The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-22
THE CHIP III. CASE ABROAD.
Action OF the Chippewa Bay lei Club
Criticised in English Paper.


The wranRle over the American Power
Boat Associations gold challenge CUP has
attracted aome attention in London, and the
action Of the executive committee OF the
Power Boat Association has been commended.
The Yochtn0 World, referring to this case.
says:
The restrictions upon improvement OF
motor design. outside well grooved lines,
imposed by existing rating rules were never
more clearly demonstrated than by the recent
award OF the American Power Boat Associa-
lions gold cup to Sparrow. on protest against
the Leighton boat Chip ii. The facts were
that the extremely long stroke Two cylinder
two stroke motor OF the latter boat possessed
a third cylinder. used exclusively as a mix
ture pump. the dimensions OF which the
official measurer ignored. rightly or wrongly.
The result was that the use OF this cylinder
increased the horsepower Of the motor by
increasing its m. e. p. above what the two
stroke measuring formula provided for. The
regatta committee. however. not being
satisfied that the existing rating was correct,
made no award but referred the matter 70
the executive committee. The latter. con-
sidering that in spite OF the circumstances
detailed above the increase Of horsepower
was fairly obtained and constituted a valuable
improvement and not a mere subterfuRe,
decided 10 overrule the protest and wrote
TO the regatta committee. instructing them
to make the award In favor OF Chip H., CON
to the rules the protest should have been
overruled in the first place.
"Whereupon the regatta committee, citing
still other rules. and making out that by
their not doing so the executive had shown
that they had no power to make any award,
disregarded the instructions OF the latter and
made the award to Sparrow on A new rating
Of Chip III. Personally, we consider that by
referring the case TO the executive in the
first place they had dCputed their usual right
rs q regatta committee TO adjudiCate finally,
and could not therefore renounCe II, but were
bound to act az instructed. right OF wrong,
But still, seeing THAI they made what they
considered to be the spirit of the rating rule
their standpoint, IL may be admitted that
they were Justified to some extent. At the
same time, considering that their executive
gave them the common sense reading Of the
ders only, their action seems TO have been
hidebound, If nothing else. AZ il tends directly
10 staRnation of design rather than the inn
prOvement for which designers have a right
TO expect a margin.
AS a result. not only was the slower boat
adiudRed the winner but Chip ii. was even
beaten for second place by the cruiser Jewel.
And to show the stupidity of their action, II
will be seen that its logical conclusion is that
air pressure cylinders, such as those some
times used for the starting Tor reversing Of
big motors, must be rated as working cylin-
ders, forsooth. Also that q superior COM
mittee Ia only to be obeyed when it's decisions
coincide with those of the majority Of the
rock and shipwreck and dissension any rating
rule based merely on cylinder measurement
instead Of cylinder function is likely to be-
como