The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-04-23
SPORTING NEWS.
Lipton's Shamrock Cannot Get
the Cup Yet,
Says an American Expert, Who
Points Out Faults.
is MADE TOO DAINTY.
The Spread of Sail Sacrificed to
Trimness.
Yacht is Too Small For What
She Measures.
Is MADE TOO DAINTY.

Chicago. April ga special to the
Record Herald from Glasgow by g F.
Herreshom says:
The Shamrock II is a boat that will do
credit to her owner. Sir Thomas Upton;
to her designer, Mr.. Watson, and to her
builders, the Denny Bros. but in my opin-
ion she will not bring back that cup.
Artemus Wards maxim about never
peated so often around here in the last
few hours that I am tempted to start
better authority on racing yachts than
any expert ashore
one who blandly informed me that the
reason why England never won that cup
built strong enough to withstand the i'm
pact Of the breakers in midocean- So,
oa6v must repeat e. nv conviction that
the Shamrock will not win the cup.
when the end of that mysterious shed
was Knocked out, disclosing a view or the
much alked-of occupant standing with
at her nakednesS in comparison with the
" startling. 1 had looked forward to be-
ing allowed to see only her boWspr1t and
a Slight outline of the deck, leaving 1T to
the ina gination to fill in the lines Of her
graceful form beneath.
NEW SPEED IDEAS ARE LACKING.
But beyond the fact that she stood there
naked was surprised in other ways Many
lnfed and written about the almost
sphinx-lilSe secrecy which had been OBJ
something quite startling, something in
the way of a combination of a Gods head
with movable macKerel TAI, WAich
should aid her to push those victories
home.
But here again was disappointed;
There is no new thing In the form OF
the Shamrock II. She has the same modl-
fed fin keel which has become so familia :
to all observers OF modern racers. she IS
but q second Meteor. probably drawn
finer and hattened, with larger and more
graceful ends and a Stacker pllge. her
lateral plane is much cut away and her
short fin is placed further aft.
very forcibly of that beautiful American
craft. the Columbia. Her bottom plating,
and fair, rejecting great credit on her
builders for turning out such an excel
lent piece of work on their first sailing
SUITED TO MODERATE BREEZE.
But, with all her finish and sweetness.
pectations. She should beat the sham
rock i but / doubt if she could do 50
by anything approaching the margin tho
boat was beaten in America Mr. Wat
son has evidently studied carefully the
kind of craft required for the moderate
breeze which is common in America at
In the the shamrock II he has has turned out
a craft that should show very favorably
her predecessor She is leaner and has
more of the IA ce horse appearance. but
doubt the advisability of ma king a yacht
sweet and thereby sacrificing power, or,
in other words. entailing smaller sail
spread.
From the position of the mast hole on
the deck, it is very evident thst her rig
win be quite different from the Shamrock
I. There win be a comparatively small
fore triangle and large mainsail. which
combination should produce. good wind
ward results. But. the other hand, it
viii be very deficient in reaching and run
ming free, as a small spinnaker viii have
to be used when in the water.
FREEBOARD OFFERS A CONTRAST.
Her profile being toward me, but low
freeboard offered a great contrast to the
Shamrock /. This is a marked feature of
the Watson boats Her stern is rather
narrow in comparison with other cup
boats, and not by any means like that
of the last Watson challenger, the Val
kyrie III Her bow is much like the
American boats-very round and sweet.
Although this is no novelty in cup de-
tenders, it is an entirely new feature in
cup chau engers which have been uni
formly with a very sharp section
Taking both the stern and the bow Sec
tons into account, she shows very easy
fore and aft lines, which should give her
a graceful swing in a Sea-a very .neceS-
sary element for fast footing.
Summing up all her points, good and
bad, should say that she is too small
for what she measures. This means a
loss of power. American boats with the
same measurement have invariably been
more powerful than their British-built
challengers. The Shamrock II perpetuates
this defect.