Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-12
RELIANCE TAKES TO WATER
Cup Defender SUCCESSFULLY Launched in
Prsge-os Of Thousands.
LOOKS LIKE SPEEDY RACING CRAFT
should Move Fast Down wind, Al
though Point of Sailing
f. Shamrock Best, Ac-
cordinE to Yachtsmen.

BRISTOL, r. l., April 11.-With an Amer
lean eagle on its DOW the cup defender Re-
lance was launched at the Herreshon
works Just before shutdown today.
Five hundred persons stood beside the
glistening underbody of the yacht when ut
5:31 Miss Cora Iselin, daughter OF the man.
aging owner, broke the traditional bottle
of champagne, saying at the same time: II
christen thee Reliance, and may God bless
thee
Laurel wreaths and punches OF pinks tied
with red and black ribbons, the racing col
ors Of Mr.. Iselin. we're festooned forward.
and as the yacht slowly drew out OF the
shop the American yacht ensign was raised
at the stern. with Mr.. Iselin's private sig
nal amidships and the colors Of the New
York Yacht club at the bow.
Three Thousand watch Ceremony.
Three thousand persons in steam yachts.
rowboats, on the two piers and back on the
street behind the shops greeted the initial
plunge with lusty cheers, while a bugler
on a torpedo boat played the "Star Span
gled Banner"
Among the yachts anchored of the works
was Constitution, the unsuccessful candi-
date for cup honors two years ago and this
year uesllneU 10 De one OF the keeneSt RI
walls against Reliance.
Constitution was gaily bedecked with flags
and as Reliance lay for a few minutes
alongside its older sister some comparison
Of the lines of the two boats could be
made. 1t was seen that the bow of Reli-
ance turns out Of the water more sharply,
that its stern is lower and fatter and that
1t has a trihc less freeboard. The new
boat, however, was soon hauled back into
the dock, where 1t will be rugged.
II is expected IL will have its trial spin
in about ten days, after which 1t will have
a thorough trying out, meeting both Con-
s~titution and Columbia in a series of races
in Long Island Sound, off Sandy Hook and
at Newport. Should it prove superior to
its two -ivals it will meet Shamrock III in
the first of the cup races on August 81.
Thorough American Yacht.
Reliance is a decided departure on the
part of the Herreshoffs from their previ-
Gus cup defenders and is an excellent ex-
ample Of the American type Of fiat-foored
hn-keeled boats. 1t is not such an ex-
treme Swimming keeled dish as was Inde-
pendence, but It nevertheless resembles the
Crowninsbield boat more than any Of its
predecessors built here. Its lines are easy
with few hard places and a graceful, sweep
ing curve from the bilges into the gar
boards. It's stern is fiat, so that it will
leave but little wake, while It's bow, al
though not quite so broad and fiat as that
Of Independence, is still much different
from the bow OF either Constitution OF
Columbia.
1t has a long keel, but owing to its good
beam does not carry so much lead in the
bulb as the other cup defenders. It's bow,
toward the end, is quite sharp, while its
t%affrail measures scarcely eight feet. Its
greatest beam is we'll up in the shoulders
and is carried aft many feet. At the water
line, forward, 1t is curved like the inside
OF a saucer.
1t is believed that it's strongest poin,
Of sailing will be with started sheets In
a comparatively smooth sea. 1t is also
likely to go fast Town the wind, the Ions
keel holding It we'll on the course. Its
weakest point, therefore, will be on the
wind, with hattened sheets. a point or
which Shamrock III is said to be fast
The broad floor Of Reliance will probably
cause it to pound considerably, especially
in a lumpy sea.
The boat, however, with its easy lines
and its tremendous sail spread Of over
$1,000 square feet. will be easy driven, AMI
IL seemed to be the unanimous opinion Of
those yachtsmen who saw 1t today that II
would prove the fastest sailing vessel evei
built.
Furnished Metal shows Like Gold.
The Furnished underbody Of Reliance, al
IL stood propped up in its cradle, aroused
much admiration. II shone like old gold
and so we'll had It been rubbed down by the
sailors that It seemed as il the bolts mus
have been parts of the plates. The seam!
were scarcely discernible, while the ruddel
was a marvel OF workmanship.
The christening party cam ashore from
Sunbeam just before $3.50 and at once
mounted to a little staging which ran ou'
toward the starboard bow Of the yacht
Suspended by a wire from the side Of the
boat was a quart bottle of American cham.
payne, around the neck of which were tn,
Iselin colors. Miss Iselin, who was gowneC
in dark blue velvet and wore a picture
hat was accompanied by her father anC
Newbury Thorne, Captain Woodbury. Kane
Colonel William Goddard, Mrs. Iselin'i
father-in-law. and her sister, Miss Fanni,
Iselin. In the meantime N. G. Herreshoff
Captain Barr, who will command the boat
and a dozen Of the sailors, had mounted
the deck. AT 5:S1 a bell sounded and Inn.
mediately the boat began to move. As soor
as 1t was fairly started Miss Iselin brok,
the bottle with a silver hammer, naminl
the boat as she did so.
General cheering and a dash for pieces
of the broken bottle as souvenirs followed
while the foaming wine s~plashed on tn,
floor below.
1t took just ten minutes to launch Re.
lance.
cHAI ENGER'S TIME IS 81 nW