The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-11-09
IS NOT DUNRAvEN Yet.
About the Defender and the Way She Sailed
Away From The Valkyrle.
DUARAvEA SPINS HIS TALE or WOE.
fte Is OF the opinion That Tho De-
fender Did Not Sail ON Her Meas
ured Load Water Line Length I'm
the Race, and Finds All SORTS of
Fault About tho Hattie Palmer.

London, Nov. S.-The Field will to.
morrow publish n four column state
mcnt from Lord Dunruven. relative to
the contest Tor the Americas cup. Lord
Dunravcn opens by saying that AZ SO
much mas Decn written and said loosely
concerning the races. and as he has re-
ceired so many requests for fuller infor-
nation, he thinks 1T due to the yachting
and general public and himself, that he
make u statement. He would he adds,
coniine himself To the cause of his with
uritwal OF the Naliiyrc from the races,
namely ovcrcrowding, but that other
matters had been mentioned In the Cup
Committcc's report To the New York
Yacht Club. lie relates what occurred
ut the meeting OF the committee held for
settling the conditions Of the contest
and says he disapprovcd of the method
OF making the load water line with
copper tncks on deck instead Of the
yacht racing association method of viSi-
bic marks on stem and stern, but he
made no protest. few days later he
wrote TO Mr.. Garfield in regard to this
matter and received Il verbal answer
that the committee did not see the OBJ
ject of reconsidcrins the matter. Lord
Dunraven did not press the matter, but
signed the agreement. The following
day the FIRST race was sailed Cuntinu-
ing, he said:
II am OF the opinion that the De
fender did not sail on her measured load
water line length In the race"
He remarks that nobody Interested I'm
the Defender lived on her. or her tend
er, the Hattie Palmer, but much ma
terinl, the crews. etc, were transferred
backwards and forwards from the De-
fender to the Hattie Palmer, and Vice
versa Those OH board the Valkyric
were able to observe the Defender
when they were along side of her In
the Erie Basin. After her first trial
with the Nigilant, when the Defender
went To the Erie Basin TO be measured
on September 9th, II was Obvious to
everybody on board the City of Bridge
port, the Naikyrie's tender, that she
was floating materially higher than on
FORMER occasicn. This, of course,
was unohjcctionab The crew were
ut work from dark until O'Clock In the
morning. Early Saturday those on
board the City of Bridgeport. noticed
In the water than when she was meas
urcd When he put Mr. Henderson
aboard at . o'clock. Lord Dunravc
rEis perfectly certain that she was four
ychcS deeper than she was when she
was measured. He was reluctant to
Die for him to verify his belief. Any
now nothing could have been done
before the race, but when Mr.. Fish
went on board the Valkyric Lord Dun
raven told him the whole case and
asserted his belief that the Defender
proper length.
ne asked Mr.. Fish to induce the com
mittee TO send member aboard of
each boat Immediately after tho race
ana nave both measured forthwith.
ana II that was impossible to have tbo
member stay in charge untiI the va chi .
We're measured. He also asked that
the load water line he marked visIhIv
externally. No action was taken that
evening beyond ordering that the
noats be reneasured and marked on
the following day. Nobody was placed
In charge. The Defender lay all night
with the Hattie Palmer alongside of
her The result was that SUNDAYS
rcncnsurtng obviously afforded no
proof that either or both yachts had
not exceeded their measured lengths in
saturdays race. Lord Dunraven then
says:
My action in making this complaint
mas been severely criticised. ] Will only
say that considered II my duty to
act as did. ] did not ask anything
mat 1 was not ready and willing to
submit to myself"
He then proceeds to discuss the
crowding at the starting point, which
was rendered so dangerous, by the
many steamers that It was impossible
for the yachts to manoeuvre properly
ing in front of the mark boat. making
1t impossible to pick up the line accu-
ratcly. When the Valkyric came near
the line the mark boat was completely
hidden from view. Not knowing where
the line was, and fearing that she
might he too soon the VaIkyric bore
away and thus spoiled her start
He gives details OF the steamers wash
ing and binnketing the yachts. The De-
fender, he says, was doubtless inter
fercd with. but nothing like TO the
same extent as was the Valkyric, This
was in accordance with his former ex
periencc that the vessel astcrn got much
the worse of the wash. Lord punrayen
gives n similar account OF the start in
the second race and mentions the foul
without remark. He says that on the
reach on the second mark home. the
steamers intcrferrcd with the Valkyrlc
10 an extent that was unprecedented on
this occasion or in 1893. Eight or nine
vessels crossed the Valkyrie's bows. a
number were to windward. and a long
closely packed line was steanine nj
high speed TO leeward.
The Valkyric sailed the whole way I'm
the boil of the wash from these vessels
and was blanketed on both sides. 1t
was difficult TO steer, and the racing
was reduced to an absolute farce Lori
Dunraven declares that he makes no
accusation OF partiality, but only saws
that whereas the yacht was astern IN
the first day got much the worst of the
wash, the yacht in front got much the
worst Of It on the second day. Even
assuming absolute impartiality of inten-
ton, the result of race over g. course.