New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-20
YACHTING.
WORK ON THE NEW DEFENDER GOING
ON STEADILY.
IT rs NOT THOUGHT THAT ANY STARTLING IN
NovATIoN WILL BE INTRODUCED IN
THE PROTECTOR OF THE CUP.

IT rs NOT THOUGHT THAT ANY STARTLING IN
NovATIoN WILL BE INTRODUCED IN
THE PROTECTOR OF THE CUP
workshop In the yards OF the Herreshoffs for a
good while this does not that the new craft
to be built for Commodore Morgan will be delayed
A lot Of work for the defending yacht will be
gone with contemporaneously. The mould for
the running OF the lead mine is made and the lead
is arriving. twenty tons at a time. This VIII
be a large casting. not less, probably than eighty
five tons. In the mean time the laying down OF the
new boat Is being looked after. and following THIS
will come the work of bending frames and other
Jobs which be attended TO before II Is neces-
sary to get the lead keel into position and set up
the boat in the place occupied by the Dc
fender
Although the model and construction OF the COM
Ing vessel are wholly matters Of conjecture except
TO those most Intimately interested. there are no
indications that radical departures Will be made
from that general shape Of craft which proved so
satisfactory In tho Defender. II is the history OF
the Herreshoff genius that 1T develops on past and
proved Successes The Gloriana helped to build
the Wasp and the Navahoe. Vigilant and Coonia
helped 10 build the Defender. that II Is not to
be expected that any leap in the dark will now he
taken.
Perhaps the most interesting point is In regard
TO the construction Of her keel because 1t Is IN
this region that some advances Oh the Defender
may be looked for There Is no doubt that the
keel will run down deeply. probably AS far az the
Defenders. there being grth rule In force for
this race and careful observers are looking for
change in regard the thickness Of the keel that
Is TO hold the lead The frames Of the Defender
and Valkyre III down the whole way 10 tho
lead inside their so-called fms Strictly speaking
these boats not fn-keels. The fn-keel is gen
orally supposed to have its fin composed OF SIN
gle plate. made generally Of metal and affixed 10
the bottom Of the boat and not built In IA part
OF the craft itself
This opens up A question that much 10 the
fore when the Defender and the Valkyrie III were
in course OF construction. Al that time yachts
men we're greatly interested as 10 whether or NOT
boats bpI If wss e FOUND that Watson and
Herreshof had both avoided the responsibilities
water shape The only large boat in these waters
that carries metal fin bolted on the outside OF the
hull is the 7o-footer Qussetta. which is beyond
question one of the fastest schooners of her size
I'm the world and is owned by Henry W. Harris, OF
As seen last winter at City Island. this I'm, II
recollection serves rightly. is bolted on from the
thickness through from side TO side. and has the
advantage Of disturbing less water at depth OF ten
surface. II the Quisset;a-this huge steel canoe
with her deep metal fin; as sharp ana narrow a. "a =
knife-can outrun any boat Of her CLASS IL IS pc
cause she is the most advanced model that has
ever appeared in craft Of her SIC 49, r,,o
So that the question is. Can Herreshor or rlle
overcome difficulties which we're not oveTcome, IN
the Defender and the Nalkyrie III? IN otner
words can 4 strictly hn-keel boat he built IN TINS
90 foot class so that shallow. canoe like hull can
carry a narrow metal keel which eighty-hve
tons of lead can be safely hung AZ depth OF
tp,entv feet? This is no question. IL Is at
least seven years old But when tho answer 70 It is
nut into yacht It will probably have the erect or
selecting the resting place OF me America up
Tho Navahoe the Vigilant ana the Qussetta are
stiU on the shore TTaNkinss yard. city Island,
and probably the Colona ana the Amorlta nave
come M i'm their previous winter quarters. so that
anv one can see the extraordinary advantage OF
nlossessinc fin like the Quissetta's. and see how
ib. oreat width ~ keel in all the other boats must
ret4rd their progress.