New-York tribune., 1907-10-02
NO BRITISH CHALLENGE.
SIR THOMAS NOT TO RACE.
English Yachtsmen ApproUe His
Athtude-Reasons GiUen.

Dublin, Oct 1.-sir Thomas Upton again has
expressed his deep regret at the refusal of the
New York Yacht Club TO accept his challenge to
a race for the Americas Cup, and in a long let
ter to the Royal Irish Yacht Club abandons his
hopes for contest. The committee of the club
met tonight
while recognizing the responsibilities of the
members Of the club trustees of the Americas
CUP writes Sir Thomas. 'ft might be pointed
out that when the deed of gift was drawn up
the developments which have taken place in re-
gard to the modern racing OF yachts could not
have been foreseen.
L have already competed three times under
the conditions of the deed of gift with the modi-
hcations arranged under the mutual agreement
clause. and my personal experience of these
contests is such that 1 consider that the handi-
cap Of having to design a vessel of the type
which has been gradually developed during re-
cent years and which shall be of sufficiently
light construction. Yet capable Of being taken
with safety its bottom across the At
lantic. entirely precludes the possibility of COM
neting on equal terms with a vessel which is
not compelled to make this voyage. My
present challenge drawn up with the view
of complying with the principal conditions of
the deed of gift. and at the same time encourag-
ing the type of vessel which has been approved
and adopted by the New York Yacht Club. The
sport of yachting. apart from the pleasure de-
rived therefrom, is, to my mind only desirable
so long as it serves the purpose of improving
the type Of vessel engaged. and it was in that
spirit that I desired to challenge under the
rules so wisely adopted y the New York Yacht
Club some three months ago for application in
all its races
I recognize that the members of this club are
well within their rights in deciding as they have
vet 7
able. under the mutual agreement clause. to
meet me in my wish 10 have race under their
own universal rule which. in my opinion. en-
courages a very wholesome and desirable type
of yacht
I'm view Of their attitude. however. there is
nothing left but to abandon the idea Of a CON
test for the present although I am always pre-
pared. under mutually satisfactory conditions, to
arrange a race"
The committee Of The Royal Irish Yacht Club.
in sending by cable its formal Acknowledgement
of the refusal of the challenge expressed the
regret Of the committee and all the members
OF the club that race could not be arranged
At the same time the secretary of the committee
teegraphed Sir Thomas Lipton's letter in full.
one Of the leading honorary officials Of the
Royal Irish Yacht Club in an interview after
the issue OF the reply to the New York Yacht
Club. said that the committee had approved Of
confning the reply TO a mere formal acknovI-
edgment. The terms of the communication Of
the New York Yacht Club precluded discussion
although the position assumed In the New York
Hacht Cluhs resolutions was debatable on sev-
eral points. The official mentioned two of them
one Is that the deed of gift provides for the
notifications Of all conditions Of race bv rail-
'uaI agreement, and therefore might he applied
10 the encouragement and development Of sea
worthy yachts OF the highest type on lines ap-
proved by the yachting world This develop
ment was indicated in ;he New York Yacht
Club rules, under which it was proposed 20
race. The second point. the official Of the Irish
ciub continued, was found in that il was mac
curate to state that the dimensions Of the chal-
Iehger were not indicated I'm the letter OF the
Royal Irish Yacht Club When the class was
mentioned all the necessary indications were
given. and the class OF the New York Yacht
Clubs regulations specified in the chal-
lenge. Discussion, however was now useless
Many yachtsmen this side Of the Atlantic
regard the resolutions Of the New York Yacht
Club as removing the Americas Cup outside
the field Of sports. and hold that Sir Thomas
Upton would have put himself in the wrong
with British yachting opinion had he acted
otherwise than ne has done They hope that
he will transfer his interest in the sport to
home waters
THE New York Yacht Clubs decision is in
reality decision Of steam yachtsmen," the
Irish official continued, and it is to be regretted
that the younger generation OF American
yachtsmen could not make their opinion pre-
vail in the real interest Of the sport. fear that
Cup races are thing OF the past as an object
of interest 10 the yachting world. Spurious in
teress might revive the races but il is not
possible 10 hold genuine international contest
under the conditions indicated by the New
Yor (Tl,b he oft
ditions would imply that the challenger
either no genuine yachtsman. that he had
in view some other object than the interest Of
sport.
"As far as the Royal Irish Yacht Club is con-
cerned the question is ut an end"