New-York tribune., 1900-10-20
YACHTING.
SIR THOMAS j. LIPTON'S PREPARATIONS
FOR THE NEXT INTERNA-
TIONAI. RACES

The further news given out by Sir Thomas ].
Upton cleared up a good many doubts. but there
point which some readers misunderstood.
This where Sir Thomas in referring to the
prompt and satisfactory answer he had received
from the New-York Yacht Club. said: The only
difference mentioned that of extending the time of
the start from II to o'clock, seems to me good
idea" Some New-Yorkers made the mistake Of
supposng that this meant that all the races were
to be started at 2 D. m What Sir Thomas referred
to was the extension of the time limit for starting
last year in which the agreement was that while
the boats would be sent off at II o'clock II pos
sibIe the committee could delay. for want OF
wind or otherwise till o'clock p. m. after which
no race should be started. The idea Of this was
that the sailing of thirty miles might cause the
finish to be too late be convenient II the yachts
were started later than O'Clock.
Since then the New-York Yacht Club has ap-
preciated the fact that breezes often come up
after 1 o'clock which have sufficient strength to
put the yachts over the course in a short time'
especially when the triangular course is oelns
sailed, and the alteration is further attempt 10
evade those provoking delays which last year sent
the entire gathering eleven times to SahoS t1ooA
before the third completed ended the SERIES
Sir Thomas refers to other delays in way winch
indicates that he will have his two yachts over on
this side early year for their tuning up process
In American waters The time spent in changing
the vessel from her yawl ocean rig to racing con-
ditions and the many other delays generally incl
dental to the preparation Of a raw yacht are re-
earded by Sir Thomas as his chief handicap" In
private conversation before he left New-York last
autumn he regretted these delays in the case OF
the Shamrock, and expressed the opinion that al
though she would probably have won, she
might have made better showing If she had been
more assiduously prepared in the preliminary
Yachtsmen here seem to be satisfied. that all or
nearly all the preliminary testing OF speed pc
tween the two shamrocks will be done in American
waters, and off Sandy Hook for the simple reason
cannot be had in England. The first Shamrock ar
rived here last year Friday, August Is, so that
that time. owing TO delays in changes OF rig;
breakages, delays caused by heavy Weather weather ana ana
calms, and also through MI Fl1e ConueIce i t uiSt
she all right as she stood the BOAT oLly e Weie
serves rightly and 1t Is evident from ms own ed
ments that Sir Thomas will next summer nave nus
tends to have his craft thoroughly tried out by
the old challenger; not carefully nursed at her
an hour, his first boat was, but showed out into
the seaway as to be tested in weather whtGn Si
may be met with in the Cup contests. Neither Sir
Thomas nor Fife nor any one else knew , DGiGe Iil
that of the last and deciding race They did not
know that when she was forced 10 WlnowaIu
under large sail area the conditions then expert
enced her spars would all bend and sag away to
leeWard a way that rendered close sdi!lhs I'M
conditions although there were several chances to
this while she lay idle during most OF her torty-
It was calculated by interested gIgbmen u1H
| yesterday that If Shamrock II arrived here as
| would drop her anchor inside Sandy HOOK on
the best Of material the Columbia broke her mast
| was much delayed in other ways, ana required
several months TO get into good, trustworthy con-
! dtion TO go into the race so that they came 10
| the conclusion that Sir Thomas was likely to give
! more rather than less than forty-fve days FOR
| the preliminaries.
There were a good many delays on the sham
rock which would have to be allowed I tor IA any any
| now turned out there is not Of them in which
| there can be a certainty that and untried
| gaH mast boom will not give way under the
strain. The HerreshoffS were no more free IN TINS
respect than Fife was for both incurred delays In
| these ways With all his fine equipment Upton
had not two sets of aluminium spars with him. and
| his mast was nothing but aluminium pipe with
| no internal strengthening. His only other mast
and spars were of solid oregon pine. 50 that If n ne
| had carried away than his gan he would
| have been in Jeopardy for want of time for repairs
| and there was no time for bringing new spaEs
| from England All these things are going to be
| considered in the venture. Upton won't &c
It blind twice. and 1 believe 1t will be considered
| necessity for him to have both Shamrocks here
| by the first week in June. This will mean that he
| will have to start his cutters, with the steam
| yacht Erin convoy, about the middle OF May
| for the trip the ocean. In my opinion he
| cannot with any safety count any later date
for the satisfactory preparation of his challenger
| on this side Of the pond"