New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-14
NEW SHAMROCK
MAY ALSO HAVE
A CENTREB0ARD
Yachtsmen Think This Is the
Surprise" to Which Sir
Thomas Referred.
OTHER PLANS ARE SPECIFIC
Deed of Gift Allows for Sliding
Keel-Tendency to lmi-
tate Defenders.

II yachtsmen here were surprised 70
learn a few days ago that the Herreshon
candidate for the defence Of the Americas
Gun. known as the flag officers
sloop." is 10 be fitted with centreooard'
they will probably be more surprised at
a report that may or may not be true
bu, which a yachtsman recently returned
from abroad says he believes Is a fact.
and that is that the surprise" which Sir
Thomas Upton referred TO whom speak
ing OF his new yacht Shamrock ~ few
weeks ago Is also a cenreboard.
while ! have been unable 70 verify the
rcport" said the yachtsman, II regard II
as most reasonable one. for. as matter
OF fact. the rules OF measurement under
which the British boat and ours are being
constructed. are so specific that there
could be no real surprise or radical de-
parture in the model OF either yacht, nor
I'm her sparring OF sail plan without going
outside the rule. Therefore. a cenireboard
seems to he the only thing OF advantage
that a designer could add that would be
in the nature OF genuine surprise"
The deed OF gift. made In 1887. which
governs all races for the Americas Cup
states I'm one OF its clauses that centre
boards or sliding keel vessels shall be
allowed 10 compete in any race for this
cup, and no restriction nor Limitation
whatever shall be placed upon the use
of such centreboard or sliding keel, nor
shall the centreboard or sliding keel be
considered a part of the vessel for any
purposes OF measurement.
Ever since the races between the Nigi-
lant-the last centreboard American sloop
and the Nalkyrie II, Lord Dunrayen's
cutter the British designers have grad
ually changed both the hull and the sail
plans of their challengers. giving them
more beam and greater draft, like our
defenders, until. when Sir Thomas Lip
tons last challenger, the Shamrock III,
appeared. she was to the ordinary OBJ
server not unlike the Herreshoft yacht
Reliance as to hull and sail plan. About
the only appliance that could be added to
the British yacht to make her almost
identical with the American sloop of 1893
would be the centreboard, which, IL Is
said, has been added 20 the new Sham
rock ".
The Columbia, owned by the late ].
Pierpont Morgan. which twice success
fully defended the Americas Cup, drew
1915 feet of water without "a centre
board The Reliance drew a little more.
II is fair To suppose that the British
and American yachts now building for
next years struggle for the trophy will
draw something like seventeen feet.
With centreboards they should draw
about eight feet more. which will be
a great help to them In windward work
under any conditions. The board will.
Of course. be raised when they are
running before the wind. BY this il
will be understood that any yacht hav-
ing the use OF a centreboard Will have
an advantage In beat to windward
over one without it. because 1t is not
taxed In the measurement.
AS stated In The Tribune, when the
announcement was first made of the
contract being signed for a new cup
candidate for Alexander Smith Cochran
from designs by William Gardner, Mr..
Cochran was the sole owner OF the yacht
Mr.. Gardner said yesterday that there
has been no change in the ownership
and that the reports printed to the
effect that NJ. ]. Plant Is part owner
OF the yacht are absolutely without foun-
dalton.