The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-17
SHAMROCK LAUNCHED.
Sir Thomas LiptOn's New Yacht
q Splendid Boat.

Glasgow, March 1.-THE ShaTnros- x
III was launched at lis today.
Large crowds gathered at Dennis
yard at Dunbarton, in spite of the
drenching rain. which however. ceased
before the arrival of the special visitors
train Sir Thomas Upton escorted Lady
Shaftesbury to the christening dais.
Among others on the platform were Tie
Earl and Countess of Narandkallie. Lord
Overton, Lord Provost of Glasgow. the
Hon. Charles Russell, Reginald Ward,
William Fife and Captains Wringe ami
Bevis.
At lis p. m. Lady shaftesbury broke
the bottle saying:
I christen you Shamrock. may God
bless you and may you bring US back
the cup"
Then. amid loud cheers the Shamrock
III slid easily into the water. After more
cheering the visitors proceeded to lunch
con.
An examina ton as the yacht was re-
vealed in the launching shed confirmed
the previous dispatches of the ASsocla-
ted Press on the subject and showed
tirely novel lines instead of trying to
tinker or improve on either of the pre-
ViOus Upton challengers. Like her PRE-
deceSsOrs, however the Shamrock III is
limit. Her length over all is 40 feet
The most striking feature of the chal-
lenger is her extremely short fin Il is
just 20 feet long. Her draught is 10 feet
and the fin is almost level along The bot
tom. The lead in the hull is drawn well
down to the fin, suggesting the deep
body typical of the British cutter rather
than the extreme fiat fioored type adapt
ed from the American center5oard
yachts and used in all the recent rhal-
/ lengers.
American wheel steering for the first
/ time replaces the British tiller, and the
U HElrar-
/ through her pounding in head seas has
/ led to longer ana finer drawn bow.
tgiving the challenger the appearance OF
/ being boat capable of negotiating
1 comfortably any moderate sea Vita
4 lesser draft and not so flat fOored as the
previous Shamrocl1s. the challenger will
not have so much stability, so Fife has
either gone in for a light weather boat
OF ne has cut down her sail area. There
are daring. novel features in the design.
4 the effect of which can not be accura te-
/ " gagged except by actual trial. They
suggest the possibility of difficulty in
I getting the new boat to trim. steer and
/ carry her canvas. If, however she &C
/ composites these objects we'll she Will
prove to be by far the most formida bic
( challenger ever sent out
The underbody of the Shamrock III is
painted with a white anti-fouling compo.
sition- Her top sides 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, espe-
cially made The deck is Of aluminium
plates covered with wood, which gives a
safe hold.
The workmanship of the yacht is SUI
Derb in every detail. no dent. rivet or
joint visible under the polish OF her
paint
After the launching Sir Thomas Lip
ton said to correspondent Of the Asso-
ciated Press
My third and perhaps last attempt at
lltlng the Americas cup will be the most
serious and think the most hopeful They
may beat US, but il VIII not be because
4 nave not got the best boat British brains
and Workmen can produce.
II the cup stays in America 1t will stav
| rhere because of the extraordinary genius
| OF the American yacht builder. If he can
produce a still further Improvement in his
art I shall begin to think he is a bit more
than human. There is no question but
that the best boat wins in the international
races. / believe that the Shamrock III
will come nearer filling the bill To my
mind she is marvel in which Fife and
/ Watson have outdone themselves With
good trial races and no accidents her ar
rival in New York should mark the COM
ing of the most formidable challenger ever
sent over I scarcely need add that as
much as I long to win and expect to win
a third defeat VIII only increase my ad-
miration for q people who can beat US al
a game that was once our own
However" added Sir Thomas "a third
defeat is, of course, Quite out Of the qucs-
fiou