Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-17
SHAMROCK III AFLOAT
Successful Launch of Lipton's
New Challenger
BUILT ON NEW LINES
SHORTER KEEL AND SHARPER
LINES FORWARD.
Old Style Tiller Replaced by Wheel
What Sir Thomas Has
to Say.
BUILT ON NEW LINES

GLASGOW, March 1.-THE Shamrock III
was launched today under the most sue
cessful conditions. Lady Shaftesbury, wife
of the commodore of the Royal Ulster
Yacht Club, christened the yacht in the
presence Of q number of distinguished
guests. Shamrocks and hopefulness were
much in evidence. Sir Thomas Upton d.
yided 1000 punches of the former in honor
of ST. Patrick and the new boat ana
voiced the general sentiment of hopefulness
by saying: with just little slice OF luck
the battered old mug will find resting
place on this side of the water
Large crowds gathered at the Dennys
yards at Dumbarton, In spite OF the drench-
ing rain which however. ceased before the
arrival Of the special visitors train. Sir
Thomas Lipton escorted Lady Shaftesbury
to the christening dais. Among others on
the platform were the Earl and Countess OF
Mar and Kelley, Lord Overtoun, Lord Fro
vost Of Glasgow, the son of Charles Russeli;
Reginald Ward. VIM. Fife and Captains
Wringe and Bevis.
At lis pm. Lady Shaftesbury proKe the
bottle, saying:
II christen YOU Shamrock may God bless
you and may you bring back the cup
Then, amid loud cheers the Shamrock III
slid easily into the water.
After more cheering the visitors proceeded
to luncheon.
Features of the New Yacht.
An examination of Shamrock III, as the
yacht was revealed in the launching shed'
confirmed the previous dispatches OF the
Associated Press on the subject, and showed
that Fife had struck out boldly on entirely
novel lines, instead of trying to tinker or
improve on either of the previous Upton
challengers. Like her predecessors. how
ever, the Shamrock III Is built close up to
the ninety foot water line limit. Her length
over all is 14O feet. The most striking fea-
ture of the challenger is her extremely
short fin. 1t is just twenty feet long. Her
draught Is nineteen feet, and the nm Is
almost level along the bottom. The lead IN
the hull is drawn well down to the FIN, sug-
gesting the deep body typical Of the British
cutter. rather than the extreme fiat-floored
type adapted from the American center
board yachts, and used in all the recent
challengers
Wheel Replaces Tiller.
American wheel steering for the first time
replaces the British tiller. and the lesson
learned with the Shamrock II through her
pounding in head seas has led to longer
and finer drawn bow, giving the challenger
the appearance of being boat capable of
negotiating comfortably any moderate sea.
With lesser draught and not SO fiat-foored
as the previous Shamrocks, the challenger
will not have so much stability, SO Fife has
either gone in for light weather boat or
he has cut down her sail area. There are
daring, novel features in the design, the
effect of which cannot be accurately gauged
except by actual trial.
They suggest the possibility Of difficulty
in getting the new boat to trim, steer and
carry her canvas. If however, she accom-
F,lichaS these objects we'll she will to
be far away the most formidable challenger
ever sent out.
The underbody Of the Shamrock LII Is
painted with q white, anti-fouling compost
ton. Her topsides are white and she has
broad bands of green along the water line
and rail. Her hull, frames and plates are
all Of nickel steel, specially made. The
deck is of aluminium plates covered with
wood fiber which gives safe footho.d.
The workmanship of the yacht Is superb
in every detail-no dent. rivet or joint is
visible under the polish of her paint.
Sir Thomas Lipton's Views.
After the launch Sir Thomas Upton said:
My third and perhaps my last attempt
at lifting the Americas cup will be the
most serious and think the most hopeful
Of my efforts. The Reliance may beat US,
but 1t will not be because 1 have not got
the best boat British brains and workmen
can produce. If the cup stays in America
1t will stay there because of the extraordi-
nary genius of the American yacht builder.
If he can produce still further improve
ment in his art 1 shall begin to think he
is a bit more than human. There is no
question that the best boat wins in the
international races. / believe the Sham
rock III will come near filling that bill.
To my mind she Is a marvel in which
Fife and Watson have outdone themselves.
With good trial races and no accidents
her arrival in New York should mark the
J1l~y
ever sent over. i scarcely need add that
much long to win and expect to win,
a third defeat will only increase my admi-
ration for a people who can beat us at a
game that was once our own.
However" added Sir Thomas, laughing,
"a third defeat is, Of course, quite out of
the question"
Cup Must Be Homesick.
In a speech after the luncheon Sir Thomas
Upton said the Americas cup must now
be homesick Here they had learned lessons
from the past, and they were never more
confident They had fifty years experience
with American yachts and yachtsmen, and
none would cheer a Shamrock victory more
heartily than the Americans.
The toast, King Edward and President
Roosevelt" was drunk with musical hon.
OrS.
The lord provost proposed Success to the
Shamrock and her owner" saying the only
thing Sir Thomas Upton ever failed to do
was to lift the cup. He hoped Sir Thomas
would crown the trinity of Shamrocks by
attaining the friendly supremacy in British
and In American waters which he so dearly
coveted.
The lord provost also expressed the wish
that some diplomatic Perpont Morgan
would organize vast international COM
pine, relegate the fighting nav!es Of the
world TO the scrap heap and replace them
with Shamrocks as means of settling
differences"