Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-28

which she has started beating the new
Brynhild and the Nyria, the crack OF
last season. The success of this yacht
has given British yachtsmen the idea
that they can be successful in another
attempt to win the cup, and it is prob
able that challenge will come some
time this fall While on this side it is
probable, too, that Mr.. Fife will talk
matters over with yachtsmen here, but
nothing definite will be known about this
until Mr.. Fife himself talks
Columbia Last of Old Type
Under the old rule the chief idea of a
designer was to get the largest possible
sail spread on the smallest possible body
of hull The Reliance carried more than
900 square feet of canvas on what was
called 80 feet of water line. The Reliance
measured 148 feet over all-that is on the
deck. She drew 10 feet inches and her
beam was 25 feet 10 inches. She meas
ured 80 feet on the water line when she
was floating on an even keel, and to be
measured had to be placed in the dock.
where there was not a ripple on the
water. AS soon as she began to sail she
heeled so that a large portion of her
overhang was in the water, making the
length on which she sailed about 1875 feet,
and it was on this 125 feet that she was
able to carry the spread of 10000 square
feet of canvas.
Plainly speaking, she was rule cheat
er. She did not pay anything for the
difference between 80 feet, her water line
length, and the 125 feet she sailed on.
In other words, she gained 35 feet in
length for which she was not taxed. Her
great draught also enabled her to carry
this big sail spread, and the 100 tons of
lead on the bottom of her keel gave her
the necessary stability. Her hull proper
was a mere shell, and as vessel she was
absolutely useless except for racing. She
is probably the last of the big racing
machines. If challenge were to be ac-
cepted under the old rule of water line
length plus square root of sail area diNd-
ed by two there is no reason why vessel
should not be turned out that would be
16O feet over ALL 90 feet on the water
line and spread about $1,000 square feet
of canvas. No one in his senses would
think of sending craft like this across
the ocean.
Deed of Gift Limits Length
The new rule reads: yachts shall be
rated for classification and time allow
ance according to the following formula:
Lenth multiplied by square root of sail
area divided by SO times cube root of dis
placement. Length is not water line
| length but a line measured in such way
] that II DTdCllCdlly 6lNCo biiS iSA4Shit u SAiN
line on which the vessel sails, and to get
a boat of wholesome type load water line
must not exceed this length by more than
! 115 per cent. There is a limit too on
draught, which is OILS times length plus
| . 40 Sail area too is limited so that 1t
must not be more than 1876 per cent of
| length.
The deed of gift says the limit of yachts
| for the cup is ninety feet on the water
line, so that the yachts that will race for
| II under the present rule will be about the
| size of the Queen. The Queen is ninety
one feet on the water line Her draught
| Is fourteen feet ten inches and she spreads
| about II. 900 square feet of canvas. There
are many possibilities in the rule.
designer If he wishes may make boat
of large displacement and give 1t large
sail area, the displacement offsettlng the
! sail spread, or he may build poat ot
small displacement and give 1t small
sail spread; but experience has already
taught that extremes either way do not
work out well.
There Is one thing in the rule that Will
please yachtsmen of the old school. Ihere
is no tax on the centerboard, and with a
limit on draught the centerboard Will be
of great use. The Queen has center
board which increases her draught to
about twenty. five feet
1t is certain, though, that the British
yachtsmen will not have a centerboard
craft, and the next contest for the cup
may be a repetition of the old days