Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-06-16
With Three Americas Cup Defense
Yachts Engaged in Almost Daily Tests
Attention is Being Attracted Toward
Coming Contests for Great Trophy.
LiPT0N'S CHALLENGER IS
SOON TO REACH AMERICA
E~nglishman's Shamrock w is Now Prepar-
ing to Sail for the United States--Manv
vacntsmen Believe She Will Prove Ex-
tremeIy Formidable.

Nanltic ami Defiance. engaged in almost
daily test races and Sir Thomas Lipton's
challenger Shamrock " preparing &,
sail for America. interest in the coming
international races for the famou.
yacht trophy IL increasing rapidly. Tn,
status and racing ability os the thre,
America sloops are fairly well establish
ed, but the full possibilities of the Mich
olson seventy five footcr will not b,
known until she can hc seen in practic,
of Sandy Hook. Her description as ga
bled from England. points To "A Yacht
which departs from MANY Of the ortho
dox canons Of sloop building. Mann
yachtsmen believe that designer Michel
son with his radical innovations has
produced "a boat that will prove extreme
ly formidable. This belief Increases the
interest with which shamrock " j.
awaited on this side of the Atlantic. and
raises the question again as 90 whether
the cup committee WIN permit the chal
lcnger 10 he towcd IL any time during
the long ocean voyage which is to he soon
undertaken.
The same question j. agitating Eng
lish yachting circles and there il much
discussion in both clubs and public prints
regarding this important angle of the cup
contest. The impression prevails abroad
that the New York Yacht club Commit
tee Is opposed Ia granting permission
10 tow and while ihc matter is under
discussion neither the challenging or de-
Tending clubs will state their official at
titude in the matter. Basing their opin-
ions on the assumption that such per
mission will be granted reluctantly. if
~ oil III. EnaE.l. ,a.Is..,n unI xx..
ter holds that the restriction il one that
handicaps the challenger. That there
are two sides Ia the controversy. how
ever. j. shown in the following article
by a well known English Yachting an
thority:
lit is very evident that considerable
misconceptions exists in many quarters in
regard 10 the efficacy Of towing During
the time that the matter Was in doubt
omment clearly showed that there cx
listed "A widespread belief that the han
dicap which a vessel incurs in crossing
the Atlantic would be- very materially
reduced IL allowed "a tow. This j. alto
gcther wrong. The one advantage of
towing IL that. in ease of light winds.
and Gains. the time occupied on the pas
sage in shortened. Ii is quite erroneous
To suppose that the permission 10 tow en-
ables q vessel to be- more lightly con
structed. To begin with. the permission
only applies To calm weather and no one
responsible for the vessel would desire
Ia tow when there is anything Of a
breeze. Under certain conditions a yes
sci If light construction il submitted Ia
greater strain in towing than in sailing.
and il il by no means "A comfortable
means of progression excepting in fine
weather.
"The reason for this is that in towing
ii - not one continuous strain. Id IL ali
s~olutely necessary IL have a very long
tow.line. otherwise there would be the
probability of the vessel in tow running
up on the tug. Progress then j. nothing
more than a series uf Jerks. When the
hawser tautens the vessel receives i sud
den impetus which carries her along
faster than her tug l. travelling. The
hawser then slackrnS until the vessel
loses her momentum. when il tautcns
again and another jerk gives the vessel a
plunge forward again. AMI So the tow
ing proceeds. With the slightest swell
on matters are made much worse aud "a
attempt Ia tow a vessel against 4 head
sea H. la submit her 10 q much more >cri
Gus butieting than Shr would receive IN
sailing.
MIR. Nicholson. speaking on the suh
jet. said the question Of towing had not
troubled him al all. AM vessel So weak
ly constructed a> a. To- unable to make
the passage under sail would stand Il
poor chance of arriving on the other side
in tow"
Another feature of the cup rules which
does not appeal to the average English
man il that which permits the defender
Ia increase her watcrline. hut does not
extend the same privilege Ia the chal
lengcr On this point another writer
+ states:
apart from the troublesome del
and attendant risk of crossing the Al.
lantic under sail there is u further point
in the conditions Of the race framed h,
the New York Yacht club committee
which appears To- us mast unfair to the
challenging Yacht. We do not saw that
the point j. unfair in the sense that the
New York Yacht club has not the legal
right Ia insist upon it,. because aS ia u
club holds the cup and frames the rules
il Is Obvious that il can attach To il any
conditions il pleases. If the party con
tcmplating challenging does not like the
conditions of course he need not com
pcte.s We contend. however. that the
following condition j. unfair iuaSmuch
as ID gives a better chance a. the he
fondcr than il allows the c~hal'tr.e-
The chaliengcr's water line length mrs'
nnn, exceed - ic'' The ~i"fsnAine varhi