New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-16


than LIS feet on the load water-lino
Until The Tribune published the fun account OF
this rev vessel. on Saturday lae;. New-lo'h
yachtsmen were not aware OF her dimensions
which were not given ont TO the public in England
till the time Of her launch, Since then only rev
mon in Network. far as is known. have realized
that the Rainbow may challenge. The EachUhs
public was led aside from considering this craft az
q possible challenger by the repeated statements
that SIZE was being built solely a cruiser, and
peooIe have almost forgotten the conditions in
regard TO schooner challenges. Since James Asoury
sailed the Cambria for the cup in August. 1919 ana
again with the Livonia in October 1917, many years
have passed since a schooner sailed for this trophy
with the exception OF less important contest
in which the schooner Countess Of Duherin sought
honors for Canada in August, 1876. Since then the
sloop ATLANTA of Canada. and the Eng1sh cutters
oenest uss5) Galatea Qsss) Thistle N&O val
kyrie II October. 1889 and Valkyrie Ill 'Sep-
TENDER 1885 have all been slngle-masted vessels
and limited TO % feet water-lne. so that the
forsetfuness In regard to the chances in favor OF
the schooner rig and the rules has been natural
MR.. HOBsON's OPINION.
But there Is one man who. more than any other
has studied the chances OF challenger that mas
10 cross the ocean before she races Ii is the hsh
aim of George L. Watsons life. the highest posi-
bic aim of any foreign sportmans lie. 10 win lhe
America's Cup and he ia not likely TO neglect any
chance that the printed matter issued by the New
York Yacht Club may suggest lie deslgheu inc
Vakyres III and III, which put up the hardest con-
tests that this cup has ever known. and he IS
aware of the difficulties of building vessel strong
enough TO cross the ocean and yet Hight enough 10
have at least fighting chance for win. Assistant
Naval Constructor Richmond Pearson HoDson' inc
Merrmac hero is acknowledged 10 be one OF INC
best experts Of the American Navy in regard 10
the calculation OF weights OF different materials In
the building Of vessels, and was appointed by the
Government 20 report on the use OF aluminium IN
the construction OF the yacht Defender. MT Hob
sons private correspondence with the Willer Vi
these notes was published in part. and with his
rerm,ssion in The Tribune last autumn. In this
Mr. Hobson gave his opinion that In yachts or the
dimensions Of the Defender ana Nalkyrie III
the aluminium craft would save ten tons OF oeao
weight as compared with a steel craft hKe the
Colonia IA fact admitted by the Iierreshons) ana
as compared with a wooden craft strong enough
70 cross the ocean and yet built as lightly as posi-
be for racing. the aluminium craft would. IN MS
opinion. save seventeen tons
These facts which furnished important expert
testimony I'm regard to the English challenges for
ire Americas Cup were aferward printed in two
leading sportlne papers in England, and before
beginning the Rainbow Watson had this American
authority TO tell him that in building wooden
challenger Of the 9Ofoot size he would nave 70 lace
a seventeen-ton structural advantage In defend
ing craft built Of aluminium. and ten-toh oiner-
ence II he built Of steel
1t is found now that in the construction OF the
Rainbow the extra weight OF wood has been as
pensed with In the heavy beams. All her frames
are made of steel angles. the material OF which
they are rolled being the special composition that
ia turned out for the construction OF fast torpedo
boat destioyers TO the this does not sound
like a description OF SLOW going CRUISER" and 1t
IN further found hat this alleged harmless craft IL
built TO the last development OF the modern racer
having ar overall length Of les feet 10 her water
line of us feet Her long-drawn overhangs ex-
tend ont over twenty-five feet at each end: ..,
The question must arise; why was TINS Fessei
h,.,i, fnfI a{,l n
England for there is mona. She is out OF all reck-
onns ssel man me orner erv and none Of
them anywhere near concert pitch. There was
aoIe p 'I tns enc sowaSce but the Yampa. now the
iduna viii go at once. after nttins out to the
im s1r i0 NURSERY rhe Asa and the saianita
have been turned into ketshes and are out OF me
big cutter class for miSec race. The bankruptcy
Of Ernest Tcrah Hooley has put the Britannia on
isnd for the RAINBOW to practise on except tie
Emperor's Meteor This MI emde Wider , be me
tsnas not sa SON You'd Expect the the
compared with that Of the new big schooner IS
Silence can do becaus. ninety feet Is the limit for
slngle-masters, in challenge or defence, and II the
asains cS,te in mixed class races cannot win
out from the Meteor she Will be OF no use against
case probably no Challenge would be sent But
the new schooner has all summer 10 find out how
her ten months notice of challenge for next year.
ADVANTAGES OF A SCHOONER
What then. are the advantages OF challenging
with schooner? One is that IN the New-York Yacht
Club schooners sail at IS per cent OF their racing
length, which would bring that Of the Rainbow
down 10 near the Defenders racing length. Con-
seouently. II she or any other singe-sticker APP
peared for the defence. the twenty-five extra feet
ali rules eefcst ner saay' Especially IN spsnssae
races. where schooners get the reaching winds 10
pull them ous Of what they lose III beating If
However,
Yacht Club would carefully avoid the danger OF
the Rainbow's extra length and oppose her. not
be that on this point Watson hcpee to get the In
evitabe structural advantages OF the home boat
vas present a. the last contests Assistant Naval
Constructor Robson has already reported that al
aluminium boat like the Defender Is a gaIvanic
battery, practically that eats up its own metals
KY ssy fspsd'y ana II Is nov known as certainty