Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-05

tho big pond, tho new cup defender now being built by the HcrrCshOffs, in Bristol, R. l., must display much greater speed than the Nigilant if sho expects to keep tho old cup in the possession of Americans. Last season the Britannia defeated the Nigilant so often that AmCrica's buastcd yachting supremacy received severe shock, and aS the AilSa is defeating tho Britannia as easily as the Britannia show cd her heels to the Nigilant there is a growing feeling that American yachting supremacy may not bo altogether through with tho shock business
 X. Barclay Walker, the fortunate pos sCsSur Uf the sWiftest yacht afluat, is n Scotchman and lives not far from Craig -\ilsa, rCmarkallo island of culumnar hasalt at the entrance uf the Firth uf Clyde Tho great rock I!S,'S abruptly from the sea tO q hvight of l, l"9 feet, aud tu it Keats addressed his sonnet hrginning HrarkCn, thou crazy "c%In pyramid. :" It iS celebrated in song a;ll story and sug- E"stVd the name of "A yacht already known the world over. ,lr~pitr the frrt that she has been in tEr water only a few months.
 Owen Walker k the St'CuII'i >un uf Sir \ E WalkVr who accumulated milliuns in IAr brewery lu!~incss in I.iVrrpuul. He alsu served fer year, as niny"r "t Liver
 
 galleries arc Wril known memorials in that city lIo was created a harunrt in lSS6 and Was for wears an enthusiastic yaChtSman. His son Was born in lStii and is a B. A. of Cambridge and a lieutenant in thN l.anCaShirr llusSnrs. He has sCCn a great deal of life on the sen, but last year Was his first as a racing owner. His first yacht was n 20 ratCr called tho ThClma and Was built by William Fife, .Ir. Shu Was not a conspicuous success in her class during the racing season of 1894, but not at all dauntcd young Walker ur,lcr,d De signCr Fife to build a big cutter that would outsail Designer WatSon's Britan mia, the boat of the hour. His choice of a great designer, his liberal expenditure uf money and his good luck havc given him yacht that is the talk of the whole world today.
 Tho Ailsa is fitted internally in Kauri pinc cedar and stained white pinc and her dimensions are as follows: Length, load water line, So; feet over all, l26 feet; beam, extreme, 26 feet; draft of water, 16 feet; mainmast, 95 feet long, 25 inches in diameter; hoist of mainsail, 62 feet; top mast, 30 feot long; main boom Ca built spar), 95 feet long; gaff, IS feet long; bow spirit outboard, 23 feet. Her total sail area is about II, 300 square feet. Her framework Is of steel and sho Is plankod in elm. The Field, the English yachting authority, says that she is unlike any thing afloat both under and above water and declares that sho is unquestionably the fastest yacht ever built.
 William Fife, Jr., the designer of the Ailsa, is about B years of ago and has | been drvoting his timc to naval architec- turo for 20 years. His father Old Wull Fife and his ancestors for generations past havo been engaged in designing and building ships and consequently young | Fife was to tho manner born in his chosen vocation. Beginning at the age uf l7 he served a thorough apprenticeship in his | fathers shipyartls, and at tho end of five years steady application became supcrin- tondent of one of the largo shipbuilding firms in England. He remained with this i firm many years, broadening his knowl- | edge of the art of constructing fast ships and then returned to his old homo in Fair lie, Scotland, where ho entered into business with his father and soon became famous