The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-08
TOWING SHAMROCK
WOULDN'T HELP HER
Unnatural Strain Might Make
Change in shape Of
Her Hull.
WOULD SAVE TINE ONLY
Whether Upton Will Receive
Permission or Not Point
Of Much Speculation.

Preparations FOR the defence OF the
Americas cup are going on steadily and
although the dates fixed for the cup races
are still six months away there IL an i'm
mense amount of work to be done. The
challenger. Shamrock ", will be ready
for racing In May and Sir Thomas Upton
Is to put his other yacht, the 2S meter
Shamrock. in commission to be used al
be sailed against the older yacht In actual
races and against other crack yachts in
British waters. Sir Thomas plans to have
six weeks racing in home waters and early
in July the challenger will be dismantied
and then start on her voyage across the
Atlantic. 1t Is hoped by thosc,in charge OF
the yacht that she will arrive here early in
August and then she will have a month to
Mt out and be tried before she viii have
to be docked for her final grooming for
the cup races.
Whether Sir Thomas will bring the 20
meter yacht across has not been decided
yet. When Shamrock II. came after the
cup Shamrock /. was in charge Of Col
NELL and was used as n trial yacht In
home and In American waters. and Il Ia
very probable that the older yacht will
be brought here this year to help In the
final tuning up spins OF the challenger In
these waters. Without a trial yacht II ID
OF little practical use sailing the challenger
except to see that her spars. rigging and
sails are in shape. With trial yacht those
In charge are able to determine very easily
where they can make improvements In
trim which will increase the speed of the
yacht and they know actually what they
are doing
Some complication is cNused NY the
names OF the Shamrocks. Sir Thomas
Upton uses the numerals for those yachts
built 70 race for the Americas cup and
the yacht coming Is No. 4. The name
shamrock without any numeral has been
used on the yacht built for the 20 meter
class. which was built for racing In home
waters and which is still the fastest In hes
class. she Is an ideal boat for a trial
yacht because she IL fast and her speed
70 we'll known under all conditions of
wind and weather. She measures about
20 feet on the water line and carries much
more sail than DO yachts of similar size
in these waters.
Sir Thomas Upton. according to an in
terview recently. said he had not asked
the New York Yacht Club to grant per-
mission to have the Shamrock ". towed
across the ocean. but that he intended to
do SO very shortly. II Is very doubtful
whether the club will grant this perms-
sion The deed Of gift governing tn.
must proceed on her own bottom and un-
der her own sail TO the place where the
races are TO be sailed. When Sir Thomas
frst challenged he had some misfortune
with the Shamrock I. She lost her mast
In trial race and building a new spar
caused some delay. In order to expedite
the passage across. the committee OF the
New York Yacht Club allowed the Sham
rock !. to be towed in Gains and In head
winds 1t was stated then by the club
that this allowance was not to be taken
as establishing n precedent Since then
the second and third Shamrocks were
lowed considerable part OF their voy-
ages across the Atlantic The only ad-
vantage In towing IL that 1t saves time
and should the weather on the Atlantic
be very light. the challenger does not
have to waste four or Ave weeks In cross
ing but towing does not help the yacht
at all. In fact II hurts the vessel. These
racing yachts are designed and built to
be driven by the pressure OF wind IN
their sails and to put "A tow line on the
yacht. fastening II around the mast and
then pulling the yacht by n high powered
steam vessel puts the hull under an I'M
natural strain and one for which II WAS
not designed. This pulling may bend the
frames and the plating no that the form
OF the vessel is very different from what
the designer intended and consequently Il
Is not able to sail as fast as II should
had It kept its original form. This Is
taken into consideration by the commit
tee Of the New York Yacht Club. but
while no formal expression OF opinion has
been made by that committee II Is thought
that II will not agree to the towing. but
will insist on a strict Interpretation Of
the rules laid down IN the deed OF gift
That matter will not be considered until
formal application 10 made by the chal-
longer.