The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-05-29
FIN KEELS
ARE 1000
YEARS OLD
The HereShOff Model
Popular Before
Moses Day
Remarkable Model Recently
ReSurrected from an
Ancient Egyptian
Tomb

For some years the designers OF
fast yachts have been unconsciously
initiating the racing craft which was
in use 1000 years ago It is possible
that the lines of our newest cup chal.
lengers and defenders are even older.
The Herreshoff model, in other words,
was not improbably popular with
boatmen more than twenty centuries
before Christ The boating enthusi.
asts of ancient Egypt probably en-.
joyed the races on the Nile between
boats resembling our modern racers
while the pyramids were being built.
The line of the ancient pleasure
boats are preserved In a remarkable
model which has been resurrected re.
Gently from the Egyptian tomb. The
model which has been preserved for
so many centuries is little more than
a toy. yet there can be little doubt
that II followed very closely the lines
popular among yachtsmen in that dis
tant day. The model is obviously Of
a
racers. the hull has been cut down for
the sake of speed, until Il is quite i'm.
practicable for commercial use. Even
this crude model clearly indicates a
remarkable skill in the boat builders
art. Compared with the best modern
shells. the lines OF this ancient craft
appear very fast.
The most surprising thing about the
L. ~. "A.
keel. For a rowboat this dimension is |
extraordinary. The latest models |
used In the great regattas. both in |
America and England, seem shallow
and slow by comparison. The depth |
OF keel. in fact, approaches that OF
the very latest international cup race
yachts. and almost duplicates the de.
signs OF the fastest yachts of a few
years since. Twenty years ago and
less the fastest built yachts on either
side of the Atlantic bore a striking
resemblance 20 IN. 2O00 b. G. model
II would seem beyond all question
that this is the origin OF the fin keel.
There has been some controversy rs
TO whether this form originated in
England or America. Both countries
are evidently copiers. and all the dis
cussion as 10 the merits OF such a
model is probably a mere rehash OF a
discussion which was decided centur.
les ago.
The overharg OF the 1000 b. c. mod.
el, II will be seen. was considerably |
forward thus anticipating the fastest
models OF tcday. The ancient Egyp-i
tians mus have realized the increased |
sensltlveuess of the beat 10 the tlHer
in such o construction. The crew are |
seated forward. thus throwing the |
weight considerably past the center |
After some centuries OF experience de |
signers OF modern boats have made |
the same discovery and adopted a sim. |
liar method The center OF gravity. |
indeed In the ancient craft must |
come very near the point at which the |
mast is stepped on modern racer
The line OF the prov OF the 2000 h. |
G. model has never been approached
in boat building until within a few
years. Even tho cup challengers and
cup defenders OF twenty years ago
showed no such lines. The ancient
boat with such a prov, no matter
what might have been her other de.
fects, could scarcely have helped be-
ing very fast.
The stern is not so fast as in our
best modern yachts. yet IL is similar
TO those of the speediest ocean liners.
II would also appear that the Egyp-
tian boat carried It's lookout much the
same as In modern boats. In the
steering gear, II the model is 10 be
trusted, there has been considerable
improvement