New-York tribune., 1901-09-22
cOLUMBIA'S CHANCES BEST.
oorBTs OF SHAMRoCKS ABILITY TO
STAND A HEAVY SEA

s,- Thomas Upton will have only one more
,.nce to test the sailing Of his challenger. the
shamrock. before the beginning Of the races for
,re Americas Cup on Thursday. This will be on
vrednesday after the yachts officially measured
sv John Hyslop. for the New-York Yacht Club on
,be previous day One day Is not considered to
i've much time TO try out the yacht since the
.I,erations made IN the Erie Basin. The rudder
hos been newly sheathed with copper and il is
s,id that some tightening has been made IN the
hauesting. in order TO shorten the waterline as
Gar as good performance will allow
Before the defender Columbia comes back into
srvdock the Morse Iron Works tomorrow she
viu have had four days of nnal testing before
,eceiying her last rub down. and this is thought
IN be a considerable advantage. as the Shamrock
had TO remain idle for several days because IL she
had come out OF the drydock she could not have
arranged for further docking before the final
Yusslee began 1t was a choice between having a
few more practice spins and making sure of enter
ing the races clean. and the latter alternative
selected because II Is considered the English
bost that she is now about we'll in tune as she
can be made Her standing rigging has been well
tried in all kinds of winds. and the only point in
vhch she has not been tried is in sailing in a
heavy seaway
There seems to have been some good reason for
keeping the Shamrock out Of seaway as much as
coesIbe. In weather in which the first Sham
rock went out into the extra care has been
exercised with this boat When there a six
teen knot wind from the southeast. raising a bit
Of wave outside of Sandy Hook. this challenger
has been kept running up ard down the hay-a
perfornance which gave rise the idea that the
vessel not of particularly strong build. since
her internal supports were taken out after her
arrival from England. There was a huge amount
Of timber put in the vessel to make the hull
strong enough for the passage. and it
was said by one who saw the removed pieces piled
up In the Erie Basin. that there was timber enough
taken ont Of her to start a shipyard
III is well known that he vessel y-era h,,ilt
strongly enough to the ocean without in
fernal trussing. she would have to have much
weight of steel inside of her that her chance OF
winning against home boat. especially of such
Hight construction the Constitution the In
dependence. would be small. That the Shamrock
may not be able to complete heavy weather
races Of the coming series IS therefore to be
reckoned among the possibilities II is not In the
experience Of yachtsmen that a vessel should be
carefully guarded from even moderate seaway.
can be said OF the Columbia's interior that she
lie strongly enough built to cross the without
internal trusses and with fair safety. The margin
Of chance in favor of the Columbia may therefore
be great in case the boats get into such
weather as will practically decide the contest
cording to respective strength of construction
In the competing yachts. 1t may be pretty safely
inferred. after such hard test as that given by
the squau of September l2. that the shrouds and
side rigging of the challenger are in wholesome
condition, but what the al-important bobstay is
going to do when a rig reaching $50 feet in the
air is plunging back from it in heavy seaway
u not TO be readily guessed when the boat has
never been put TO any such trial IN theSe waters.
And perhaps a any time.
In spite of the fact that the Shamrock has been
sailing in this neighDorhood for a good many
weeks, there has never been time in which less
was known about the abilities OF the challenging
craft than now. Even in the earlier years, when
challengers were brought over and placed imme-
diatey the Cup contest without preliminary
tuning up, not much less was known. Neither Mr..
Jameson nor Mar. Watson believes in telling the
Americans anything more than the law allows. and
the general impression is that they have acted
wisely in conceaiing the PAGES of the new boat.
The eoncealment could not extend to hiding the
reaching and running of the boat, in which the
performances in fresh winds have been excellent,
but as to windward work the management of the
ilttle get out. There were times however, when
IL was possible TO ascertain that in short
tacklne, winch was soon discontinued, the vessel
was salnng at about three and a half points from
the wind She was going very fast at those times
Inc suggestions made by the Shamrock in her
running and reaching do not seem to be as promis-
hia and the Shamrock it would take very ardent
lngnshinan to suggest that the Columbia would
Shamrock has huge sail area, and one knows
exactly what it will be worth to her, but it is not
forgotten that the superior size of the Constitu-
TONS sail plan bothered the Columbia very little
and that in the last five races sailed for the
part In light winds, the Constitution never passed
her except when before the wind
. The inoica tions. therefore, that the Cup Will
be won or lost in the windward work. 1t has
CURED before that the English boat has turned the
overhauled and passed before the finish line was
reached. The Shamrock will have to do some really
phenomenal windward work il she is to round the
outer mark far enough in the lead avoid being
caught on the way home
IF THE SHAMROCK SHOULD WIN.
ARRANGEMENTS SAID TO HAVE BEEN MADE