Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-11-19
Is cur IN DANGER ?
yachtsmen Think SIR Thomas Lip
toms Chances Better.

saws a writer IN New York paper. The
best informed yaohtsmen are OF opinion
that the coming series Of races will be the
hardest in the history Of that big inter
national prize, and that unless yachtsmen
realize very soon what has TO be done 70
keep the cup in this country, Sir Thomas
Upton will have his best opportunity OF
carrying it away.
| Conditions this year are such that at
present yachtsmen and designers are
working almost in tho dark on lis defense,
and much more strenuous work has to.be
done very shortly than has been done up
| to date tor the defense OF the trophy. The
| New York yacht club has arranged q series
| OF races with the Royal Ulster yacht club.
and the conditions are such that neither
side has any apparent advantage, but
really the defenders OF the cup are morc at
| q disadvantage than they have been since
the cup was won first In 1851.
| One reason for this Is that the rules Of
measurement are different from those OF
former contests. When the yachts were
measured under the old rule OF water line
length and sail area. there was always at
least one yacht after a series bad been
finished tbs, was available for the mex,
series. In this way II was necessary for
the defending club, which always has
been the New York yacht club, TO build
only one defender, and the new yacht
was tried out against the defender OF
| the last series. This trial boat always
showed what progress bad been made, and
/ ia every instance except ono - when the
Constitution wss built the new yacht has
/ been the defender. Even now, under the
old rules, the club has the Reliance, which
could be used at defender or as q trial
horse.
| The officers Of the club always have
been very generous with the subscriptions
TO new syndlcates for the purpose Of
building cup defenders, and this year, a.
ON former occasions, the flag officers, past
and present, have subscribed literally to
a fund which is TO desray the cost of
building a new yacht by Herrcshor and TO
| pay its running expenses. These expenses
not nearly a. great as in former years. A
cup defender OF the seventy-fyc foe, class
buiit to conform to the present rules viii
no, cost more than seoo,o 600 at the outside
Under the present rules many problems
present themselves 10 the designers, and
even Herreshon. with all his skill and
knowledge of yacht designing and build.
ing, cannot tell now which will be the
bes; type of yacht to be built. He hasa
leaning toward certain features In each
set, but like other designers who have
studied the question, he cannot tell what
is the best thing to do.
According to the rules which are to
govern the building OF these cup yachts, d
designer has Ioss OF latitude. He may
turn out big bodied vessel, a vessel with
displacement, and on thai hull pat q bis
driving power. The rules put premium
ON displacement and penalty on power,
NO that the gain on yacht having lots Of
displacement squaiires tbs penalty In
CURED hy lie excessive sail area or driving
power. Another way Is 20 design n yacht
with a small displacement and on this pu,
small sail area, and the big and the little
yachts, II properly designed. would rate
equally and sail on even terms. Another
designer might elect TO turn out vessel
OF moderate displacement and on that put
big sail area, mourning a penalty In
measurement by 50 doing, but hgarine
that his yacht, with this additional driy-
ing power, could afford to concede time to
her competitors and yet win the race in
average weather.
This year there Is at present no trial
yacht against which the one defender TO b
built by Herreshoff can be raced. Thers
is no racing yacht OF seventy-dve feet
waier-Iine in these waters. Sir Thomas
Upton has his twenty-three meter yacht
Shamrock, which Is about seventy thres
feet on the water line. and that yacht
which IL the fastest in her class and vcs-
| sci OF high speed will be used ss the trial
boat for the Shamrock w., the cup chal-
icnger.
The challenger will be sailed against ths
older yacht, and the races viii show De.
| ssxner Nicholson Just what he has TO Dc
to improve the challenger and 20 get into
perfect racing form. Sir Thomas Upton
has fine machine, toe, in the way OF 1
clever professional skipper and = gooc
crew. These men have been working to-
ge,her for several years, and perfect ma
chine ON board 9 racing yacht is worth
many minutes over thirty-miie course.
Herreshoz has said that he would prefel
TO build only one yacht, but IL Is said by ,
welI-informed yachtsmsn that, in making
that statement, he did not mean to ex
ciude every one from taking part in tbs
defence OF the cup. but. having some re
putation as q designer and builder, he did
not care to undertake TO build more thai
one cup defender, which was for the New
York yacht club syndicate, unless he wa
satisfied that the yacht would be handled
we'll. II be is satisfied that the yachtsner
, who want him to build q second yacht ar
able to handle the yacht properly. he Il
willing 10 do what he can TO turn out I
J fast defender.