Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-13
REQUEST CAN'T BE MET
Englishman Wants Seventy Five
Foot Limit on Size of Vessels.
FUTURE PLANS IN DOUBT
Question of Amending Conditions
Not Settled-nestriction on
Americas Cup Contests
Explained.

LONDON, March 13-Sir Thomas Lip
ton. challenger for the Americas cup,
expressed the greatest surprise this
morning when informed that the New
York Yacht Club had declined his chal-
lenge because it did not comply with the
conditions of the deed Of gift.
Neither Sir Thomas nor the Royal
Ulster Yacht Club has been officially
notified of the rejection of the challenge.
Sir Thomas said he had not had time
to consider whether he would amend the
conditions Of his challenge so as to
meet the objections of the New York
yachtsmen. He expects. however, to con-
fer with his designer, Nicholson of Cos
port, in the subject Immediately.
Sir Thomas, of course. fully recog-
nized the right of the New York Yacht
Club to decline his challenge because
of the stipulation that the defending
yacht must be of the same size as the
challenger.
Greatly Disappointed.
Nevertheless. he is greatly disappointed,
as he fully expected that the challenge
would be accepted. He said:
"It is the duty of the challenger for
the Americas cup to state the size of
the boat with which he intends to race, as
well as name the days on which the races
are to be held In this / conformed en-
tirely with the conditions of the deed of
gift
''The size of seventy-fve feet on the
water line, which l stipulated. is larger
than that of any cutter of that type on
this side of the Atlantic and as big as
any in America, with the exception of
the Reliance. The race would have been
good one. while there would have been
no race at all il the defender were a
ninety-fOot yacht, racing against my sew
enty-1ye-footer Therefore, I suggested
that both be seventy-five feet on the
water line.
Wanted No Favors.
Il wanted no favors and made what 1
considered a fair sporting offer.
When I challenged six years ago un-
der the universal rule which governs all
yacht racing In America, my challenge
was declined hecauae II did not comply
with the conditiosn OF the deed Of gift.
and the New York Yacht Club had the
right to do. so. Now, when I challenge
according to- the deed of gift my chal-
lenge Is declined because will not. allow
q ninety-foot yacht to race against my
seventy -fve-footer.
s It is understood that Charles c. Allorn,
the owner of the yacht Istria. is a
prospective challenger for the Americas s
cup. He made some attempt last year
to organize syndicate to build chal-
lenger. Mr.. Allom is at present in the
United States.
Another Challenge Possible.
NEW YORK, March 13.-Intimation
that a challenge from some other Eng
lish yachtsman than Sir Thomas Upton
for the Americas cup is anticipated by
members OF the New York Yacht Club
caused considerable speculation in yacht
ing circles today, but there was no an
swer to the question of who the pros
pective challenger might be. The rumors
Of another challenge were coincident with
the decision which the New York Yacht
Club reached late last night to decline
the Upton challenge. which was made
in his behalf by the Royal Ulster Yacht
Club.
1t came as a surprise to many members
of the club when they read the challenge
for the first time last night to find that
Sir Thomas not only proposed a chal-
lenging vessel to exceed seventy-fiye feet
on the water line, but that he would re-
quire the defender to be OF the same di-
mensiOns.
In gossip Of the terms of the challenge
it had been intimated that Sir Thomas
made no conditions as to the defender
except that If in excess Of the seventy
five-foot length the usual time allowances
should be figured.
Terms of Deed Of Gift.
The deed Of gift OF the Americas cup
allows competing vessels of any length
from sixty-five feet to ninety feet and
the maximum length has always pre-
vailed. To be forced to reduce this to a
seventy-five-foot limit under the terms
of the challenge was held by the New
York club to be contrary to the spirit of
| the deed OF gift.
] The vote in rejection of Lipton's terms
was given as Unanimous but this
| means unanimity of only forty out of the
] 800 members of the club who attended
last nights meeting.
The forty members, however, were all
| that were privileged to vote. as the ballot
/ ing was confined to the actual boat-own-
Ing members present. Among other MEM
bers there was some protest against the
| alleged arbitrary action of the club. Evans
r. Dick, jr.. member of the club. who
| expressed such protest, declared that the
| motion to reject the challenge was rail-
roaded" through the meeting.
Vessels Undesirable.
! The yachtsmen of this country admit
| almost unanimously" he said, that the
| type of yacht which has defended the
club within recent years has been the sort
| Of vessel which makes for all that is
undesirable in yachting. The present
yacht racing measurements of the New
4 York Yacht Club were made to drive this
very type of yacht out of existence.
1.-THE recent defenders have been rae
| ing machines pure and simple. which are
and can be of no use whatsoever for the
/ purpose of yachting after the race. They
| are either broken up for junk or kept out