New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-18
YACHTING.
THE OLD DEFENDER AND THE BUILD
ING OF THE NEW ONE
WHY BUILDERS OF SMALLER YACHTS AXE
NOT ANXIOUS TO COMPETE WITH THE
HERREsHorrs IN THE GREATEST TEST
OF AII<-REPAIRING THE VICTOR

NOT ANAlOLS ~ tOhrHAS wan
HERREsHofFs IN THE GREATEST TEST
OF AIL-REPAIRISG THE VICTOR
OF THE LAST GREAT RACE.
A number OF yachtsmen have lately asked why
designers other than the Herreshons shoulu mo-
have a chance TO build boat TO compete III INC
trial races and, II possible. meet the Shahi'ooN
Special mention has been made OF the 5ou'be'
designers who have been successful in the smale'
classes OF racers. Among these, CLINTON H. |i"'ie'
whose name was brought forward WIS asNeu -
Gently by a Tribune reporter for his opinion
Il would not include all the designers sald sii'
Crane las to the younger ones. don't think
they could design BOAT like the Defender il 'heS
got the chance Until had the opportunity TO
make a close study of that yacht / never hne"
what a complicated affair she was. or the vast
amount of forethought and arrangement OF "''all
that went into her. In the smaller classes o1"eiS
have beaten the Herreshofs. and could proDaolS
do so again In good-sized boats. perhaps up 10 Sixty
or seventy feet in length; but when II comes 10
meeting the enormous strain OF a nnety-Ioo'
single-masted vessel, and intricate combinations
of steel bronze au ninum and wood. don't think
that any OF US younger men have had the requisite
experience"
From these candid and modest remarks and oth-
ers in the same strain there appear to be scieh-
tihc reason for saying that the building OF ue-
fender for the Americas Cup Is somewhat IKE
paving Hamlet 1t isn't to be tackled by be
ginner IL is the culmination OF llfe's work anu
because air. Crane has distanced all DESIGNERS Vi
the United States in the fifteen ana twehF-ioot
classes for the last three years he has not oS' MS
head and refuses TO claim ability Tor 'he brea'eS'
test Of all.
II f. now said that 1t will cost So. 900 to put the
yacNt Defender In condition to again In the
trials This is probably guesswork. as II IS hlghy
improbable that the Herreshons have mentioned
their figure to any outsider but MIR. lselih mas sad
that Nat" Herreshoff would come TO Neptune
Bay where the Defender has lain AT anchor since
her last races, and make an estimate OF the cost
OF repairing her. Tho best. ard, in fact, the only
Information available on this point is the report oi
tenant pubiished last autumn in 'Thc Proceed
ings OF the Naval institute, nj AnnepohS. re
grafton before "A year had expired and In his more
recent visits he found the gray powder OF tne
deck ntiinss were such a bad condition that the
judging solely by his report 1t is fair inference
that the yacht will have to be REPEATED from me
decks Some of her internal work that has shown
the effects Of air and galvanic currents may De
amount OF renovation wifi have be made on her
decks. Altogether. he sum OF S2jVn for repairs
done. when considered on cup-defender figures.
The great care hat has been expended on the
has diminished the damage that would Otherwise
have accrued to her aluminium She has been
painted many times. and In winter there has been
n protecting raft floating around her 10 save her
hull from being hit by Ice. II * notable That the
caretaker slept ashore at night. There was no
saying how far the decayed aluminium would re-
sist a hard punch from II floating log. and with
eighty-hve tons Of lead on her keel the Defender
would sink quickly. At the present time Il Is
doubtful II any final estimate could be given or the
cost OF repairing her because II often happens that
the whole extent u yachts decay Is not dscov-
cred until her outer fRn is removed.
There Is every nope however, judging from Mr..
HobsOns report. that the steel frames are sufici-
entity unchanged to undertake the strain OF racing
again. The Defender cost. according 10 the
statement Of people anpe@ring to be wen Informed
s2J0.uOO and for he purpose OF seeing what this
marine wonder could do. many yachtsmer are
hoping that she will require nothing more than re-
plating 20 put her ~ commission The Defender
never pushed. No knows how she would
sail I'm heavy seaway. and II was matter OF
National regret that her ful powers were never
exhibited In an international race. Her quick
tircmcnt from the racing courses regarded
with impotence. and her return To the starting
In" OF great will be signal for much
applause.