New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-13
A VIEW IN ENGLAND
OF RACE FOR CUP
"The Yachting Monthly Points
Out That Designers Have
Learned to Set Sail.
SLAP AT THE CLUB HERE
Calls Declining of Original
Challenge Most Unmanly
Act in History of
Yacht Racing.

Just TO show how some British yachts
men feel concerning Sir Thomas Lptons
latest determination to lift the Amer
ica's CUP. the following editorial in the
current issue of The Yachting Month
H." in England is reprinted 1t says:
There have been so many false starts
i'm recent challenges for the America ;
Gun that the latest has been received
with al certain amount OF apathy py the
general public. Yet this latest cmdlIenso
is practically certain 10 mature. Inc III
cumstances of the challenge are rather
peculiar and interesting. The cup Mnlcl
we had almost forgotten ana, lhGecH,
wished to forget, has proved pdl uOu,.'' -
attractive i'm this year OF grace IL -
probably the only. occasion on W. WhiCm i,o 81
Thomas had a rival in his hfes quesS'
However he got precedence, ana MS chdl
lenge was duly forwarded, ana ior"s'o .tu
in such form as the committee OF th'
New York Yacht CLUB couid haiolS en-
For years they have insisted on the
yachts being built and measured TO an
obsolete rue-one which has been as
carded for all else. That ana no olhet
sLaU we sail under" they said. and, OF
course the deed of gift was the scape-
goat. For seven years American 9dCnsS
men have built and raced under never
rule and now comes a challenge from
this country making it condition thd'
the old rule be adhered TO. ANA TINS
mark you. not in Difference TO the pen
chant which the New York Nacht Cluo
has always eNlnced LOT the IuIe' p"' "S
choice. - L.
This may seem exceedingly strange IN
view of so many and so often eApItSstu
opinions on the subject il may appear IN
COMPREHENSIVE. Yet it Is not so, ana
little consideration will demonstrate the
wisdom OF il. For seven years American
designers have been working 10 the UNI
Versal rule not one OF our deslShers ne
u. nf "A q.
refinement and gradual development are
most influential in attaining success
therefore the inexperienced Wouiu pc
doubly handicapped. Under the OLD RUE,
an the other hand. experience is fairly
even The British challenger has 10 cross
the Atlantic. but that is by no means an
insurmOuntable obstacle, ana ISHt cur
struction is not everything in the design
sail is most important under the oiu
American rule. ana our own present RUIZ ,
curse being sail designers nave al IdSl
learned how to set il in place ana now 10
keen il there Americans were always
good riGgers. but we are even better IMAM
we were. =.
Again. the rule under consideration is
latitude persOnified. and latitude Is
great consideration where speed, ana
speed only, is of importance. Bearing
these facts in mind. surprise may Wen
give way 10 satisfaction IN the .cholce
of rule At all events, IL is the designer ;
choice and il has the owners approval
II remains 10 be seen whether the New
York Yacht Club will accept 'o-ioot
waterline basis. | can hardly imagine
their falling 10 do so. and any objection
to the condition would involve going back
on many sensible things urged by them
in favor OF smaller craft Moreover, the
smaller boat gives them an ADVANTAGE.
There are three men in America VINO
might be reasonably trusted with the de-
signing OF a 75-foot waterllne yacht;
there is only one who could be relied
upon for one of 80 feet.
The above was written when Sir Thorn
as Lipton's challenge was announced.
To-day that challenge has been declined,
but ! leave the paragraph as some eN-
PLANTATION of the CONSERVATION with which
English and American yachtsmen heard
that the New York Yacht Club had unan-
imouSly declined the challenge insisting
on a 90-fOOt waterline The tale OF the
Americas Cup is not an unDroken record
of magnanimous craftsmanship but here
We must add TO il one of the most I'M
manly acts in the history Of yacht racing.
One can only attribute the clubs action
10 personal reasons, but If in the days OF
earlier contests some members OF the
New York Yacht Club felt that the sun
shone only on the Shamrock's owner, il
shines to-day with renewed brilliancy.
The American clubs action will draw
towards Sir Thomas the most potent OF
our feelings-sympath His last chal-
lence was the most disinterested he had
ever made, and the declining Of 1t puts
an onus on the New York Yacht Club
which they will find il hard TO bear.
American yachtsmen must mourn an ac-
ton which one can only attribute to the
snobbishness which sometimes grows too
freely in democratic surroundings; we. on
our side. lament the lost opportunity OF
a good race. and the chance which is
offered to a new designer.
Since the above was written Sir Thomas
has forwarded another challenge without
any stipulation as to the length OF the
defending yacht, and this will be acted
on by the New York Yacht Club within
a few days.
Ii IL interesting 10 note that. according
20 the writer, designers abroad have at
last learned" how TO set a sail and how
20 keep II set