New-York tribune., 1900-07-29
YACHTING.
DISAPPOINTMENT AT THE APPARENT
INABILITY OF THE SEVENTIES
TO STAND WEATHER

I-ndesircd the general trend Of the evidence
may be, there appears no way OF lodging the proof
that The design fleet Of 7U-footers lately
turned out for Newport yachtsmen in
spects disappointing. Newport correspondents Of
Newly orl' newspapers practically agreed in re-
porting that the whole feet was on Thursday
found unable properly 10 70 through weather and
conditions which any yacht of sufficiently
strong construction ought to cope with success
fully. The Rainbow and the Yankee have both
gone the yards of the builders at Bristol for re-
pairs. A prominent New-York yacht designer said
of them yesterday that from the reports he had
read It seemed probable that the boats would have
he replanked and internally strengt hened before
they could be raced again. He thought there was
necessity to build the vessels weak az they
were only intended to among themselves.
Among the Newport yachtsmen the condition of
the fleet is considered serious and 1t is said by
person who sailed the Yankee that she could
have lived through the race If she had not been
withdrawn, and that her hull was so strained
of shape that one could out through the plank
ing. The long forward overhang of the Yankee
has not only been raised a good many inches, but
has also been forced askew to the port side
1t was reported that the Virginia almost in
a sinking condition after the race. and the large
force pump of tug was engaged for two hours in
getting the water of her; that the Rainbow
had four feet of water in her the Mineola five and
the Yankee six. If these facts correctly re-
ported the plain English of the situation is this
that if the yachts had had go to Bar Harbor in
OF them would have reached her destination
The keel plate of these boats is not. first
reported, of bronze. in the Defender and the
Columbia, but is made of wood and through this
the bolts descend which hold the large lead casting
the vessel These bolts supplemented by ten
or twelve large fiat metal straps each side,
which sunk fatty in the planking of the boat
and also in the sides of the lead casting below.
The use Of wood, instead of bronze in this mpor-
tant particular seemed peculiar when II was
derstood that cruising strength wanted Cap
tain Wrlnge present at this examination, and
though his remarks were not intended for publlca-
ton, they may be condensed I'm the statement that
he was mot dead in love- with the boats they
The further racing of the whole fleet is lndef-
nltely postponed One thing IS certain: If these
noats are Identical In construction, they were
ordered a marked structural weakness which ap-
pears In one of them must be reasonably expected
said to cost $26,O00 each, and the question
when completed yacht is finally and fully ac-
CepteH by an intending owner is one on which the
IeSal decisions seem to be vague. In most cases
men pay for their yachts before they take full
conditions all most favorable to the builders
put as there is an implied contract for seaworthi-
ness in the contract for cruising Yacht Yachts
men would like to know whether thev NAV NOT
send the boat back after they have apparently ac-
cepted her The fact that the sea wort hiness Of a
boat cannot be known until she be tested in The
heaNy weather which she Is expected to master
supplied some yachtsmen who talked mis- I1atter
over yesterday with fba argUr,ent e,I9
tract should remain legally open in spite of an
parent acceptance. until the craft is tried in ordi
CANT about the weather on Thursday and the ones
Iioh R rs no is going to pay for the proper building
TWO new yachts were completed and before the
t U"neTs et could use them large expended
case. There was litigation over this but #
SoTrt iL 1ha{ IN other cases some testing the
ya{GhLsmen know when and how far they are com
peHeu 10 accept what they do not want.