New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-06
SHAMROCK A MERE SHELL.
LIGHTEST POSSIBLE CONSTRUCTION IN
THE CHALLENGER
COMPARISON OF THE YACHTS THAT WILL CON
TEND FOR THE AMERICAS CUP-rHB
COLUMBIA BUILT TO CROSS
THE OCEAN.

America, AFTER receiving the most enthusiastic
farewell ever accorded to a departing Cup chal-
longer. Hitherto the challengers from the other
side have received their ocean cruising rig and
have departed with as little ceremony if
they Were going out for afternoon sail but
this year the proceedings have been conducted
with much more 'pomp and circumstance and
everything connected with the preparation of
the Shamrock and her departure has been i'm
posing
But the most peculiar startling and amusing
thing about the preparation Of this craft for her
voyage 5 the account Of the way the boat has
been strengthened. stayed, trussed, propped and
generally shored up TO meet the oldtme Atlantic
seas. which no bigger no" than when the
Norw eSians crossed in their open boats and the
Normandy fishermen crossed annually 10 fish.
Well may the old sailors Of England, who for .
generations have listened with pride to the
stories Of the wooden walls Of England hold .
UP their hands in dismay at the idea OF this sort
Of a vessel being called English yacht! As
fact. she cannot rightfully be said to possess
any nationality, because she is the product OF
an international demand for speed only. apart
from every other requisite which a seaSons
vessel should possess.
Viewed in the kndliest way and yet with
strict adherence to facts, it must be admitted
that the Shamrock is the most advanced marine
farce or the century, but one Nnltn Is d ueteo-
sity of the year and the direct and legitimate
outcome of the successful cockleshel expert
rnent made in the last Cup winner, the De-
fender The victor Of the Valkyrie III was put
together in the lightest possible way, with the
upper parts Of her frames plated with alumni
mum and most Of her upper works and deck
fixtures composed of the same extremely light
and untrustworthy material She was bullt at
immense expense to win in one series or races
only and it was never calculated that she
would be able to cross the ocean to race in for
ejgn waters Even in her trial races before she
ever met the Valkyrie III. the greatest anxiety
was felt on board lest the yacht should give
way in the region Of the stepping OF the mast
lieutenant Hobson Of Merrimac fame, reported
these structural weaknesses in his printed &C
count made by order OF the Government SUD
seouently. in private correspondence with the
writer Lieutenant Hobson stated that TO the
best Of his belief the Defender in being built OF
,,,,,irur, saved seventeen tons Of dead weight
as COMPARED with the Valkyrie III. which was
mil. Of wood That important Information
COMING from one whose chief study at that time !
-x,,s tho calculation Of weights OF different ma
ter1als used in naval vessels was puDllsheo eA-
c1usiyely in The Tribune. and was reprinted III
many American newspapers and IN 4ais
number Of English publications. 80 tha' Ao"s
barore the Upton challenge was issued II Was
accounted "a a fact in England, backed oy the
,os, exnert American authority. that no chai-
Iorgar could hope to win the cup unless the
-,,o,bts of her construction above the water
were reduced to the smallest possible amount
IN rieyv of these facts it has seemed, ana sun
seems TO expert yachtsmen on Doth sIueS VI '-
,ro+or that the holder Of the Cup no matter
whether on this side or the other, VIII aI"aSS
,ossass an almost insurmOuntable adVah'dse
Nv reason of the fact that the home deiehueI
-, No built "a the most fragile cocklesheH thaI
The laws for highest speed in sailing yach's re-
ouire and that the challenger must forever 0o"-
.tr s,Hicient strength. material and weight 70
= 90 GROSS the ocean under her own san.
A NECESSARY STYLE
,,eeo are the necessities that have caneo mo
,.a,oo q racing craft which old salts hatu-
-, ro,ard as a nautical travesty. But "hle
,rsino character Of the ShamrocKs COZ
.no cannot be wholly concealed, 1t IS ohly
49, - har designer TO explain thus fully the
aI-,,,r,etances which have forced him 10 turn
on. \ craft OF this kind. II VIII De reiii7AD
49,. HARLAN g. Wolff OF Belfast, declined the
.r,c, uben Sir Thomas Upton was looKlhs
o. = builder 1t will also be remembered tha'
A., o,ouses Of the Yarrows made while decIIh-
49,, .ho came work were very polite. ShlpoulId-
- uboss names had for generations Oeeh
u,,od high with regard to the construction VI
- ,,ossals co I'D not afford to risk disaster
ter +bair names attached, no matter "hdt inc
go. ., one contract might be. with the Eng
~ -, .ha,, could never shield themselves