Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-03-16

any other craft under yawl rig; she has
Deen ashore twice, and twice grounded on
rocks, yet it is understood that she is to-
Gay as stanch as the day she was
launched. 1t is altogether reasonable to
suppose, therefore, that the new boat will
pe punt OF the same metal as the Vigilant,
I s',au II WIN De surprising If she is not
bronze from the top of her lead keel to
the last stroke of her topsides
stripped of technical terms as much as
possible; 1t can be safely said that in
model the new boat will be an improved
defender, but will approach more nearly
the hn-keel type. She will have about the
same or possibly little less beam, and
Will have a fatter floor and a more
rounded side. This at once gives a boat
OF less displacement than Defender and,
at the same time, with more power. AS
| compared with Defender, the new boat
should show an improvement in reaching
ana also in work down the wind with
splnnaker set. The latter point of sailing
was certainly not Defenders strong one.
The new Defender should surely be
raster than the old craft on her elements
] and in the changes made How much,
/ practical tests only will tell. She should
De better on all points of sailing and
with stronger rigging and construction
and an increased sail area, she will be
better able to stand much harder driving
than the old boat in severe weather The
new yacht should be able to make the
pest showing ever made by a defending
yacht thus far built. Twelve thousand
square feet in her working sails will not
be tar Off the area of the new yachts
clothing.
Of the Shamrock there is less definite
information than may be obtained regard
ing the Herreshoff boat. Sir Thomas Lip
ton, her owner, in recent interview, was
proIuSe In glittering generalities about
where the boat was to be built Ga fact
already we'll known, who her skipper
was TO be and that he hoped to have her
ready by the time the British yachting
season opened in April for some trial
races before she sailed for New York
But, as for anything that will give
even an approximate line" on the
capabilities of the Shamrock as compared
| with the new craft, Sir Thomas was as
dumb as the oyster of the proverb
The plans for the Shamrock indicate
that she will be launched toward the end
| OF March and that her fitting out will be
completed early enough in April for her
10 enter in the Thames matches From
there she will go around to the Clyde and
then cross over to Ireland for the Bangor
regattaS. She will sail for the United
states, during July, under yawling.
Both the new boats need trial
horses, and, for the purpose of getting
u line on the Shamrock, the ValkyTie III,
will be fitted out and raced against her
For similar purpose here the old De-
| fender will be used, taking the place oc-
cupled by the Vigilant before the cup
races of 1895.
Next to the boats themselves the
yachting public takes the greatest interest
in the men in charge of them. Whichever
Oodt 10 SeleCteu 20 uelenu the cup Will
be sailed under the direction of Captain
Hank Half, and his famous suspenders
will once more be the cynosure of the
thousands of pairs of eyes that will wit
ness the races Captain Charlie" Barr
is to sail the old Defender in the trial
races, Captain Half being at the wheel
of the new boat. When the Defender is
finally selected Captain Barr will assist
Captain Half in handling her.
On the Shamrock Captain Archie"
Hogarth, the former skipper of the racing
cutter Isolde, will be in command, with
Captain Ben Parker, the skipper of the
Meteor, the Emperor Williams yacht as
assistant. The Shamrock's crew is to
number forty men. That of the America
boat will probably be even larger.