Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1903-10-30
YACHT RACING EXPENSE
What It Costs to Defend the
Americas Cup.
THOUSANDS IN THE AGGREGATE.

when the International Races Ara
sailed the nelasnse VIII hsDrssszt
About s45o, and
Columbia, thu Trial Yachts, staAA
For $40, 0oo-Defense of the Cup
May Cost s6oo, 900.
Occasional inquiries are made by
thoughtful citizens regarding the cost
Of challenging and defending the
Americas cup, but the answers receiv-
ed are always unsatisfactory. says the
New York Herald. The conclusion Ii
that the expense must be enormous,
but as 1t 10 impossible to obtain any
thing 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 In
possession of few facts that Will give
them a good idea Of the amounts or
money that are expended in trying D
capture the old yachting trophy ana
in the efforts made by the New York
Yacht club to defend 1t.
The planning and building OF cup
challenger or defender involve 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, ana Gap
tain Nat Herresho6, for the DEFEND
ants. for instance, are men VINO place
a high value upon their services, and,
as the owners Of the yachts are liberal
TO q marked degree, opening negotia-
lions with q view to the building OF
cup yacht means a fee that IN some
other profession would be looked upon
az 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
ringers kept In mind, as well as the
sail makers, while finally the skip
pers and crew are secured. Money Is
required By all these, and much OF it
Even after a vessel IL 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.
The rather startling statement was
made BY Sir Thomas Upton four years
nSo that the mere cost Of the Sham
rock /. was between $500, 900 and $780,
900, while the expense of bringing the
vessel across the ocean and that OF her
officers and crew were extra. That
seems a big lot to pay for the vessel,
but Sir Thomas should be the best
authority on the subject of the cost OF
the yacht.
II he expended sum approaching
half q million dollars four years ago
for his challenging yacht the money
the present trip is costing him must be
far in excess OF the figures named. The
Upton feet now here is proof Of that.
1t Is easy to believe that the Shamrock
III. cost quite as much to build as the
Shamrock l., and II Is quite sure the
bringing over Of three crews. those or
the Shamrocks and of the tender
Cruizer, must stand him in bigger
amount than the single crew OF four
years ago and the additional assistance
he obtained in the United States.
So, II S550.000 or more represented
the challenger's outlay the first attempt
he made upon the Americas cup, 1t
can safely be estimated that something
In the neighborhood Of 100000 will be
required to foot the bills at home ana
here incidental to his third trial to
win the old trophy.
With the amount that 1t costs the de-
tending side, however. the interest IL
more widespread. By the time the
yachts are called to sail the first race
for the cup the Reliance, selected to
defend 1t, will have cost, one way and
another, $435, 600 or more. That 10 a
staggering amount to contemplate, but
when everything is cleared up at the
end of the season it may be $4,000
In addition to this sum, there must
be considered that In placing In COM
mission the Constitution her running
expenses reached from SCI, 600 to S70,-
600, while the Columbia has cost Mr.. j.
P1erpont Morgan $4,000 or possibly
$55 600. These figures will therefore
show that the defense Of the cup this
year will approach the very respectable
amount Of $57b.00o or 100000.
The building and rigging of the Re
lance cost fortune. The yachts con-
structon required the best Of work.
men, while all the standing and run
uing rigging was expressly made, and
her canvas occupied the attention OF
large body Of sail makers for months
The Reliance has possibly hundred
different sails, and $4,000 or SO will
represent the cost Of suit. In this
particular the Constitution and the Co
iumbia have not been SO expensive.
The tenders Park City and Satellite
are said to have been purchased BY
Mr.. e. d. Morgan and Mr.. August Bel
mont respectively, but they are valu
able assets and need not be seriously
considered in this financial summary
The tender Sunbeam Is chartered. and
there can be no return from her. but
Sir Thomas tender Cruizer will bt
valua fla after the match