Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-01
THE GREAT CONTEST.
The international Yaclt-Raca for the
Americas Cup.
GREAT BRfTiI>'S CiiAlLEN1L"'
Desiupcr Watson Depends on His
CunXas. Herrcshon on Ease OF
Nav. CJesrIug-Comparis of the
Two Yachts.
fcorrsnondence Of the Dlspateh)
Two Yachts.


NEW YORK. August 31-The coming
contest between the DEFENDER ana INC
yaikyrle III. promises TO be the hardest
tussle for the Americas Cup since the gar
liant. old Yankee schooner came sailing
home forty-four years ago with brooins
at her masthead. 10 show how she haa
swept the British seas. The TWO crack
yachts OF two continents that are TO con-
test for international honors more Closely
resemble each other in design than any
two boats that have yet met IN the Sc
rles. Already the air Is full of charges
ana oountercharses Of theft OF principles
and designs by the rival builders. III
the Defenders lines the Englishmen see
only a clear appropriation or the bIits'
IDEAS. while the Nalkyr!es' make HERE
sho!rs admirers declare that his designs
have been boldly piratCd. Probably the
fact 10 there has been an unwilling CONF
Ing together Of 10 as due TO the eNisehCisS
Of the contest. Watson igured on pusiu-
Ing a boat 70 beat the Nigllant, and Her
reshoff tried TO get faster craft
lhan the English Britannia. THIS NIX
VI 10 ulA-RAbN'Nss N'' ~
visit last year TO England. when she
showed 10 John Bulls bOat-builders the
lines ON which the Americans build theI
boats. So close are the races eApec'eh
10 DO that neither side has gwen
away" any information that might De
pf advantage 10 the other side. a COM
parison again OF the boats Is Interest
Ing. Nalkyrie III. Is l29 feet over ALL WIN
D. feet Of beam. IS feet draught' anu ["
tons OF lead In the keel Her whter-lihe
measurement IL 80 feet. She is built from
Nnss Io,d down by q. l.. Watson. Eng
lands foremost naval architect ana &c
slgner of the Thistle. NalkSrie H., queen
Nah and host OF equally well-hnown
yachts. Valkyrlo. like the Defender. as
heretofore mentioned IA the Dispatch, Is
syndicate built, despite the fact That she
As always referred TO as Lord punrayen
boat Her syndicate IS composed of
punrayen, the Earl OF L0nsdase, Emperor
williams chum; Harry McCalmont,
called the "wealth!cst commoner OF
England" and G. Il. Robinson. Roughly
speaking, she is fat, shallow. boat WITH
q deep lin keel or fixed centreocard. in
stead Of a movable one, rs on the VI
silant. and relies. ike the Defendant. on
the enormous amount of lead placed very
low down for power She has lreinen-
dous oyeThang. and a great sheer.
Viewed as a whole she might he called
n modified composite fin-keel cutter OF
great beam and enormous sail-power. She
is the ninth vessel built expressly TO
capture the Americas Cup. Her sail
spread Is tho largest ever carried on
single sticker. and. though 1t is not de-
fntely known Just what she Will throw
20 the breeze in the races. II Will be
about 1850 square feet OF duck. There
Gre many new wrinkles In her construc-
ton. In reviting and bracing. OF in
terest only 20 boat making experts. Her
mast from deck to head measures 96 feet.
The gar Is 10 feet long, and
her main boom Il les feet. she has Il
steel mast ready TO be put UP II neceS
sary.
A DECIDED NOVELTY.
II IA a decided novelty on racing yachts.
II Is los feet long and % inches In dame
ter. The Valkyrie III was built especial
" for the light winds which prevail of
here during the fall. In light winds she
Is a decidedly superior boat 10 the i}ri-
tannia, which 80 signally defeated the
Vigilapt. but IN heavy weather she show
ed such instability that there was hasty
addition Of from twelve to fifteen tons OF
outside lead on her keel. Unless she was
purposely held back In her trial races In
England. 20 keep the Yankees from "get-
ting u line on her." she may not after all
lie better boat than the Britannia. In
fact. there has been somewhat O! a public
demand across the water that the Prince
or Wales's sturdy cutter be sent over
here. The Valkyrie's trials were no. sat-
isfactory She was In only three omen
races and one private spin with the Ailsa.
In the first OF the three the challenger
ran away from her rivals IN a very nsht
wind but being becalmed lost the prize.
IN the next the wind was too heavy for
her to carry her enormous spars and
sails In the last, however. there was a
WHOLESALE breeze. and over ff,y-mile
course the valkyrie beat the Britannia
BY IS minutes.
A DISAPPOINTMENT.
The Defender is disappointment at
first glance. compared with the Valkyr.e
She appears much smaller. and really IS
For tho first time tho Yankee boat Ia
Ne undse-uized craft Americans had