Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-14
SPEEDY BOAT
IS LAUNCHED
SoUlRES' WASP CONFORMS TO
NEW RULES
EXPECTED TO BE FASTEST IN
HER DIVISION
Built Upon Model of Venus, but Be-
leved to Be Improved Type and
Better Raeer-Gets Trial
Next Sunday
BY JACK vIyARTTAs

At Joe Fellows shipyard. Terminal
island, yesterday evening there gath
cred about four dozen members of the
South Coast Yacht club to witness the
launching of the first yacht built in
local waters to conform to the uni
versal rule of measurement. Thls
sloop, Wasp, as she was christened by
Mrs. Fellows, was built for A. M.
Soufres, a prominent member of the
S. G. Y. c., and is in the thirtyfve
foot class, where valiant little Venus
has for eight years reigned supreme
and alone.
Wasp on the stocks indeed was balm
for nautical eyes. Her long, graceful
lines showed to great advantage. her
great beam, likewise her long, power
full overhangs fitted commeasurately
the generous depth which the new rule
of measurement makes possible and
profitable.
Considerable adverse comment has
been heard during the past few months
as TO the adoption of this universal
rule by the local club, which by some
is thought a trif1e premature, but all
good sailor men agree that 1t makes
for safe, comfortable. roomy craft.
Under the old rules yacht that
could carry the greatest sail area on
the shortest possible water line gained
q CONSIDERABLE IiIIe dllONduCe over HeI
rivals and the matter of how much
water she displaced was lost sight of.
Hence, most racing yachts were little
more than shells. Now that the cubic
capacity or displacement is figured into
the size, we shall have real Seagoing
boats.
For several years yachtsmen have
deplored the fact that Venus was alone
In her class. BY many she is believed
to be the most wonderful boat on this
or, for that matter, any other coast.
At any rate the fact remains that she
has for seven seasons been undefeated
by anything anywhere her own size
and not of a few of the cups she has
won have been from boats considerably
larger.
When the news went aboard several
months ago that Jerry Squires had or
dered a boat to beat Venus, and that
from the designer of Venus all the
racing tars sat up and took notice.
There were those who said that it
couldn't be done. that Noley Bradley's
swift little swoop was one of those
happy accidents of marine architecture
that would go undefeated to the last.
But, with Joe Fellows, it was differ
ent. He had built Venus for his own
use and in sailing her during her first
season, nearly eight years ago, he
noticed some good things. Since then,
though she went merrily on in her
winning way, he has noticed some
more things. So when Jerry came and
expressed his wish Joe was glad of the
chance to improve on what he always
has believed was his best model. That
is the reason because why of Wasp.
Now can Wasp beat Venus? Unfor-
tunately, as Sailmaker Lewey is ill in
the Good Samaritan hospital, the sails
for the former are as yet uncompleted
and the true answer to the query will
have to be guessed at until next Sun
day, when the two boats will sail in
the @ and r class regatta of the re-
gatta of the S. C. Y. c.
But, until then, We can and will have
lot of amusement comparing the
measurements of the respective sloops
Wasp has a trif1e of three inches more
length over all, being thirty-five feet,
against 34.9 of Venus. On the other
hand, Venus is foot longer than Wasp
on the water line, but also lacks six
inches of being as beamy or wide as
her new rival.
Ordinarily this might be taken as an
advantage for Venus, but when one
sees the fine clean-cut bottom of Wasp
and notes her powerful stern it is well
to check 1t up to the wise ones to de-
ternline which VIII foot faster or if one
or the other will run off better.
Venus was ever a wonderful boat In
windWard work. Last Fourth of July
even Mischief II, which perhaps is the
best all-round yacht in Southern Cali
fornia waters. had the time of her life
to catch Venus on the way to the Vim
cente whistler from Fermon. 1t was a
dead beat to windward in a gale of pos
sibly twenty-five miles an hour, and
the sea was such as to make the timor-
Gus ones wish for a square foot of terra
firma just to stand upon.
When the great difference in size of
Mischief and Venus is remembered one
can get some idea of the powerful work
of the smaller boat But Joe Fellows
says he has remembered all of this, and
Wasp will be just a little bit better
For instance, the cardboard strake of
Wasp is fully foot lower than that of
Venus, her bow is sharper and just the
slightest bit of width is noticeable in
the quarter of the former, about all of
which Joe says not very much, but
looks wise.
The difference in the measurements
of the two is very little, as will be seen
by the following table;
WASP VENUS
Length over an.............34.9
220..............Length Naterne .............23 80
9s................... Beam .................. 80
5.2............... Draught .................. So
$1,000. Displacement ..,...,.......750O
aU............ Mainsall, square teet.s....,.. bbO
ESTIMATED.
Wasp is fortunate in having for a
mast a stick which has been tried out
for several seasons, it having been con-
sidered too small for Mischief III this
year. 1t measures close to twenty eight
feet above the deck and is clear
cedar stick Her gaff is of spruce and
her main boom is of cedar.
In many ways Wasp is a radical de-
aa-ttT i11r 70 I,a1
Like Venus, she is heavily built, her
frames being of oak, 11aX2 inches and
her white cedar planking being seven
eighths of an inch in thickness. In ap-
pearance she is rs near a twin sister
of the boat she was designed to defeat
as it would seem possible to build two
boats. Even below decks there is very
little difference, both having roomy,
comfortable cabins and plenty of locker
room.
Among The racing yachtsmen it is
hoped that Wasp will not prove so much
better or worse than her older sister
as to make racing between the two
boats a one-sided affair. Let us hope
the two are so evenly matched that
every new contest win he a real one.
and may the best boat always win!
-S-4-S-
AMERICAN LEAGUE STANDING
Won Lost. Pet
Chicago ..........,,',........,. % % .5s3
ST. Louis ........'..,.......,. 2S % $50
Cleveland ....,.....'......." = % $3.50
Detroit .,..-..'.''''''''''''''. 20 " .53