Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-05
Story of the Victories Of Flies Fa-
nous Yacht Minerva,
DEFEATED ALL FORTY FOOTERS
Comparison Of the Work of Ameri-
can and Foreign Designers.
HAS SHAMROCK A CHANCE?


Written for The Evening Star
Every one knows that the country is al
most on the eve of another battle for the
Americas cup between the two finest
yachts which the skill of American and
English designers can produce; and the
whole yachting world watches with eager
interest the trials of the Columbia and the
Shamrock. in the hope of making some ac-
curate comparison of their relative speed
before they actually come together.
In the nature of things such a comparison
IS extremely difficult, as both yachts must
sail against others which have been built
for some years. and are more or less "Out
of date" Indeed. some yachtsmen contend
that more satisfactory comparison is, not
Of the boats, but of their designers-that is
to say, bearing in mind the past achieve
ments of each. they endeavor to predict
what each is likely to have accomplished in
his latest and presumably best creation.
The Advent of the Minerva.
This recalls one of the most interesting
incidents of American yachting. though it
is which received little attention eX-
cept from the experts-the advent of the
Minerva Every one remembers the splen-
did yachts designed and built by the
Herreshoffs. especially the Vigilant and the
Defender: but few recall the crushing de-
1eatS lnff.cte0 upon American. yachts by the
Scotch cutter Minerva, designed by William
Fife. ir.. whose newest production is about
to undertake the task in which every for
eign yacht has far utterly failed.
After the international race of 1887, when
the Volunteer so handsomely defeated the
Thistle. the yachtsmen of America turned
their attention to the class of forty-foot
slOops, which combined high speed with
and ISIS a small fleet of these yachts, de-
signed principally by the late Edward Bur
CESS tthe designer of Puritan, Mayfiower
and Volunteer sailed highly interesting
and exciting races along our eastern coast.
OF these yachts Liris. Pappoose. Tomahawk
and Chiqu1ta were perhaps the best But
at the beginning of the year 1SS9 a thunder
bolt burst upon our unsuspecting yacht
owners. and gave them such a surprise as
has rarely fallen to their lot. The newly
built Minerva, which had crossed the At
lantiC in the year ISIS, arriving here on the
I'D of August, was entered for the races
Of 1889. and proceeded to administer the
most disastrous defeats to the whole class
of fOrty-fOOterS. The perfOrma noes of this
little boat were regarded by all who sa
her as simply marvellous; and if the Sham
rock is relatively as good as she was there
is good chance that the Americas cup
will leave our shores this fall. She did not
challenge for the cup. however as she was
too small 10 be eligible under the condi-
lions laid down by the deed of that trophy
to the New York Yacht Club.
Different From the Others.
the beginning of the yachting season OF
1889. The American yachts of that period
were craft of large displacement and gen.
erOus proportions. and were intended 10
carry all the canvas that could possibly be
put on them To such an extreme was this
carried that our local critics did not hest
tate to refer TO them as freaks and
'brutes, and to predict their defeat by
more orthodox craft. When the Minerva
appeared upon the scene. therefore, she
was the subject of much interest. owing to
her very different proportions. Her spars
were shorter than those of our boats while
her sail area only 2T50 square feet as
compared with the 1900 of the Iris one of
the best of her rivals. She was narrow and
Clean-cut looking. with A graceful clipper
bow and glossy black paint: and she wore a
general air of conservatism and good
breeding which could not fail to do her
credit.
Victory After Victory.
So sure were our yachtsmen that the
Minerva would bring I'D the rear of most
of her races. that they concerned them
selves very little about her. But the won
derful little craft, without special display,
won race after race by margins of from
few minutes to upwards of half an hour;
and at the end of the first season her rec
ord was three first prizes out of every four
races in which she took part
Such performance as this, so unprece-
denied for new yacht in strange waters,
and sailing against not merely one or two
boats, but fleet of from fifteen to twenty,
more than surprised our yachtsmen; Ii as
founded them. And. as is always the case,
the Minerva came in for her full share of
adverse criticism. 1t was said that she
was a racing machine" mere she'll -
etc But these were the views of the minor
ity only. for the great ma jority recognized
and applauded her splendid ability and
realized that fOrty-foot freak which
could cross the western ocean on her own
bottom in less than a month without a
single accident OF Importance was at least
entitled to respect. The newspaper criti-
cisms of the time were naturally varied in
character. but for the most part highly
complimentary.
Naturally, our yachtsmen were at once
put on their mettle to defeat the Scotch
hyer. IL II was within the range of possi-
bihty. Thistle. the seventh challenger for
the cup, had just shared the fate of her
predecessors: and our amateur sailors were
settling down to their home races, thor
oughly convinced that American boats were
the only ones on earth'-or sea But the
hinerva's performances which had GER
tainly never been equaled in these waters
upset all their nice conclusions; and there
were runors that wealthy English gentle
men, encouraged by her success, were abou,
TO build a large yacht to challenge for and
carry of the coveted Americas cup.
Initiating the Minerva.
Then 1t was that our foremost designer
Mr. Burgess, paid to the designer Of Miner