The times., 1899-07-11
THE SHAMROCK IN PETT1ooATs
London "Yatchsmnn, Comment on
the Mysterious launching.

London "Yatchsmnn'' Comment on
the Mysterious Launching.
London, July I0.-The ''Yachtsman" of
London of the date of June 90, speaking
about the launching of the Shamrock. says:
The launch of the Shamrock was sue
cessfully carried out on Monday, and was
happily unattended by any hitch or scci-
dent. The absurd air of mystery was kept
up TO the last, and the vessel took the
water clad in petticoats, lest the enter
prising photographer might record her
shape. The reporter who supplied the
daily papers with a graphic account of the
event seems 10 have been carefully stuffed
by some person or persons unknown, for
he explains that the canvas sheets that
hung around the yachts stern were in
tended to impede her progress to the water
and to keep her on an even keel, A far
more pulse-stirring explanation would be
that the sheets concealed the aperture of a
sheathing propeller. But, in spite of the
training that he has undergone over the
Upton challenge, il is plain that the
British reporter is still a long way behind
his American brother in the matter of in
venting soul-stirring news. The Sham
rocks petticoats offered a brilliant cppor-
tunity for prolonging the agony. and ac-
centuating the notoriety so carefully fos
tered by the Daily Mail and Evening
News all through the winter
The cup defender Columbia was en-
gagged in sailing trial spin with Defender
at the time the Shamrock was put into the
water, and ii is little difficult for the or
dinsry mind to grasp the object of Mr..
Flies extreme solicitude in guarding the
secrets of his design. Even II highly
satisfactory photograph of the vessel on
the ways could be obtained, there is hard
" time now for Messrs. Herreshoff TO build
a new vessel on her model, much, no
doubt, as they would like TO do so. Build
ing from a photograph, II should be re-
membered. requires much more skill than
il mere lines are employed. II is science
not yet fully understood.
Apart from the fictitious enthusiasm at
tending the building of Sir Thomas Lip
tons vessel, II is evident that an enormous
amount of care has been taken in her con-
struetion, and that she represents the most
mschine-like vessel that could, with safe
~ be sent across the Atlantic. Our Amer
lean friends are as fully convinced OF that
as we are, and therefore the coming races
promise TO be full of interest. We can
not. however, conceive that the Atlantic
passage has not hampered the British
boat. and the most that can have been ac-
complished is to have reduced the handicap
which was so palpable In the case of De-
fender and Valkyrie III.
That Columbia is a good boat has been
proved already. for in her first spin she
showed herself more weatherly than the
Defender But the Valkyrie was that, too.
and only failed of the wind. That the
Defender was not very great marvel Is
the common belief among yschtsmen over
here, for the general impression is that
the Valkyrie was not a superiatively fine
craft, and therefore nobody need despond
If we hear OF the Columbia beating the
Defender by fifteen minutes, for this is
the amount by which the Americans. in
their happy way, consider that she is
faster than the older boat