe -, Nun
consequently 1t viii be seen ihat II l-ord Du IN
raven had. at the time ne mentions. oeeh On we
- cJe If the vessel he would have been Jist
% rca6v 10 swear that the Defender was too nkht
tnat fifteen tons had been taken our OF het i