The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-10
WATSON Has RErRoGRADED.
An Expert Says He Should HAZE Con
fined Himself to the Thistle.


fined Himself to the Thistle.
NEW YORK, N. Y, Sept. 9.-lt is in
terest1ng to note that the aftermath of
opinion concerning the merits of the Val
kyrie and Defender expresses in great de-
gree the American spirit of jubilance.
While before the result of Saturdays race
was correctly announced doubt and gloom
prevailed, the opinion now is one of uni
versal confidence in the American chances
of success.
The English contingent, most of whom
had really thought they had something
quite the thing in Valkyrie III, are now
correspondingly disheartened. A frequent
expression OF opinion among the Ameri-
canized Britons and Scotchmen is that
George L. Watson would have done better
had he communed only with himself and
developed his own ideas, than to have
copied, followed and been guided by the
models of other designers, American,
Scotch and English, which he might have
deemed more or less correct and valuable
in their way. A well-known naturalized
Scotch yachtsman is quoted as follows:
II am not a Grower, nor do 1 like to say
I told you So but have thought this
thing all along, and from private informa-
ton which had concerning the design of
the Valkyrie III and her appearance to me
in the shop l believe that Mr.. Watson
might better have kept to himself and
tried to improve the Thistle. To my ideas
the non-success of the Valkyrie III does
not indicate anything but that we are now
farther apart than ever as regards the two
prominent yachting nations. Personally
/ would prefer that they might, for the in
terest of sport, soon agree upon type
which would be universally accorded con-
fidence, so that we might each develop &C
cording to our own ideas of detail
a universal type of boat, and that
the careful attention to minor details
might be the fiat of our energy in amateur
naval architecture. / am sorry for this
as Scotchman, and as an American l
have become so thoroughly Amerlcanized
that do not, of course. have the feeling
toward Mr.. Watsons boat-the desire to
see her win-that 1 might have had had
remained British subject.
SIN the interests of this sport an occa-
sional win by an English yacht might be
gratifying. With the true National te-
nacity our people have, one or another,
been making successive challenges in the
endeavor to regain the America cup.
When you consider the fact that the cup
itself is valueless, and that only the glory
of amateur supremacy attaches to its win
ming or losing, and that it has cost to build
the boats now engaged matter of some
thing like $3.50, 600, it seems ridiculous, per-
haps, but that it is warranted by the inter-
est is, of course, an evident fact.
81 believe that in the fine keel there is
much yet to be developed, although prac
tically, for ordinary purposes, the type is
more useless than the most pronounced
Scotch cutter which l remember to have
ever seen. Again, the Valkyrie III, as you
know, is so beamy that she has not won
the confidence of our people over there. 1t
appears now that their distrust was not
misplaced. Of course, under other condi-
tons the Valkyrie III may yet win. 1 do
not expect it, and believe that the Vigil
liant could have beaten the present Valky-
RE under the conditions prevailing Satur.
day. In fact, it seems to me that the
Defender is far better than the Watson
production, and believe that Watson has
refrigerated instead of advancing since his
challenger of 1898.
"In the Valkyrie II he had combined
certain principles which had been used by
Fife Jr., with certain ideas of American
modelers. He might better have stopped
with the Thistle. This is my belief. 1t
will be ten years probably before our in
ternational designers will agree upon a set
type and expend their technique upon it's
development"
The betting on the street this morning
was very dull and % to 10 and Z to has
been offered with no takers and to l upon
the Defender was not looked at. The bet
tors with Valkyrie money will wait until
after the second race. Should the Val
kyrie have scored a win it may be possible
that the money market may become lit
tie brisker and that the euineas sent here
to prominent change commission houses
may be brought forth from their private
boxes. 1t was locked up tighter than the
head of snare drum to-day.
IDEAS OF IN EXPERT.