New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-09
L|PT0N'S CHALLENGE
BEST|RS YACHTSMEN
Much Interest Manifested IN
Latest Def to Race for
Americas Cup.
THE SHAMROCKS' HISTORY
Three Have Tried IN Vain
to Lift the Famous Trophy,
but Irish Baronet Has
Not Given Up Hope.

interest runs hlSn diloHS N"'"'"i'iN'
lust now as to the outcome of Sir Thomas
Iiptons latest challenge for the Amer
ica's CUP. Many expressed the hope yes
terday that the challenge contains nothing
s that will conflict with the deed OF gift suf-
, fciently to cause the club to decline it,
and that a series for the trophy may be
sailed in -9f.
II was suggested by one well known
yachtsmar that IL the challenge is &C
ccpted. no matter what sized yacht is
sent here as a challenger we should
build new yacht TO meet her if for
no other reason than il would seem I'M
pocunious to insist on racing the Reliance.
1t would then also appear thai we do
not believe our yacht designers are able
TO improve on a yacht designed ten years
ago: in other words. that We have maze
no progress in speed since the Reliance
was launched.
Sir Thomas Upton first challenged for
the cup in letter to the New YORK
Yacht club from the Royal Ulster facht
club. dated August 8, 1898 After re-
ccipt Of the challenge, which described
Yacht to be called the Shamrock. whose
length on tic load water line was 80
feet. the club appointed. as the America 5
cup committee. j. Pierpont Morgan. eX-
& 'omniodCre Edwin ID. Morgan, Il. NJ
Brown. Herman B. Duryea and General
charles !. Paine. who declined to serve.
Henry f. Lippitt was appointed In his
place.
4 committee of the Royal Ulster hdchl
club. consisting of Vice-Commodore r. O.
MpCil0OWnPN
and Hugh c, Kelly. accompanied by the
new Yachts designer. William File j"
and Charles Russell. brought the chal-
Ienee from Belfast and presented IL IN
person to the New York Yacht Cluo. Inc
best three out of five races was sus-
eested
III was understood at that time that
J. p Morgan furnished the money 20
.build the defending yacht which WAS de-
signed by the Herreshof Company. al
Pristol r. L. and named the Columbia
Her keel was laid early in the winter
~ 1895 and She was launched Of June 10.
JN9 Her approximate measurements
were Isl feet over all. 2il7 feet beam
and 1915 feet draft With Captain Charles
Barr at the wheel she had her first
trial sail on June %. The Defender was
put in commission and used as a trial
Loaf. with Captain UTias Rhodes in COM
mand
The Shamrock | was built by the Tho
ueycrofts at Milwall on the Thames.
She was launched on June 2i 1899. In
charge Of Captain Archie Hogarth and
Robert Wringe she crossed the Atlantic
I'm August i'm tow, conveyed by the steam
YACHT Erin, owned by Sir Thomas Upton.
She covered the distance from Cowes TO
Sandy Hooks. 100 miles-in II days %
hours When officially measured, just be-
Tore the races. il was found that the Co.
lumbia would have to allo a the Sham
rock 6.&l seconds. the latter's racing length
being 0le2 and that of the American sloop
1923. The challenger's dimensions were
12s feet over all. $3.50 feet water line, .
feet beam and 2025 feet draft.
The second challenge from the Royal
Ulster Yacht Club was received by the
New York Yacht Club on october 2, 1909,
again naming Sir Thomas Upton, who
was then rear commodore of the challeng-
ling club The challenge was accepted.
& The sloop Constitution was built as a
snew candidate for the defence Of the cup
by syndicate composed Of August Bel
j c.. BOURNE and Henry Walters. She
was built by the Herreshoffs and Captain
Rhodes was put in command. Thomas
w Lawson built the Independence in Dos
ton for the purpose of defending the cup.
but as he was not a member of the CLUB
his boat was not permitted TO compete
against the Constitution and Columbia in
the official trials. The Constitution was
-dismasteG off Newport on June OF that
year and the Columbia was finally Sc
alccteG for the second time to defend the
cup i'm the best three races out of five.
The Shamrock III. which was designed
sby George l.. Watson. and launched from
sDenny's yard at Dumbarton on April ~,
1901. was dismasted on May p In the
Solent while King Edward VII was on
board. She was later towed across the
Atlantic in sixteen DAYS. The races were
spostponed from September 81 to % on &C
count OF President McKinley's death.
: The challenge received by the New York
Yacht Club in 1902 for race In 1893 was
accepted on October 49, and the dates
agreed upon were August 20. % and %.
The new cup defender. designed and built
sbv the Herreshoffs for a syndicate of
Nachtsmen headed by J. y. Morgan, was
named the Reliance. She was launched
ON April H. 1903 at Bristol. Il. L., and she
sailed I'm nineteen trial races against the
columbia and the Constitution. The Re-
)ance was selected. having won eighteen
,of the nineteen races.
The Shamrock III, which was Jointly
designed by Fife and Watson, was
launched at Dumbarton. Scotland, on
March II. 1885, and was named by Lady
Shaftesbury, the wife OF the commodore
OF the Royal Ulster Yacht Club. The
Yacht was commanded by Captains
Wringe and Bevis.
The next challenge was sent by the
ROYAL Irish Yacht Club in behalf OF Sir
Thomas Upton. and received on Septem-
Der 25 1907. II was declined by the New
York Yacht Club on the ground that the
Americas Cup, held by this club as trus-
tee under the deed OF gift. is a trophy
which stands pre-eminenuy for speed
and for the utmost skill In designing con-
structing, managing and handling the
competing vessels. and should, therefore
BE sailed for by the fastest and most
powerful vessels that can be produced.
Six other reasons for the declination oil
The challenge were given by the club, the
reason being that Sir Thomas Upton had
sought to challenge with a 68-foot racing
eloop under the universal rule Of measure
Ynent