The Detroit times., 1908-07-17
THOMAS Upton IN
FAVOR OF NEW
|NTN'L CUP
SUGGESTS THAT PRESIDENT OF.
FER UNITED STATES TROPHY.
OPEN TO THE WoRLo-WouLp
BUILD TWO BOATS.

LONDON, July 17.-"Why not in
stitute new international yacht rae
Ing trophy open to the entire world -
asked Sir Thomas Upton OF your cor
respondent at the Hotel Savoy. Let
IT be really a national cup, donated by
that universal sportsman. President
Roosevelt. Let 1t be a perpetual tro-
ply. truly international, allowing the
best yachts OF as many countries as
may enter to contest for II. II such a
cup were offered all the leading
yachtsmen In Europe would surely
have to try for the prize, and person
ally III agree to build two boats and
have the better Of the two at the start
Ing buoy when the gun is fred.
To win trophy such as | suggest
would satisfy me equally as well as
lifting the America cup, because
such prize would be as truly nation
al for America as the America cup,
which you will recall was originally
the queens cup. | am sure the presi-
dent would readily fall In with this
idea with his love and desire for the
promotion of sport, and what more At
ting finale for the sporting side Of his
presidency could there be than donat-
ing a national cup for international
yacht racing? This suggestion make
contingently and entirely In the inter
est of sport.
To Use Universal Rule.
IF the New York Yacht club feels
1t cannot consistently interpret the
deed OF gift more elastically and per-
NIT contestants for the America cup
to build yachts under the universal
rule drafted by Herreshoff and en-
forced in the New York Yacht clubs
yacht club In the United States, the
holders Of the America cup might as
well Theoretically seal the trophy In
their safe. for while men, like myself,
who have money to build yachts may
have an earnest desire to challenge,
reputable designers cannot be found
In Europe who will undertake a COM
mission to plan boat under the old
scow or freak design.
III. as | say, the New York Yacht
club feels bound to refuse challengers
built under the universal rule, then I
suggest as an alternative that a ma.
tional cup be given by the president
to be called the United States cup.
Such prize would promote the best
international yachting. It would truly
internationalize the sport, and more
over with a large number Of entries,
which there surely would be. there
would be real racing. The idea has
just come to me, but II strikes me as
worthy of consideration. The first race
could, without difficulty, be held next
year and could be off Sandy Hook,
which l think Is the finest course In
the world. 1t Is far fairer to Euro
pean yachtsmen than some English
and continental courses would be to
American yachtsmen, because Sandy
Hook Is free of the tricky. battling cur.
rents which European courses are
not.
What Sir Thomas Would Wish.
Personally, | should prefer Sandy
Hook In the event that such a prize
is offered, because as that course was
the scene OF repeated British defeats,
should like to achieve victory there.
The president after donating the cup
could nominate committee OF lead
ing sportsmen to draft the rules and
arrangements. All that | would per-
sonally ask would be that contesting
yachts be build under universal rule.
Don't think that my insistence upon
this rule indicates that British design
ers would have any advantage over
American designers, because up to
the present there never has been a
yacht designed or built in England
under the universal rule. On this
side we work under the international
rule, but with the universal rule. be-
licve British designers would have q
chance to show their worth, which in
designing scows like my other Sham
rocks they did not have. A boat built
under the universal rule would ,e
seaworthy and could cross the Allan.
tic safely, whereas with the old Sham.
rocks there always was chance, de-
pite the feet Of guardian tenders, that
some accident would happen and send
the boat and crew to the bottom"