The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-01
SHAMROCK-COLUMBIA.
4 conPlEIsoN WIN MUCH IN FAVOR
OF THE CHALLENGER.

In view OF the adverse criticisms nreo AZ or
Thomas Lipton's yacht Shamrock and the
fulsome praise OF the Columbia since the two
Yachts have been in view In drydock. 1t seems
quito out OF fashion to Offer few favorable |
comments ON the visiting yacht; and even II |
one sees, or thinks he sees. In SHAMROCK
features In design superior to the correspond |
ing features In Columbia. he hestates before |
writing about them. Public opinion and ex-
pert opinion In America are unquallnedly In ,
favor OF everything about the columbia. while
in England long list OF defeats In contests
for the Americas Cup turns what would other
wise be equal confidence INTO only stronR
hopes and nothing more.
Never before In the history OF yachting has
thsre been such deep Interest on the part OF
leading yachtsmen and naval arohiteots In
yachting event And since Wednesday. whom
the Sham rock shed her pettlooats. this interest
has been backed up By some definite knowl-
edge OF the problems presented for solution by
the eleme nts. STILL It has boon hard for even
real experts to shake of that prejudice which
always follows O look at one OF the artistic ore
atoms OF Nathaniel Herreshoh. To study q
Herreshoff boat out OF water 10 almost as In
spiring a. TO study Venus dc Milo. and there
IN no doubt In the world that tho confidence
In the Columbia 10 as much inspired BY her ar
tistlc form as 1t 10 by any appreciation OF the
real features OF design which insure actual
speed through the water.
For example. It IL dollars to doughnuts that
no Oliver Iselin were to place an order for q
CUP defender to-day no would get yacht with
at least q foot more beam than Columblas.
The Sham rock has this extra beam and more.
We're Mr.. Iselln to place his order to-day
without any test between Colum ba and Sham
rock and with only the knowledge gained by a
look over Shamrock. II 10 safe to say his new
boat would have moro draft and lower lead.
The Shamrock contains this feature also.
Could Mr. Iselin to-day give Columbia bigger
rig he would do and he would pay ire
mendous amount OF money to be able to do 1t.
1t certainly looks ae though Shamrock has
this big rig which Mr. Isein would like to
swing on Columbia. but he cannot swing 1t.
for. II anything. Columbia Is over-sparrsd
already.
The sight Of Mr.. Issin on yacht that has
to reef while his opponent carries his topsails
would be indeed new-and yet there 10 every
reason to believe that Shamrock has 1t In her
form to drown Columb ia out In heavy weather.
The fore going sentences are 80 at variance
with almost everything that has been written
about the two yachts by tho authorities the
last few days that they surely need an eIpana-
ton In fact for months the art In Columbia's
design has been held above everything else.
hut that was perhaps to be expected whom the
Information about the Shamrock was so con-
hictipR and confusing. Now. however. there
Is no longer so much OF mystery az there
was and 1t seems strange to many OF the best
Judges OF a racing yacht that the advantageous
features OF Shamrock should be 30 held In the
background In the comparisons that have been
made between the two boats
Tho writer Of this article docs not wish
It to be inferred by our racing yachtsme on
that he predicts q Shamrock victory. or In
fact that he predicts anything. He 10 as much
ola HerreshoY crank as anybody and 10 just as
inclined to Judge all yachts by the Herreshoff
standard. Still. there are points In the Sham
rock which are we'll worth more than preju-
diced dismissal. even though she Is defeated
By many minutes. There are many slips in
rachting-in fact NO sport Is moro uncertain
with two yachts as good as Shamrock and
Columbia the result is always In doubt until the
race 10 ended. To be too coeksure OF anything
In q yacht race Is mere fooshness and to base
any opinion upon artistic form alone 10 worse
The worry features OF Shamrock which
have been criticised tho most severely ant
pronounced behind the times" turn out to b,
her best points. She is a fast boat In any kline
Of weather. but for American conditions. wher
tho air 10 light and lacks the force Of England,
brsezes. tho only question appears to b.
whether she is not as much under-sparred TO
her form as the Columbia Is over-sparred TO-
anything except light airs.
Until Mr.. Hyslop gives out his m easurem en-
OF the two boats the actual difference In sal
area 10 more speculation. but there 10 lttl,
doubt that Shamrock has the greater. What Il
really the most perpleIing question and tn
one which Is doubtful Of being answered 4
their relative displacement.
When the writer cabled to THE SUN from
London description OF the Shamrock jus
after she was launched. he could only describe
closely her body above the water. and NOR
decelvng yacht was never designed. A
lxxt. l..
OF the lines OF her afterbody and he
general look OF power give tho i'm pressio
that she Is altogether too bulky. bu
out OF water she does not show this excessiv
bulk at all, 1t 10 doubtful II she has more o
even as much displacement Colum biz
While the Shamrock has a deeper and harde
bllge. she has iattsr floor and hollows more
the garooards. and she also saves displacement
at tho shoulder. The fulness OF her quarter
also disappears materially when you look beo
the waterline. She is actually much less Of
boat below the water than was expected an
the shape OF her fin and keel 10 also diferer
from what 1t was supposed to be- TIL
keel is longer and the fin shorter. but Bt
has tina lateral plane to hold her to windwart
Her draught Is about eighteen inches create
than that OF Columbia. and there Is every 70.
son to baieve that she has less lead In her kee
while 1t is certanl her ballast Is much lowe
Her lead not beingso low as to be drag. Is thel
any yachtsman who will not admit that In tn
respect the Shamrock appears to have d.
cded advantage? And II 1t 10 true that Shan
rocks lead is ten tons lighter than that OF CT
lumbia 10 not this big thing in Shamrock
favor?
Now word about Shamrock's beam. TIL
sstiil disputed point. As she lay alongslt
the South Dock Just after launching the write
figured her beam by the canvas strips on HI
metal deck to be % feet. Shortly aft
this figure was cabled back to London II
Royal Ulster Yacht Club gave out Officially Il
beam 20 be % feet u inches. and tho menu
otthat club would not lie about it even to ga
an advantage when there was none to gal
10 merely look at the two yachts end on
enough to convince anybody OF the Shamrock
extra beam. 1t Is apparent. and 1t would n
be SO apparent wcre the yachts only fe
lnGhns hnArt In Ihla dimenainn Mhila II