The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-27

ner very gentle ran, yet IL dentod In the port
bow about two feet sbatt the stem In clean
dent about six inches long. 1t seemed as
though she was made OF tin. so easily did the
bow yield to the Jar OF the tug.
Below tho waterline the yacht Is bright col
ored and her plates look like bronze. Whatever
II 10. is surely beautiful lob Of plating. the
work being as smooth as glass. Her topsIdea
are painted light green. with narrow gilt
stripe a foot below the deck. Below the water
line she shines like new penny. As q matter
Of fact. the material that forms the plating
is not as important as the construc-
ton and shape OF the keel. There
must be some special reason for
oil the secrecy that has been enforced concern
ing the keel There can scarcely be doubt
that here Fife has introduced some feature
which. while not necessarily original. he 10
especially anxious to conceal as long as
possible.
A person in no way connected with Sir
Thomas Upton or Messrs. Fife and Thorny-
croft happened to get q position to the side
and very near to the Shamrock as she slid down
tho railway into the water He describes the
yacht as cut away more than any boat OF
her size heretofore. Her stern post surely
rakes more than the Columbia's. and she must
have considerably less lateral plane above the
water As she now rests above her lines she
looks to be all beam. She positively looks fat.
The design Ia certainly that OF tho Gloriana.
without Giorlana's refinement.
The Shamrock's beam Is not less than twen-
ty-nve feet. and may go six or eight inches
over that. Even twenty six feet would
not be surprising after the deck was
looked at from above Her greatest beam
is just abatt OF amidships. and goes
aft to a wide stern and forward to a full bow.
When she settles down to her designed lines
har freeboari w ha faaf Har
sides are straight aud do not tumble
home. as has been reported. The sheer
10 nearly straight as well. and when
one Is far enough away to take her In and tho
beam cannot be seen the sheer 10 pleasing.
The stern starts downward with q sharp In
curve and then slightly Peverses and curves
outward as 1t goes toward the keel.
Tho bows are ugly and will spank and
splash the water like an exaggerated Gloriana.
They are full. and. as she now rests above her
lines. they need only big mouth to mako
them resemble huge shark.
Tho after body is also full. 1t looks like
the after end OF a duck. ard II Q duck had
long tail feathers cut off q trfe rounding
at the ends the comparison would not be
altogether out Of the way. The after
body seems to squat In the water. but
notwithstanding this the run is clean and the
counter pleasing to the eye. although not so
finely moulded as the Coumbia's. as would
appear from photographs OF the latter when
she was launched.
The Shamrock will como Just under 90 feet
on the water line. She 10 100 feet over all. with
81 feet overhang aft and about 10 feet for
ward Her bowsprlt 10 in place and Is
33 feet cupboard and about 8 feet on deck.
The mast will be stepped about 30 feet from
the forward end OF the water line. The hollow
steel. or as 1t is reported. aluminium. mast lies
alongside on the wharf. and Ia IS feet from
deck to hounds. with 10 feet OF masthead. 1t
is three sixteenths OF an inch thick.
tits safe to say that the Shamrock SIX eel will
be shorter than the Columbia's and will not
weigh as much. Fife seems to have preferred
beam and fairly hard bilRe for stability in
| stead OF lead or other metal In the keel.
I. The draught Of the Columbia and Shamroo
appears to be about tho same. Fife has fol-
lowed the same channel as Herreshoff In CIV
ing to the Shamrock fat floor. and has prob
ably gone one better with more hollow in the
turn from the floor toward the keel
In general way tho difference between the
Shamrock and Columbia seems to be that
while Fife has hung his lead from a
dingy. HerreshofY has hung his from \
canoe. In this. OF course. Herreshoff 10
only carrying nearer to perfection his
| theory OF a fln-keel type. while Fife ia trying
| to do the same thing with more boat above
| the water than the An keel type actually sug-
| gests.
| In rig it looks as though Herreshofr would
have a larger mainsall and less headsail
than Fife. and there 10 scarcely any doubt
. that the Columbia will have to give
| the Shamrock comfortable allowance
OF time. according to the rules OF the
| New York Yacht Club. In saving his time
| allowance Fife has always been clever in Amer
lean waters. but 1t has been with smaller boats.
Yachtsmen will remember that noted
! declaration OF Gen. Paine. that It was
contrary to the laws OF nature for the
Minerva to win in the 40-foot class. yet
the laws went on going to tho contra
| ry and remained contrary until HerreshofY
hung his little lump OF lead from his canoe.
II experience this year shows that the
practical limit OF sail spread on a ninety
footsr has about been reached. the
races for the Americas Cup will become
| more and more question OF actual
sailing and handling tho boats. No mat
ter what special material may have been
| used in the construction OF tho Sham
rock It can safely be said that the cutting Of
weights has about reached its limit. Possibly
events may demonstrate that they have been
cut too much already. in which case there will
| be a reaction In favor OF tho safe side.
Now that the Shamrock has come out into
view. however 1t certainly seems. In wow OF
| her probably smaller sail area than the
| Columbia. that her excessive beam 10
| against her being as truly repre-
| sentative Of what have proved the fastest
| types OF racing Yacht as the Columbia. One
| looks IN van at the Shamrock to see his ideal OF
| 9O-foot f1n keel The sleek. refined. graceful
| lines are wanting. As you view the boat from
the end Of her bowsprit along tho deck she look
reasonably we'll. but when you 20 alongside and
examine her carefully she appears to
| be too fat. No other word describes It.
OF course. her fulness and beam would have
no special significance to American yachtsmen
| II 1t was not believed that Nat Herreshoff Is on
the right track in speed and has set up definite
standards by which to Judge.
After Burgess had been trying for years to
drive bulky hulls through the water by brute
| force. Nat Herreshoff came 10 the front to show
| how to apply the same amount OF canvas to
a hull that is to Burgess yacht like
a greyhound to a setter. So no one can be