Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-09-17
The Shamrock" and Her
Chances.

When the Shamrock" poked her
long nose through the early morning
mists off Sandy Hook at the close OF
her fourteen-day trip across the ocean
1t was found that If she embodied any
striking novelties of construction they
must hidden away below the water
line or beneath the shelter of her can
vas-covered aluminium deck. In her
cutter, with such variations as always
characterize the boats of Fife, her tai
ented designer. The most notable fea-
ture of the hull or that part of 1t that
can be seen, are the exceptionally
high freeboard (between and 6 feet)
and The great beam of the boat at the
lures was evident in her preliminary
trials off Sandy Hook, when she reach
ed in fresh breeze from Sandy Hook
LightJhip 20 the Scotland Llghtship,
distance of 1-3 miles, in 10 m in
utes and 10 seconds-a speed of 13
knots-wlthoUt putting her lee rail be-
low water. Like the "Vigllant," she
appears 10 be at her best when sailing
ION her uppers." On the same day,
when close-hauled and sailing within
four points of the wind she made by
| log a speed Of just IL knots an hour,
and before the wind her speed by log
was a trfle over 12 knots.
Now, in judging these performances,
which may be taken as reliable, it
must be borne in mind that the yacht
was not carrying her racing canvas
and Jhat her bottom has not been
cleaned for nearly two months, and
that she gave the experts who were
watching her the impression of having
considerable reserve of power, even at
the high speeds of twelve and th.ISeen
knots. The preliminary trials estab-
lish the fact beyond question that in
the Shamrock" we have t. meet
boat that is remarkably fast in fresh
to strong breezes.
In her trials in light breeze, on the
other hand, the visitor failed to make
sucn a god impression, and seemed to
lack that ability to slip away at the
first suggestion of a breeze which is
such a conspicuous feature in "Colum
bia." This may be accounted for in
| vt hyvt n nne.i11n fpn1unec nf hnp
bottom, which, while it would not
greatly affect her speed in fresh
breeze, would retard her greatly at
slow speeds, where wave-making
| ceases and skin-friction becomes the
chief element of resistance. But
though the larger sallspread which she
is to carry will also increase her light
weather speed, the present indications
strengthen our impression, formed
from her races with Britannia" that
the Shamrock is not by any means
a light weather boat
Curiously enough the conditions APP
pear to be reversed, if anything, in
Columbia" for while she is practi-
cally held by Defender" in fresh
breeze she begins to walk away from
the older boat with an excess of speed
which steadily increases VI the
Tightening of the wind.
The present indications are that on
days when the winds are light or of
moderate strength Columbia will
win by a comfortable margin; while
on days when the winds are fresh to
strong shamrock" may be the first to
finish, particularly over triangular
course. We base this conclusion on
course. We base 5hls conclusion on
under reduced rig, the Shamrock" on
the occasion covered 2SS miles under
her own sail in the twenty-four -.ours
in a rough sea. This is an average
speed of twelve knots an hour, and the
performanc ecertainly suggests that in
the smoother seas off Sandy Hook,
WEI a clean bottom and racing canvas
aloft, and in a whole-sail breeze, she
could reach around triangular course
at speed of lS TO 1872 knots an hour.
But we must remember, on the other
hand, that the very features which en-
able the boat to carry on" in a blow
will hold down her speed in light airs;
and the experience ofthe past decade
on the Sandy Hook courses proves that
on five days out of seven in October the
winds will probably be light. Hence
it looks as though the cup were likely
ia stay on this side of the water for at
least another twelve monhs.-Sclen-
tilic American.