New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-22

AN EXPERTS OPINION ON THE YACHTS.
THE vIGTIANT MAY YET DEFEND THE CUP Wv
TINE ALLOwANcE-soME POINTS FOR
LOVERS OF THE CENTREBoARD
II the report be correct that the Defender went
to City Island after last Saturdays race 10 'aNo
on her new boom and mainsail. she may De en-
pected to forward In something more IKE
her true form to-day. Some doubt has been ex-
pressed as TO these being ready. but the yachting
fraternity is hoping for the best. The new nam
sail will be different from that used on SATURDAY
In the first place. the cloths do not run horizoh'aiS
from luz to leach. in that produced by the
Herreshoffs. but up and down the sail some o''"-
Guilty was felt by yachtsmen on Saturday IN re-
gard to the correct way OF referring 10 this newly
shaped sail. 1t did not sound quite right to one
ears 10 speak OF the after leach Of n sail that
possessed after leach. In the new-fanged 'hlns
the cloths run crosswise. that the portion for-
merry called the after leach Is now composed Oh
layers OF ends OF cloths. II only for the removal
OF this sudden impeachment in speech. chahee
back TO the good old-fashoned up-and-down MAIN
sail will be acceptable.
Such nncky reasons for wishing a change are
OF small moment. however. when the Importance
OF carrying properly sized sail is considered. Inc
Defender has shown her complete ability 10 carry
much larger canvas than that which her
designers prepared for her. This has been pc
cularly acceptable revelation. To be candid. II
must be confessed that 1t was not expected. Low
OF the wide centrehoard boat have looked
askance at this comparatively narrow thing. Ihey
did not believe-and some moss-backed old fossils
did not want believc-that she could stand up
TO a breeze OF wind In any way that could com
pare with the broad and stately vgilant. Indeed.
every excursion boat held number OF persons
who welded TO n certain contrivancc
which has except nomnally. been out Of date FOR
years in the racing field. that II was made apparent
by their language the Defender not with them
n favortc They made Il clear iha, they gruiged
the Defender her success from the start 10 the
nnish-and this In a way that left little room 'or
doubt that they would almost prefer 10 lose the
cup. rather than 10 haze II won by an American
boat which contained no centreboard
Americans sometimes rail al foreigners who are
too interchangeable. but the true stiNbnckcd con-
sentative who Is incapable Of alteration even FOR
the better IL found In him whose one ihea Of yacht
ing II his belief IN the ccnirehoarl And II j. even
stranger 10 md this feeling pandcred 20 I'm tho
editorial columns - a prominent paper. Captain
Cranflcd came over with the Naikyrle II md n lot
o, prcjudccs to hoistng sails etc. He would
not send up his spinnakcr ,cd In stops ana then
break II out In the American way. lie must send
II mp dragging over everything. ami IN this way
tore a small hole which spit widely that his
spinnakcr became useless He os' this race. the
las, one wholly and solely by The airing ot his
prciudlccs. AT n time when his boat had. all
The best lovers ~ the best yachting condemn all
this silly. nnd those good people who believe In
no yachting magic but that OF the centrehoarl
should try TO eventually accommodate themselves
TO the idea that Herreshon may possibly know
something more than they DO about his own hu-i-
They must try TO find some excuse FOR him
when he makes It clear tina, he HUNDRED their
prejudces long as was possible lie put small
board into the N!giant which with slirht elonga-
ton would have been keel boat. chiefly 10 please
them But Vgllant was his last attempt AZ avoid
Ing the rufing OF threadbare antagonisms. ard the
success OF this boat largely due 20 the fact
that she made TO enjoy the peculiar power OF
deep-keci lcad-mine ballast.
THE CENTREBOARD 4 BACK NUMBER
II Is perfectly clear to all those who carefully
study the subject that the ccntreboari has finally
passed out Of existence In the ranks OF chaengers
and defenders OF the Americas cup. When such
enormous sail-carrying power Is developed In the
OF the Defender and the Britannia. by the
necessary OF some seventy tons OF lead. 1t
must become evident 10 all that 20 represent this
power in any centrcboard - simply physical i'm
possibility. Seventy tons be hung
pm TO be lowered AMI raised. and jumped heavily
In plunging sea. and even II Il could. who wou.l
desire to enjoy the lifting up Of this weight into the
No. The utilization q enormous weight IS row
not be put into centreboari. some good old CON
abe elasticity into their opinions.
All the same. II s rather hard lines on the Vigil
liant, AFTER making so gallant an enort on SAtufihy
TO be advertised as defeated boat. when II Is pos
sibe that she was really the winner. This resulted
from the fact that neither OF the boats has been
officially measured. or. rather from the non-publi
cation OF such measurements. II made. II IN sup
posed that the Defender sails at about ninety feet
and II liz probable that with her coming .ncrea 4ed
sail spread she Will over this. Ii II not known
how far Vigilants extension OF canvas and altera-
ton OF ballast may have changed her former iis-
ures But II may be remembered that In 1893 tho
Vigant had TO allow Valkyre II one minute and
forty seconds for difference that will probably at
a conservative guess. be trebed In the coming
measurement.
VIGILANT TO DEMAND HER TIME ALLOW
ANCE.
This II about correct. would mean that the De-
fender would have to allow the Nigilant five min
utes II this had been ascertaincd before Saturdays