The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-29
A VIEW OF "RELIANCE."
What Yacht Expert Says of the
New Craft.

What Yacht Expert Says of the
New Craft.
John r. Spears in Philadelphia Press.
New York, April 26.-Although the
new cup defender, Reliance, has not
yet been beside either the faithful old
Columbia or the Constitution, it is
possible to make several comparisons
of no small interest, in view of the fact
that Shamrock III. is manifestly a
better ship than any challenger that
has come across the sea.
Even the usual observer will see, for
instance, that the spread of sail on
the Reliance is much larger than that
on either of the old boats, and
greater sails should mean greater
speed, if no mistake has been made in
the model of the hull and if it is pos
sible to make the larger sails fit the
wind as we'll as the smaller.
AS to the fit of the sails, of which
some doubt has been expressed, 1t is
certain that the mainsail of the Relt-
ance looks better than anything ever
seen above defender on first trial.
Moreover the work done by the sail
was in a way extraordinary. For
when the breeze came with sufficient
to her sailing lines Capt. Barr repeat
eddy showed her up into the wind until
her head sails were all a-tlutter, and
yet in that condition the yacht drove
on, eating up to windward with but
slightly diminished speed.
In connection with the fit of the sail
is the ifact that the gait as already
noted hangs almost directly above the
BOOM In this respect the new yacht
Gov 70 Hn n
1t is generally conceded now that
CONSTITUTIONS failure two years ago
was due to her sails and not to the
model of the hull, and in no respect
was she more defective above deck
than in the swing of the GAIT. Her
reshoff shifted her peak ballard blocks
in the hope of improving her, but 1t
was done when too late.
In designing the sails of Reliance he
has plainly kept the Constitutions de-
feet in mind, and he has entirely
avoided it in Reliance. With the peak
! of her mainsail well in board, she
should point at least a half point high
er than either of the old defenders,
and still hold her speed. The long, fiat
fin of Reliance, with it's lead well
down, is not easily lifted by the power
applied to the sails. That power In
fact, is unable to lift her fin. But
WH6n Ill IlCClo W bilC NihN
her little fin offers but small resist
| ance to the power on the sails and
| over she goes.
Sir Thomas Upton says that when
the mast gave way the other day the
water was six feet deep on her lee
deck. In her disposition to roll and
spill the wind out of her sails, Sham
rock III. is apparently inferior to
! Shamrock H. A feature of Reliance
! is the ease with which she Passes
through the water. In this respect Re
lance is superior to Columbia and still
| more superior to Constitution. 1t
doesn't follow, necessarily, that the
Reliance is the more speedy because
she disturbs the water less, but 1t Is
{ a very hopeful indication.
| A curious feature of the new defen-
| der is the way she has of poking her
nose out of the water when going al
| high speed. She rises forward because
of the wide, fiat surface there. She
slides up on the waves. This tendency,
it may be hoped, will obviate much
of the pounding which some pessi-
mists have predicted for the new de-
| fender. Another very encouraging
| feature is the apparent fact that the
Reliance steers easily.
On the whole, it is certain that the
old salts never felt as hopeful of g
| new boat at her first trial as they dc
| about Reliance. This is not to SAY
| positively that she is the best ever
that cannot be told until she has haC
two or three fair trials with others