Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-18
SHAMROCK III
Launched at GIasgow--Chrls-
tened by Lady Shaftesbury'
Departure from Usual Style Said to
Be Very Marked.
But Just Wait Till She Tackles the
Reliance.

Glasgow March 11.-The Shamrock
Ill. Sir Thomas Liptons challenger
for the Americas cup, was successfully
launched, at lis O'Clock Tuesday after
noon.
A heavy gale prevailed on the Clyde
during the morning, and for a time the
Dennys, constructors of the vessel.
thought ii would be inadvisable to send
the yacht into the water. The weather
moderated toward noon, however, and
the launching program was carried out.
At lis p. NJ, Lady Shaftesbury
broke the bottle saying, Il christen you
Shamrock; may God bless you and may
you bring back the cup
Then, amid loud cheers the Sham
rock Ill. slid easily into the water
After more cheering, the visitors
proceeded to luncheon.
Large crowds gathered at the Den
ny's yards at Dumbarton, in spite of
the drenching rain. which, however,
ceased before the arrival of the special
visitors train. Sir Thomas Upton es-
corted Lady Shaftesbury to the chris
tening dias. Among others on the
platform was the Earl and Countess
of Mar and Kelie: Lord Overton, lord
provost of Glasgow the Hon. Charles
Russell, Reginald Ward, William Fife
and Capts. Wringe and Bevis.
An examination of the Shamrock III.
in the launching shed showed that Fife
had struck out boldly on entirely novel
lines. instead of trying to tinker or i'm
prove on either of the previous Upton
challengerS. Like her predecessors,
however, the Shamrock III. is built
close up to the 90-foot water line limit.
Her length over all is 40 feet. The
most striking feature of the challenger
is her extremely short fin. 1t is just
90 feet long. Her draught is 10 feet
and the fin is almost level along the
bottom. 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 fioored type,
ada pied in the American center board
yachts and used in all recent challen-
gers
American wheel steering for the first
time replaces the British tiller and the
lesson furnished with the Shamrock III.
through her pounding in head seas has
led to q longer and finer drawn bow.
gEng the challenger the appearance
of being boat capable of negotiating
comfortably any moderate sea. with
less of draft and not being so fiat floor
ed as the previous ShamrockS. the
challenger will not have so much sta
bilty, so Fife has either gone in for
light weather boat or he has cut down
her sail area.
There are daring novel features in
the design. the effect of which cannot
be accurately gagged except by actual
trial. They suggest difficulty in get
ting the new boat to trim, steer and
carry her canvass. IT, however, she
accomplishes these objects, she will
prove the most formidable challenger
ever sent out.
During the Afternoon, the challenger
was lowed to Greenock. where she will he
placed in dry dock. The yacht Will he
0oated. tomorrow without the pontoGns
on which she was launched, today.
CAPT. Wrirge and the Shamrock HIS
crew have already taken up their quar-
tiers on board the yacht.
Among the kilograms received by Sir
Thomas Upton was one wishing nm good
luck from Senator kcarns.