The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-31
MINNESOTA SHOULD WIN
THAT IS THE OPINION OF A YACHT
ING EXPERT ON COMING
RACE
WISE CHOICE OF CHALLENGER
She Is Considered the Best of the
AsDirants for the Honor of
Recovering the
Cup.
By a Yachting Expert !


test, to take place at Montreal BEGIN
ming Friday next, between the best Ca
madam yacht and the crack White Bear
challenger Minnesota.
Never before In the history of small
yacht racing have there been CONSTRUCTED
so thoroughly complete and ably designed
racing craft as the defender and chal-
lenger of the Corinthian Seawanhaka
cup. now in the possession of the Royal
st. Lawrence Yacht club, of Montreal.
Much has been said and written regard
Ing this series of races, and now that the
contest Is only a few days off, yachting
experts in the various yachting centers
are beginning to figure out the probable
result
1t must be admitted that much can be
foreseen from the lines of one of these
racing machines, and predictions thus
made have in many cases come true.
But the delightful element Of uncertainty
that underlies this greatest of all sports
is the chain that holds it together. 1t Is
free from all mechanical invention. and
relies entirely upon the science embraced
IN the construction of the boat and tho
skill of its skipper.
Iouli hOWSNef can De IOF6tOld. 1t
still remains that the best critics and
yachting experts frequently go anliss.
This may be most ConspicuousIy noted
IL the recent great International contest
between the Columbia and Shamrock
The whole world was set to figuring on
this race and for the most part, Judging
from the Hnessof the boats, it was agreed
that the Shamrock was the boat for the
heavy blows while the Columbia would
win in lighter airs. So universal becams
this opinion that 1t was soon accepted as
positive fact. Then there was a sud
den shaking up of Predictions The first
two or three futile attempts of the boats
to pull eff race, In which they were un.
able to finish within the time limit,
showed the Shamrock to be the faster
drifter Of the two, but her drifting quail
tiles availed her nothing, as the airs in
which she seemed to outelass the Column
bia were not sufficiently heavy to get her
over the course within 1.-The time limit
Yet 1t must be conceded that 1t unset tha
ideas Of the knowing ones. To give more
force to this argument, the world stood
spellbound to see Columbia tear away
from Shamrock In twenty-flve-mi
breeze in which the, sea washed the boat
from bow to stern, and III which she
gave to the English challenger the worst
Eating ever given to any boat that carae
across the water
The defender Of the Corinthian Seawan-
haka cup, in the present series, is the red
boat of the four built for the purpose of
selecting the fastest This boat will most
nKely be named Glencairn ". There is
no question in the minds of those who
have witnessed the trial races at Nom
treal, but that the selection Of the red
BOAT is wise one. as she demonstrated
her ability to outstfip, her competitors
on nearly all occasions.
The committee Of White Bear men to
select the challenger conferred the honor
upon the Douglass craft, Minnesota, after
series of races in which the St Paul
and MtnneZitka also participated. The
result OF these trial races did not, how
ever, demonstrate any great superiority
OF the Minnesota over the other two
boats. This is especially true of the
tirtggs boat, the Minnezitka, which won
everything IN sight where the wind blew
from eight miles an hour and upwards,
and there are many today who believe
that the Minnezitka would win the most
races during the seasun. It Is hardly fair.
however, to compare the two boats, as
taey are built on materially different
lines. The Minnezitka is a boat of the
severe scow type, built to offer the great.
est resistance In heavy sea. The Min
nesota, while built on the scow order
has very pointed bow and not so much
H.
ed to sail on an even Keel Either boat
could beat the other, in their respective
winds, nine times out. Of ten The Min.
nesota, however, won the most races bv
small margin, and the judges made a
wise selection, indeed, III naming her for
the White Bear representative
There are many factors that figure
prominently in yacht facing that have
much to do with the sport. Choicest OF
these is brains. The committee of the
White Bear Yacht cIub showed they
We're possessed of a. good amount of these
when they named a light weather boat
The visiting yacht atrd-the visiting crew
are always more or less at a disad
vantage. All other things being equal,
the home crew has a shade the best of It.
In this particular case the White Bear
crew will be pttted against a skipper who
probably is without an equal in small
boat sailing. AS authority for this re-
mark may be cited his performance of a
rev weeks ago when he won four races
In which the crews of all the boats were
changed alternately. Then there is the
complete knowledge OF the course that is
in favor of the home crew.
The boat selected by the ROYAL ST
Lawrence Yacht, club is of the scow
type, and there is hardly a doubt but
that she will be victorious in heavy
blows. Not only that, but she Is also
susceptible to the highest airs, and an
swers promptly the least pressure of the
wind. 1t is given out however that she
is not so well on the wind, and it Is on
this point of sailing that the Minnesota
| is expected to give her hard rub The
defender, however, makes up on other
| work what she lacks on the wind. and
seems to be easily superior to the other
boats which were built as candidates to
| defend the cup.
The Minnesota was shipped some days
ago, and carries with her three full suits
| of sails, which are quickly adjusted ana
made suitable for the different kinds of
weather most likely to be met with on
the different sailing days. She has arriv-
| ed at her destination, and will be put
into the water today. She is In charge
CT John Johnson, a boat builder at White
Bear lake. The crew and many members
of the White Bear Yacht club left on
Wednesday night for the scene of battle.
and they are also on the ground, famil-
far1zing themselves with the course and
the situation in general.
Milt Griggs, owner Of the MinnezitIla,
and the peer of all Western shippers,
will preside at the Minnesota's helm dur
ing the races. The selection of Mr.
Griggs to sail the Minnesota Is one that
meets with favor wherever he Is known,
both in personal vein as. well as from the
point of ability. % ~
If the Minnesota comes home beaten
boat she will be far from disgraced. She
goes down to Montreal a perfect model
She will be a revelation to our Eastern
yachting critics. IN design, beauty of
lines and accuracy of construction, she
represents the ideal. No handsomer
boat for the purpose was ever built than