The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-30
J oeeseeo

Madge was IS feet 6 inches on the water
line; her beam was only feet . inches;
her draft was feet 4 inches, and ON the
bottom Of her keel was hoItrd ten tons Of
loud. Her length over all was i6 feet 3
inches and her depth Of hold feet
inches.
There were in these waters two very fast
boats Of the ''sldmming dish" tvpc.the
schooner and the Wave. The schemer was
1885 feet over all. 3T17 feet ON the water
line and 40 feet beam The Wave was
ALB feet over all. 3S.7 on the water line
and 1911 feet beam. Each was fitted with
n ceuterhoard and all the ballast was stored
inside. II will be noticed that while the
three yachts were very nearly the same
length on the water line, the Madge had
only half the beam of the two American
yachts. The idea Of the Madge being able
To heat the American boats was luiicrous
in the minds of many yHchtsmcn hero, hut
shc did. and the result was that designers
gave more drafts 10 their boats and began
to use more outside ballast. Several com
promise cutters were built, one of them,
the Bedouin, being In the big class and
proving very fast
when the challenge for q Gun race was
received in 1888 on behalf Of thu Genesin,
a cutter with Is feet beam to 81 feet
water line length and IL feet Inches draft
two yachts were built to defend the cup
This was really the first extraordinary ct
fort made in cup defense. For M races
prior to this the best yacht In the fleet
had been chosen, but from 1885 a defender
sometimes more than One-has been built
!
Burgess designed the Puritan and he gave
her - feet beam, feet > inches draft TO
80 feet water line The other defender vas
the Priscilla, designed by A. Cary smith,
- feet inches beam and feet - inch's
draft The Priscilla easily beat the last
defender the Mischief and the, PURITAN;
when the trial races were sailed deIea,ca
the Priscilla, Bedouln and Mischief Later
on she defeated the Gcnesta in the cup
| contest.
cutter designed by ]. Beaver Webb, the
designer Of the Genesta. Her water line
length was 81 feet and she was 10 teet
/ beam and 10 feet 3 inches draft so that
| rover than the Genesta. Burgess butt
| the MaylOwer and made big change IN
I her model With live feet more length on
! the water line than the Puritan, ne re-
| duced the beam to 10 feet Inches M
creased the draught 10 feet ana put on
more outside ballast The Piiscilio Was
| built SO that there were four competitors
! in the trial races The MaYhowcr was an
/ easy winner and she successfully defended
| the cup against the Galatea
II was In 1887 that George l.. Watson
| FIRST tried for the cup and he designed Inc
! Thistle. which in model was y WIG de
parturc from the popular Englsn lyPe,
! 0n water line length only lew lncheF
! ipufspr Than the preViouS challenger, ne
/ Increased the beam more than reef 70 :,
] feet 3 Inches aud the dratt was J." lt'l
]
! ard three inches more than the Gencsta
In model The Thistle looked very different
! from the two straight stem cutters lhhi
| had raced In previous years HSF over W
/ lrl,rth was los feet Inches and the, bow
/ from the water line curved gracefully, I,
the deck line. Under water the Iofetppp
was cut away and the lead keel was roch
cred The Volunteer was ,hnlll from de
signs by Burgess 10 defend me eupi anu
d, While Mr. Watson had been learning
great deal, MIR burgess had not been
! asleep. He had prohted largely Dy th'
/ two races I'm which his designs were sue
] cessfui and the Volunteers model showed
/ that he had studied hard; Her waier li9 y,
I length WAS So feet 9 Inches, her beam :,
80 . Inches and her draft 10 feet. or
deck She measured lOG feet 2 inches shI t
had clipper how similar 10 Tue lnl INST,
and ,yas cut away forward below. me WAtel
line When measured II was found tha.
The Volunt, er hal 10 allow the lhislie 2hlf
six seconds In n forty mile race. Inc Vol
I .ntser vnn easily ard II WAS SIX year
before there was another cup contest. "a.
i Lord Dunrayen In 1893 brought over ta'