The morning times., 1896-04-05
White Winged Racers and
Palatial Steam Craft Be-
ing Gotten in Readiness
for the Summer Cruises.
Copyright, 1860

The gossip in yachtland, "yachtland"
both on land and afloat, is that Defender
she of white beauty and disappointed am
billions. will take a trip across the ocean this
summer.
Gossip goes on to relate that foreign
sportsmen are more divided now than they
Were last winter over the Defender racing
matter, and that they have been looking
with wrlnkled foreheads over the summary
expelling OF their champion yachtsman from
the New York Yacht Club.
The same tongue goes on TO say that
Dunraven has sympathLzers in his own
country who were not formerly with him;
and 10 square matters, as an evidence OF
good faith. nothing will do but that De-
fender must cross the ocean and race In
English waters, and that for purposes of
ma king arrangements for foreign racing
season of longer or shorter duration, Mr..
c. Oliver Iselin is now abroad.
Gossip concerning Defender and racing is
more taikatiye than has yet been told. 1t
whispers loudly now that the kaiser will
give the next cup challenge, and declares
that the new yacht now building for him
will be the racer. This Is told with a
positireness that is convincing to yachts
men.
In certain justification of the rumor that
Defender viii race this year is the fact that
she is being made ShipShape as rapidly as
the work can go on. She has been out
upon the ways going through with an over
hauling from bowsprit TO sternpost. She
has been recalked, and her mast, stripped
all winter, has been shipped and clothed
with white sails.
For weeks the work of shipping the masts
of the beautiful white-wiuged boat has
been going on, and never has this business
of taking rigging on board been as care
fully done as now.
Propped up by snoring timbers, she has
been for weeks the center of admiration
iu the Shipyard, and thousands have gath
| cred to admire her graceful outlines and to
discuss the probabilities of her being al
lowed to show what she can dothis summer.
The size of Defenders masts, the COM
plicated arrangement of the sails and the
absolute accuracy with which all must be
done makes Unnecessary for her syndicate to
employ a great force of men and to work
steadily from the time winter breaks up
to get her ready for spring work. She is
being touched up with new paint, and,
| though her steering gear does not need to
| be reshipped, since she was used too little
| to affect the old one, still there Is much
| to do upon the cupholdcr and many small
| improvements to be made-enough to cost
| her syndicate owners fully $50 900 before
| she is ready for a manipulation of her reef
points before the wind.
The activity in yachting circles this year
| is unprecedented. In spite of the fact that
! there can be no racing for Americas cup,
| there will be more yachting in American
water on the ocean and in the interior
| than was ever dreamed of in the old oars
| men days when the only boating of interest
was done by the college boys.
| The great lakes will have their contests,
| and most interesting ones they will be.
| There are challenges talked Of between
| Canada and our own lake cities, and unless
yachting news shift there will be q most
] Interesting yacht race upon Lake Michigan
| with features to make it as exciting as the
| American races last year and almost as
| wide reaching.
People who have never owned yacht
| will own one this year. The first mis-
| sion of these yachts will be to follow the
| races. They will join the flock of water
craft which so annoyed Dunraven, and
| which his lordship designated as rude,
! ill-mannercd, nsportsmanlike, nasty
/ things"
They will gather around the starting
| point, sail over the course after the boats
and get back to the starting point to
| trumpet i'll the winner.
The cost OF owning a yacht is less this
year than It was last. When it was learned
that Defender cost SIS, 600 and that Val
kyrie came not far from $50. 600, and when
IL was noted how small were these boats
and how untitled for ordinary pleasure
parties. the spirits OF ordinarily circum-
stanced sportsmen sank at the thought OF