The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-07
knows much more about them than he did two

Jlb topSall when the V1g1lant was literally rum
ming out OF sight with the proper big headsail
on her. OF all the advantages which may be
catslogued as being probably in the Defenders
tavor this may come first. 1t is an undeniable
fact that the Americans do "everlastingly
stack it on when they get the chance, and
this has been necessity in former years, when
great beam required much showing. When it
is seen, therefore, that the present Valkyre is
possessed of an American beam the fact be-
comes apparent that she must be driven
through in the American way IL she wants to
win.
Why Valkyrie III should win. 1t is curious
fact that'the present Valkyrie appeals much
more to the traditional yachting ideas of Amer
leans than the United States representative.
The Valkyrie has all that beampower and ini-
tial stability which for forty years has been
peculiarly American. Never before has there
been such complete mix up at present,
Watson going over body and bones to the
American beam and Herreshoff pursuing the
English ideal of slim scientific treatment. AS
to the result of this, so far as shape of hull is
concerned, the Defenders main reasons for win
ming are English, and so far as broad beam is
concerned theValkyries reasons for winning are
American. There never has been time when
splenetic prejudices and loud backing of
tional types have received so amusing quietus.
Those who claim that the Valkyrie should win
because of the great sail-carrying power which
she develops in her wide bilges are merely re-
peating the American argument of the last
forty years and we have yet to learn there is
anything wrong about that argument. 1t
stands as well to- day as it did in the triumphs
OF forty years ago. 1t means the development
OF what the English call ''brute force" when
it was opposed to what they cali the more scien-
tific modelling of their fine drawn hulls. The
international contests have been compared to
duels fought with bludgeon against rapier.
Very good, but the bludgeon always came out
on top, and the scientific weakling invariably
took back seat. 1t will be difficult, then for
some Americans to avoid the idea that the
Valkyrie should win, though If Herreschof
succeeds, he will be really beating the English
at their own game, and at the first try.
In the trial race of August % the valkyrie
came down from three or four miles behind
and almost caught the two competing yachts.
at that time there was no breeze perceptible
on the surface OF the water. The Valkyrie was
passing large schooner yachts that were be-
Gained. The TACT that her lofty spars could
reach up into and use high planes of moving
air which other boats could only point at was
made apparent. In extremely light weather
this superiority in high reach must be ranked
as an advantage because rig of this kind will
often sneak away slowly in almost a calm and
when good breeZes spring up.
The strength of sails Is point to which the
Valkyrie people have given much consid-
Grafton and preparation. Every effort
has been made to give her mansail
extraordinary strength, and not only in the
material itself. While one is not able at close
range to tell where each cloth ends and the
other begins it can be seen that extra strength
is given by running two and perhaps three
sewn tucks down the entire length of each
cloth and between the joints at the edges.
This, together with the doubling at the join
ing of the strips, gives a sail that is literally
ribbed with its own folds until its tensile
strength must be very great. This advantage
will not appear In light winds, but when it
comes to lower canvas breezes or TO reefng,
these Ratzsey sails, which are the admiration
OF the nautical world, may be expected to
hold together. The new mainsail of the De-
fender made of ramie cloth, is as to strength
an unknown quantity, and it is pity that
more time could not be had to test it, because
Ratzseys sails are not unknown quantities.
The ramie material may, however. prove per-
feet and the alleged advantage for the Valkyrie
under this head may be thus nullified. 1t is
only mentioned here because it is claimed by
the Valkyrie's friends, and because it is the
well-established finding OF the yachting world
that II is always an advantage to have Ratz-
sey'z sails. The Valkyrie had huge headsail
of silk on her when she made the peculiar
catch up in the race of August 20, and in the
upper part at least it filed out to rotundity
and moved the yacht, when in apparently the
same airs all other headsails hung fat and al
most useless; and to repeat, 1t is what a boat
steals during the light airs that often wins
races The Defender has not so far shown
silk balloon jib, but she may bring 1t out to-
day. At present an advantage on this ground
is claimed for the challenger.
Captain Bush, the skipper of the
schooner-yacht Crusader sails on the
Vigilant as one of the expert crew, having
been formerly an English professional
yachtsman. He probably knows the diff
ference between the workings of different
crews, and he puts it this way: ''The Val
kyrie's crew are lifetime yachtsmen. Dur
ing every season they pass their life in
yacht-racing. They never stop it, except
in winter, and then some go to the Med
iterranean racing. Now, it is not to be
expected that you can go along this coast
and pick up crew from fishing village
that will learn yachting and do their work
like the lifetime men. It's impossible"
Captain Bush is believer in the prob
able success of the Defender, it is under
stood, but he mentions this exception as
drawback to her chances. Coming from
one of the very few men who understand
the yacht racing of both countries, this
opinion is not to be ignored when the
Valkyrie's chances are being catalogued.
The fact that the Valkyrie steers with a
tiler is greatly in her favor. AS we ap-
proach the period of equinoctial winds
the advantage which is claimed for the
Valkyrie in her crews experience of rough
weather and reefing may or may not be-
come apparent. Possibly it is entitled to
be noticed here. 1t is the custom during
hard weather in English races to reef the
bowsprit and house the topmast. If this
becomes nesessary in the international
races (hardly, certainly, to be expected),
the English crew will be at their regular
work. But it is doubtful whether the De-
tenders crew has ever reefed her mainsail,
or has even reefed a bowsprit. AS to this
point the advantage is here cataiogued for
either boat because their staying abilities
seem about equally rapid.
GUESTS OF MR.. MACKAY.