The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-01
COMMENTS ON THE
GREAT MATCHES /
Importance Of Late Visit Of Sir
Thomas Upton to This
Country.
PATRONAGE IN RACE YEARS
Skipper That Was Found for spc-
cial Work Of Defending
Yachting Trophy.

NEW YORK, December 31.Sir Thomas
Upton carried with him across the At
lantic the echoes OF the plaudlts with
which he was welcomed from New York
to Chicago. and since his departure many
yachtsmen have been specializing upon
tho Importance and the promise OF MS
late visit. Possibly there Is much to con-
template and to speculate upon.
Sir Thomas did not really promise to
challenge anew for tho historic yachting
souvenir. but no talked n great deal about
the trophy. Yet there was always
qualification to his promises an under
current OF vaguencss about his declared
Intentions. He was most friendly and
open In his expressions about the con-
tinucd interest he experienced for "liftiiig
the cup" but the statement that he
would surely send tho New York Yacht
Club another challenge was never pre-.
2 eonally made His speeches at various
yachting dinners given In his honor du
not commit him beyond the assurance
that under certain concessions made by
the custodians OF the Americas Cup. he
might build n new Shamrock to make the
acquaintance OF -his Yankee cousins.
These concessions. 1t Is now seml-ofl-
cially stated, were never received by him.
and so far as the N. Y. Y. c. is concerned.
the situation has not changed In the
least Still. Sir Thomas left this country
with some definite conclusion in the mat
ter. and the whisperings of late have been
that he Will try another challenge, hit nr
miss.
Effect OF Cup Races.
1t is Interesting to consider ut this time
the respective views identified In a busi-
ness way with the sport of yachting upon
the influence OF an international race on
yachting trade In general.
1t cannot be clearly explained why
yacht-builders. riggers. uniform houses,
purveyors, sail-makers. ship-chnndlers ana
others look upon an international season
as synonyne for On off year IN pa
tronage. They seem to agree In the
opinion that 1t has blanket effect upon
their business, because owners of small
craft, and sailing yachts in particular.
are more interested In the races for the
cup than In sailing their boats. which
offer few. IL any, opportunities for join
ing the fleet OF sightseeing vessels on
the ocean course
Therefore, 1t is claimed that many such
yachts are not put in commission, anu
their owners content themselves with
passing the season with yachting friends
on board of steam yachts. from when
vantage point they take In the trial spins
OF the competing candidates to select the
defenders OF the yachting prize and the
great contests OF the match that follow.
Conceding that the foregoing is the
case is It not true that another side -
nyeSentcd? Does not the excitement OF
Such n racing season stimulate the OWL
e,s of steam yachts. of small, med.un
ard big tonnage. to Mt out and to extend
Invitations generous in number TO sport
ing friends and others Interested IN
order to make up the complement OF the
company to Ego down to tina sea-!
What Is lost In the failure OF sailing
yachts to fit out should find an equation
not only in the extra fleet OF steam craft
that break out the owners remnants.
but in the almost countless number OF
pleasure boats which carry down the
bay and ont beyond Sandy Hook thot,-
sands of stgiitseers from New York and
ncighboring cities. Certainly, the main
tenance of all these vessels in the way
of equipment and the feeding of the vast
multitude insure a much larger expeil-
diture of money than for the average
yachting consumption.
The Winning Skipper,
And now ,apropos OF international yacht
racing. something may be written OF tho
man who for three contests for tho
American Cup has stood Mt the wheel
of the American yachts.
1t is not claiming too much to say that
s in two at least OF these battles he alone
contributed by far the greater share to-
ward the preservation of American pride
in this connection. There may be an
other man, or. even other men, in this
country smart enough in all that makes
up a yachting skipper to do what Charles
4 Barr has done with the Yankee craft de-
Tending the cup, but the opportunity for
such trial has been lacking. It is not
given to every sailor to be great spe-
ciaiist. and 1t Is in no wise disparaging
co other American sailing masters. to say
that one was raised up" for this special
&ork. Loyal to the core, Barrs work
. With the Yankee defenders stands out SO
prominently 1t will not easily be forgotten
NY those who still cling to the conviction
AZ held by the late General Philip Schuyler
in all matters relating to the cup-that
4 american designers and Americas intelli-
gent shippers and hardy, well-trained
professional seamen will always be more
than n match for the yachtsmen and SAIL
ors from abroad who may attempt to
lift the cup
That's tho keynote$of Americas yacht
Ing strength. and 1t Is Just as well, as the
year 1905 is slipping away and the dawn
3 OF 1907 Is at hand, to keep itain mind
AT SKATING RINK.
n sas5ta 3S5o si9;35 81