The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-08-16
OCCASIONAL inquiries are made

thoughtful citizens regarding the
cost Of challenging and defending
the Americas cup. but the answers re-
ceived are always unsatisfactory. The
conclusion is that the expense must be
enormous, but as II is impossible to
obtain anything like accurate figures,
the subject is generally dropped.
On the eve Of the international match
Of this year it may be interesting to
refer to this important point and at
the same time to place the public ir
possession of a few facts that viii give
them a good idea of the amounts Of
money that are expended in trying to
capture the old yachting trophy and in
the efforts made by the N Y Y c. to
defend it,
The planning and building Of a cup
challenger or defender involves much
time and labor and necessarily the out
lay Of large sums OF money. The de-
signer and his corps Of assistants are
the first that must be met Mr.. Fife,
for the challenging parties, and Cap
tain Nat" Herreshoff, for the defend
ers. for instance, are men who place g
high value upon their services. and as
the owners Of the yachts are liberal to
a marked degree. opening negotiations
with a view to the building of a cup
yacht means a fee that in some Other
professions would be looked upon as
staggering in its proportions.
With the designer at work the build
ers in time are consulted, and with ar
engagements satisfactory in this wise,
materials must be considered. then the
riggers kept in mind, as well as the
sailmakers, while finally the shippers
and crew are secured. Money is re-
quired by all these, and much of it.
Even after a vessel is completed and
placed in commission alterations ana
repairs are required frequently at
times, while docking the craft for
cleaning and smoothing purposes means
large additional sums.
A Great First Cost.
The rather startling statement was
made by Sir Thomas Upton four years
ago that the mere cost of the Shamrock
1 was between 100000 and 100000.
while the expense Of bringing the vessel
! across the ocean and that of her Of
hcers and crew was extra. That seems
a big lot to pay for the vessel, but Sir
| Thomas should be the best Of authority
on the subject of the cost of the yacht.
If he expended a sum approaching
| half million dollars four years ago
for his challenging yacht, the money
1 the present trip is costing him must be
/ far in excess of the figures named. The
I Upton fleet now here is proof of that
| 1t is easy to believe that the Shamrock
! III cost quite as much to build as the
| Shamrock J. and it is quite sure the
/ bringing over Of three crews. those oil
! the Shamrocks and of the tender Cru
/ zier, must stand him in a bigger
/ amount than the single crew of four
years ago and the additional assistance
/ he obtained in this country.
So, if S550,000 or more represented the
! chaIlenger's outlay the first attempt be
made upon the Americas cup, it car
safely be estimated that something IN
! the neighborhOod of $500, 900 will be re
! quired to foot the bills at home and
! here incidental to his third trial to wiz
the old trophy.
With the amount that it costs the de-
/ Tending side, however. the interest is
/ more widespread. BY the time tho
yachts are called to sail the first race
4 for the cup, the Reliance, selected e
| defend it, viii have cost one way ant
1 another. S435, 900 or more. That is
| staggering amount to contemplate, bu
| when everything is cleared up at the
end of the season it may be $3.50 900.
Cost of Trial Yachts.
In addition to this sum there mus
be considered that the placing in com
! expenses reached from $50. 900 to 5000
while the Columbia has cost ]. Pierpon
| Morgan $4,000, or possibly $4,000
| These figures will. therefore. show tina
the defense Of the cup this year vii
| approach the very respectable amour
of S575.O00 or 100000.
No one concerned viii find fault IL a
/ the end matters are all right and in
deed. there win be no grumbling II the,
are not quite satisfactory.
The building and rigging or the Re
lance cost a fortune. The yachts con
struction required the best Or work
men, while all the standing and run
ming rigging was expressly made, an'
her canvas occupied the attention Of ;
large body OF sailmakers for months
The Reliance has possibly 100 differen
sails and $4,000 or so viii represent tn
cost Of a suit. In this particular TIL
Constitution and the Columbia have no
been so expensive.
The tenders Park City and Satellite
are said 10 have been purchs sed by r
D. Morgan and August Belmont. re
spectively, but they are valuable asset
and need not be seriously considered i
this financial summary. The tende
Sunbeam is chartered and there can b
no return from her, but Sir Thomas
tender. Cruizer, viii be valuable ate
the match
With a crew Of about fifty-fiVe o'
the Reliance and crew on the tende
Sunbeam there are many men to b