Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-27
SIR THOMAS
STILL HOPES
WANTS TO SEND CHALLENGER
IN 1908
VIII Abide by New Rule, but Says
This Gives American Yaohts-
men All the Best
of 1t

BY Associated Press.
LONDON. Sept. 26.-Sir Thomas Upton
was interviewed tonight after he had
learned the reasons his challenge to race
for the Americas sup had been declined
by the New York Yacht club, and. speSc
as follows:
II still have plenty of time to issue an
other challenge but all depends upon
what 1 am advised to do. Mr.. Fife is
coming especially to consult with me on
the situation. l am willing to consider
most favorably the idea of challenging
with a ninety-foot boat. If that Will be
received under the conditions existing IN
the New York Yacht club, and II Mr.. F11e
can design boat which will give me a
reasonable prospect of success and al
though. a boat might have to be con-
structed as a freak boat, even then
would be only too pleased to do it,
Sir Thomas Upton Is bitterly disap-
pointed at the refusal of the New York
Yacht club to accept his challenge for
another series of races for the American
cup. Sir Thomas said he had been led to
believe that If he challenged under the
universal rule for races in the United
States there was every possibility Oh
his challenge being favorably received.
He added. however, that he had not
given up hope of sending yacht to
Sandy Hook in 190S and alreary had
telegraphed to William Fife, the de-
signer, to come to London for q consul
tation.
There was but one thing which Sir
Thomas was emphatic about, and that
was that he would not challenge under
the old rule One reason for this is
that there is no designer of note in
Great Britain, which includes both Fife
and Milne, who will design boat sim
| liar to the previous Shamrocks. They
| say that to do so would necessitate the
production of even a greater freak than
| those which have already gone to de-
| feat.
Besides, the danger of sailing such
boat across the Atlantic must be taken
into account and Sir Thomas is not
prepared to again risk the lives of men
in such venture.
Sir Thomas, however, has authorized
the Associated Press today to say that
he is prepared to challenge with
ninety-foot boat under the New York
Yacht club rules.
I'm sending the challenge" said Sir
Thomas, 81 conformed with the deed of
the gift of Americas cup. which says
that sloops must be over sixty-fve feet
on the waterline and under ninety feet.
adhered in this respect to size. mas
much as the boat challenged with
would have been about seventy-six feet
on the water line. This also conforms
with the New York Yacht clubs rules
for the class u boats.
Has Another Plan
II am prepared, now that they have
declined to accept my challenge for
this class of boats, to enter ninety
foot boat under the New York Yacht
rules. There is no class expressly de-
fining such a boat but the next class,
class H, providing for boats of eighty
two-foot rating, is capable of produce
ing boat up to ninety-four feet on the
water line"
In explanation of his action in chal-
longing under the New York clubs new
| rules, Sir Thomas said:
international rule, which applies to
| Great Britain, France, Germany Spain
and Portugal, is different from the rule
now existing in the United States,
which is known as the universal rule
and which has been in use in America
for three or four years and under which
dozens of boats have been built. Some
of the most famous, such as the Queen,
Effort, Avenger, Istalena, Winsome and
Nicola are we'll known to yachting men.
ION the other hand boat has never
been built in Great Britain under the
universal rule. so that in making my
challenge I had no pull and was not
asking any advantage. 1t was quite
the other way The American design
ers and builders with their experience
in building boats under the universal
rule have all the best of it,"