Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-28
CUP RACE
SEEMS SURE
FAMOUS SCOTCH DESIGNER HAS
ARRIVED
DISPLACEMENT RULE WILL
GOVERN
Sir Thomas Upton Believed to Be
Preparing Challenge for Fourth
Attempt to Lift Amer
icas Pride
WILL

yacht designer, recently arrived in New
York on his way to the lakes Hardly
had he landed, when the talk of another
Americas cup race was revived, and the
wise ones of the east think Mr. Fife will
observe particularly the sailing of the
new boats, designed under the new dis
placement rule.
He designed two of the Shamrocks, and
many of the swift smaller craft. This
year a forty-footer, Crusade, has been
built from his plans to sail for the Can
ada cup on Lake Ontario. She will com
pete with two Canadian designed boats
for the privilege of sailing at Rochester,
and is expected to do all kinds of things
to them.
This year the Canada cup races are Of
more than ordinary Importance. The
three challengers and the defending
yacht, the Seneca, built by Herreshoff,
are designed to conform to the American
rule of measurement and it will be the
first meeting of British and American
designers under this rule.
Upton Willing to Try Again
The next race for the Americas cup,
which 1t is said will be sailed next year.
will produce yachts designed under this
rule, and Mr.. Fife's visit here is for a
twofold purpose He will interest him
self in his own yacht and he will study
the workings of the new rule and get the
ideas of the different American designers,
and particularly of Herreshoff.
When Sir Thomas Upton was here last
fall he conferred with the leading mem
bers of the New York Yacht club. He
told them that he was anxious to try
again to capture the Americas clup, and
that If he failed on his fourth effort he
would retire and let some other yachts
man carry on the fight. He told the New
York Yacht club members that as he un-
derstood the history of the America cup
t. had been offered to improve yacht de-
signing and building, burt tina. under the
old rule only freaks had been developed.
He admitted that it was useless for a
challenger to try to win under the old
rule, because the challenger was handi-
capped by having to cross the oceap, and
that on the other side there were no de-
sgners or builders who would turn out
a freak of the kind necessary to have a
chance to win the cup, because the dan
ger of sending it across the Atlantic was
too great and the yacht and all her crew
might be lost.
Sir Thomas told the members that he
had sent over three yachts and that one
when she arrived was leaking so badly
that it had been feared that she would
founder on the voyage. She was lightly
necessary to turn out such a craft in
order to have chance to win. He pointed
out that under the old rule the challenger
was beaten before she left the other side,
because on this side it was only necessary
to build O craft that would hold together
long enough to win the cup, and she did
not have to be built strongly enough to
cross the ocean.
New Rule Makes Better Boats
Sir Thomas tod the members that as
he understood the changes that had been
made in the rules they too had realized
that freaks should be barred in the reg
ular classes for yacht racing and that
those yachtsmen who wished to build
wholesome types of yachts should be en-
couraged and for that purpose certain
rules had been framed and passed by the
club and by all other clubs racing on the
Atlantic coast under which a good boat
would be butt. He then told the mem
bers that If he were told that chal-
lenge under the new rules would be ac-
cepted he would make his plans to send
such a challenge. He did not ask for
any letter from the club, but would be
willing to take the word of those pres
ent.
There was one member of the club at
this luncheon who announced that ne
did not agree with Sir Thomas and that
in his opinion the Americas cup stood
for speed on a given water lire length
and should not be governed by any other
rules than the deed of gift. He also
said that he would use his influence with
the club to maintain this view, but other
members present took the side or Sir
Thomas Upton and 1t was practically
understood that Sir Thomas should not
issue challenge for a race TO be issued
this year but wait and race in 1908. The
club argued that the rule was an ex-
pertinent. 1t might prove a failure and
it was also said that some action was
to be taken to govern construction and
that a committee on scantlings was to
be appointed.
Sir Thomas friends wanted him to
challenge at once. They said that wait
ing year would give the American de-
signers a years experience which would
count for much, and they certainly nave
an advantage, as under the new rule the
Queen, the Effort Irolita, Istalena, Au-
rora, Winsome and several smaller boats
have been built, and these yachts have
shown on what lines the best speed can
be obtained. They have shown, too, that
those who found fault with the rule be-
cause it would not produce speedy yachts
are at fault.
Freaks No Longer Wanted
Sir Thomas went away saying that he
would at once get to work. He consult
ed with Fife and Mylne, and these two
designers have been working all the
winter studying the rule. The American
rule does not differ much from the Brit
ish rule. Both are framed to tax the
freaks. They put a premium on dis
placement and limit draught, over all
length and sail area, and consequently
a yacht to fit the rule properly must be
a fair one and have no extravagant
ideas.
Sir Thomas Upton said, too, that 1t
was a long task preparing for a chal-
lenge. He would not challenge first and
make his plans afterward, but get his
model, arrange for the assembling of the
material to be used in the construction
of the yacht, and then when the chal-
lenge was accepted he would be ready
to go right ahead. In this way he to
a certain extent overcame the ten months
notice that he had to give to the chal-
lenged club but he lost again through
having to cross the ocean. 1t took two
weeks to get ready for the voyage, two
to fit out again after arriving here and
three weeks to cross the ocean.
This season Fife has turned out a
cutter the White Heather, which ex-
perts on the other side declare to be