The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-01
FIFE IS NUM-"
About His Work on the
New Defender Sham
rock.

The authentic information about the
Shamrock that has thus far reached
this side of the water goes to show that
she will be a very close fit for the best
boat that America can turn out. she
is a powerful boat of manganese bronze
and steel construction, and is to nave
a big sail plan. The Yachting World
gives the following additional infor-
nation concerning her:
while reports that the new defend
er's mast will be built of steel have
been coming from the other side, to-
gether with denials and combinations
of the report, William Fife, Jr., has
gone on steadily with the construction
of the Shamrock according to the plans
which were finished down to the small
est details before the order was placed
The question as to whether a steel or
the more satisfactory was fully consid-
cred before a single line was drawn,
and the designer then decided upon
wood. This decision has never been
reconsidered, and, as a matter Of fact,
the Shamrock's racing mainmast is
now lying at Messrs. Thorneycrofts
practically finished and almost ready
for stepping. 1t is beautiful stick OF
Oregon pine, which looked well in the
log, and has finished even better than
it promised. 1t is without exception
the longest spar ever stepped in a rae
ing boat. and in overall length 1t
tapes ITO feet. Following the fashion
which is now universal it carries its
greatest thickness at the hounds, and
lust under the crosstrees 1t measures
within a fraction of go inches in gtrth
1t is reduced then with a long drawn
taper until half way to the deck line
the girth Is barely so inches, and it car
ries this right down until it is cut for
the step.
In view of the Importance of re-
ducing the weight aloft it was thought
that the principal metal work of the
mast would be of the same manganese
bronze of which the hull Is being built.
The difficulty of getting a perfect and
absolutely reliable job in metal so
difficult to work determined Mr.. Fife,
however, to sacrifice this slight advan-
tage and have the mast fittings made
of iron in the usual way. These import
ant fixings have, therefore, all been
made at the Fairlie yard and sent
south as finished, to be fitted and
placed in position. Nothing has yet
been done in the construction of the
gaff or boom, but it is understood that
they will both be Of metal.
THE latest reports from Thorney-
croft's point to the fact that the Sham
rock will not be ready for launching
before the end of May. With the aid Of
specially constructed furnaces the lead
keel of the challenger, of some so to
100 tons, has been successfully cast
under the supervision Of William Fife,
and in the presence of the owners of
the yard and number of experts"
Very pertinent in view Of the Yacht
ing Worlds comment as to any pos
sible change in the design by Designer
Fife is the following from the New
York Tribune:
"Since the Columbia and the Sham
rock have been under construction the
public has continually asked why so
much secrecy was sought by their
builders and designers. 1t is also asked
whether rival designers, who are pre-
pairing boats for the same contests,
copy each others work when they get
the chance. Such a case has never been
reported. To any one acquainted with
the vast amount of work necessary in
arranging every small detail for a
large, modern racing yacht, the idea
of materially altering the designs that
have been ready for months, after the
boats are half constructed, is absurd.
The shape of the yacht and every par
ticle of the material that is to go into
her are settled and down on paper long
before even her lead keel is cast, and
the suggestion that Fife might give
credence to some newspaper story from
America and change the Shamrock at
this late hour is unimaginable. Fife
knew all about the defenders lightness
Of build. and about every part of her
construction before he drew a line of
the Shamrock's shape. 1t may be taken
as a certainty that every possible at
tenuation to construction was con-
sidered and settled months ago, and
that he is not waiting for reports of the
Columbia in order to find out what to
plate his boat with.
with such builders as the HERES
hoffs and the Flies, it cannot be sup
posed that either firm is looking for
help from the other, and after the
frames are in place and two-thirds
plated, any further continuance of
secrecy in regard to either boat may
be ascribed to the desire for adver-
tisement."