The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-08-06
UFafYsF n 0FrFe r-ssrer-et = r
iaOiil iiAvils1 ear EisoE
What It Costs to Defsad the
Americas Cup.
THOUSANDS IN TIE AGGREGATE

when the International Races are
Sailed the Reliance WIN Represent
About s45O,O0o-constitution end
Columbia, the Trial Yachts. stand
For s12o,o0o-Desenso Of the Cup
May cost 100000
Occasional inquiries are made By
thoughtful citizens regarding the cost
Of challenging and defending the
Americas cup. but the answers receiy.
ed are always unsatielactory, says the
New York Herald The conclusion Is
that the expense must BE enormous,
but ats It Is 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 a few facts that will give
them a good idea Of the amounts Of
money that are expended In trying 70
capture the old yachting trophy and
in the efforts made by the New York
Yacht club to defend it.
The planning and building Of a cup
challenger or defender involve much
time and labor and necessarily the out
lay Of large sums Of money The de-
aigner ana bis corps Of assistants are
the first that must be met Mr. Fife,
for the challenging parties, and Cap
tain Nat Herreshon, for the defend
ants for instance, are men who place
| q high value upon their services, and,
as the owners Of the yachts are liberal
to a marked degree, opening negotia-
lions with view to the building of a
cup yacht means a fee that in some
other profession would be looked upon
as staggering in its proportions.
With the designer at work the build
ers in time are consulted, and with ar
rangemeuts satisfactory in this wise
materials must be considered, then the
Triggers 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 is completed and
iplaced in commission alterations and
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
ago that the mere cost of the sham
rock was between 100000 aud $500,
600, while the expense Of bringing the
vessel across the ocean and that Of her
officers and crew were extra That
seems 4 big lot to pay for the vessel,
but Sir Thomas should be the best
authority GA the subject Of the cost Of
the yacht
If he expended sum approaching
half d million dollars four years age
for his challenging yacht the money
the present trip Is costing him must be
far in excess of the figures named. The
Upton fleet now here is proof Of that
lit is easy to believe that the Shamrock
I'LL cost quite as much to build as the
Shamrock l., and it is quite sure the
bringing over of three crews. those Of
the Shamrocks and Of the tender
Cruizer must stand him in a bigger
amount than the single crew Of four
years ago and the additional assistance
he obtained in the United States
| So. II S55O,000 or more represented
The challenger's outlay tile first attempt
he made upon the Americas cuT it
can safely be estimated that something
ia the neighborhood Of 100000 will be
required to foot the bills at home and
here incidental TO his third trial to
win the old trophy
With the amount that it costs the de-
Tending side, however, the interest is
more widespread BY the time the
yachts are called to sail the first race
for the cup the Reliance, selected to
! defend 1t, win have cost one way and
another, S435000 or more. That is q
staggering amount to contemplate, but
when everything is cleared up ut the
end Of the season il may be S450r000
4 In addition to this sum, there must
| be considered that III placing III COM
mission the Constitution her running
expenses reached from S65,000 to S70,-
600 while the Columbia has cost Mr. J.
Pierpont Morgan $4,000 or possibly
$4,000. These figures win therefore
show that the defense of the cup this
year viii approach the very respectable
amount Of S575,000 or 100000.
The building and rigging of the Re
lance cost a fortune The yachts con-
struction required the best Of work
men, While all the standing and run
ming rigging was expressly made, and
her canvas occunied the attention Of q