Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-15
INTEREST CENTERS
IN YACHT CONTEST
Sir Thomas Lipton's Chal-
Ienger for Famous Trophy
:: Soon to Cross Sea.
CHOICE or DEFENDER
BY COMPETITIVE TEST
Full Possibilities Of Shamrock ~ an
Undetermined Question-Gossip
{ of the Clubs.

Undetermined QueStlon-H0ss1p
Of the Clubs.
NEW YORK, June 15.-With the
Americas cup defense yachts Resolute
and vanitie engaged in almost daily test
races and Sir Thomas Lipton's chal-
lenger, Shamrock ". preparing to sail
for America, interest in the coming IN
ternational races for the famous yacht
trophy is increasing rapidly.
Defiance to Be Rerigged.
Defiance, the tricity cup yacht, is to be
rerigged again and when she appears at
the starting line with the Resoiute and
Vanitie she will receive time allowance
from both her competitors. Her bowsprit
is to be removed and her sails will be cut
down so she will resemble the sloop
Dorella, designed by George Owen, who
turned out the Defiance.
Over 400 pounds in weight has been
taken from the Defiance. which will be
hauled out tomorrow at City Island. Her
sails are now being recut in Boston. 1t Is
hoped to have the Defiance out for a spin
next Saturday. The Vanitie will also be
hauled out at City Island. The Resolute
is at Bristol. r. l.. grooming for the
next OF the cup candidates June %, of
Great Captains Island.
The status and racing ability Of the
American sloops are fairly well estab-
lished. but the full possibilities of the
Nicholson seventy-flve footer will not be
known until she can be seen In practice
off Sandy Hook. Her description as ca
bled from England points to a yacht
which departs from many Of the ortho-
doX canons of sloop building.
Many yachtsmen believe that Designer
Nicholson. with his radical Innovations,
has produced a boat that will prove ex-
tremely formidable. This belief in
creases the interest with which Sham
rock " Is awaited on this side OF the
Atlantic, and raises the question again
as to whether the cup committee will
permit the challenger to be towed at any
time during the long ocean voyage which
is to be soon undertaken.
The same question is agitating English
yachting circles, and there is much dis
cussion In both clubs and public prints
regarding this important angle Of the cup
contest. The Impression prevails abroad
that the New York Yacht Club committee
is opposed to granting permission to tow,
and while the matter is under discussion
neither the challenging nor defending clubs
will state their official attitude in the
matter. Basing their opinions on the as
sumption that such permission will be
granted reluctantly, II at all. the Eng
fish yachtsmen and writer's hold that the
restriction is one that handicaps the chal-
lenger.
Two Sides to Controversy.
That there are two sides to the con-
troversy, however. IS shown in the fol-
lowing article by a well known English
authority:
1T is very evident that considerable
exists in many quarters In
regard to the efficacy OF towing. During
the time that the matter was in doubt
comment clearly showed that there ex-
listed a widespread belief that the handi-
cap which a vessel lncurs in crossing the
duced If allowed to tow. This Is alto
gether wrong. The one advantage OF
towing Is that in case OF light winds
and Gains the time occupied on the pas
sage is shortened. 1t Is quite erroneous
TO suppose that the permission to tow
enables a vessel to be more lightly con-
To begin with, the permission
only applies to calm weather ana no one
responsible for the vessel would desire
to tow when there is ANYTHING OF a
breeze. Under certain conditions YES
sci of light construction Is submitted to
greater strain in towing than IN sailing.
and 1t is by no means comfortable
means of progression, excepting in fine
weather.
The reason for this is that in tow
ing 1t is not one continuous strain. It
is absolutely necessary to have q very
long tow line. otherwise there would
be the probability of the vessel in tow
running up on the tug. Progress then
is nothing more than series of jerks.
When the hawser tautens the vessel
receives sudden impetus which carries
her along faster than her tug Is travel
ing. The hawser then slackens until
it tautens again. and another Jerk
gives the vessel plunge forward. and
so the towing proceeds. With the
slightest swell on matters are made
much worse, and to attempt to tow q
vessel against a head sea is to submit
her to a much more serious buffeting
than she would receive in sailing.
MFR. Nicholson. speaking on the sub
ject, said the question of towing had
not troubled him at all vessel SO
weakly constructed as to be unable to
make the passage under sail would
stand poor chance of arriving on the
other side in tow"
Another Feature of Cup Rules.
Another feature of the cup rules
Englishman is that which permits the
defender to increase her waterline, but
does not extend the same privilege to
writer states:
Apart from the troublesome delay
and attendant risk of crossing the At
lantic under sail there is a further
point in the conditions of the race
framed by the New York Yacht Club
committee which appears to us most
unfair TO the challenging yacht. We do
not say that the point is unfair in the
sense that the New York Yacht Club
has not the legal right to insist upon
II. because, as that club holds the cup
and frames the rules. 1t is obvious that
IL can attach to it any conditions 1t
pleases. If the party contemplating chal-
longing does not like the conditions
of course he need not compete. We
contend. however. that the following
condition is unfair. inasmuch as it gives
a better chance to the defender than
II allows the challenger. The chal-
lengers waterline length must not ex-
coed seventy-flve feet. The defending
yacht is not bound by this condition
therefore. if 1t is found that she would
do better with little more pallast. she
Is allowed to add the weight and in
crease her waterline to a certain per-
Gentage more than s.venty-nve feet
Every yachtsman knows that in GER
tain cases if this privilege Is allowed to
tie American yacht and withheld from
the British yacht il may be Immensely In
favor OF the former vessel. For example
suppose both yachts measured seventy.
five feet, and suppose both were of equa