The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-04-13
SHAMROCK NOT
TO SUFFER ANY
Strain of Crossing Ocean Much
Less Than in Single Race

While it is true that the public in
general takes very little interest in
yachting in ordinary times. the feeling
of patriotism which causes many pco-
pie to regard the Americas Cup with
only Il shade less of reverence than
they do the stars and Stripes stimu-
ldtes IN interest i'm a contest for the
ancient trophy months ahead of the
actual racing. There is already evil
dence of plenty of interest in the com
ing race, and there is more or less
comment among the uninitiated over
the fact that the new Shamrock must
come across the ocean under sail rath-
or than under tow. one frequently
hears the opinion expressed that tho
New York Yacht Club is not exactly
fair i'm its insisting upon this condition
and it is sometimes remarked that the
English boat must be necessity be
built much stronger, and therefore OF
much heavier material. than the AM
erican boat. and that of necessity she
is also considered by many people that
the passage of boat OF only seventy
five feet water line across the ocean
is dangerous affair.
But the new Shamrock will not be
the first boat of her dimensions to
cross the ocean by any means. Many
yachts Of no greater size, of English
build, have been bought by, American
yachtsmen and have come across the
ocean under their own sail without
danger or even embarrassment. There
was, in fact, quite good market for |
English yachts among American anna
teur sailors twelve or fourteen years |
ago. At about the beginning of the
present century the Hanan brothers, !
Allison and Wilmer. bought the Eng !
lish-built Astrid, a boat of about sixty .
feet waterline, and she made the pas
sage without difficulty. She was of
type rather different from our own
racing craft of similar size; in fact,
she was of fuller body and more like
The boats built today under the pres
mt rule.
a year later three other English cut
crs of similar size, the four being Of
he English class known as fifty-five
'atcrs, came To America
To Ship Racing Rig.
Even before the days of this group
# five English boats, Minerva, known
IS a forty footer, came 10 this country,
md with her came the late Charley
Carr, and in the time OF the famous
ears ago Minerva won more than her
proportion of first prizes.
Moreover. the stipulation that the ,
ew Shamrock shall come across the d,
cean under her own sail imposes no
efforts in the way of {
trcngth in building. Any yacht is UNI
or many times the strain in "a race +,
han she is ever called upon to endure d
| cruising. The new Shamrock will :
e fitted with "A short mast and spars, =
nd with a small suit of sails. and UNI g
cr such rig will not suffer any strain. a
ven should she encounter weather II
orc or less heavy Naturally, she will h
? "nursed" through any hard blow If q
% should encounter any such in mid b
immcr. Probably she will not and
18th the ordinary precaution that her ::
iiling master will take, she will ride =
lie seas with comparative ease. The !,
lly thing that could nfiict any dam :.
&c would be the breaking on her deck !.
wave of tremendous height, but :.
at sort Of thing is not likely. :.
Shamrock's racing spars and sails :.
III be shipped to this country by :.
Gamer like any ordinary freight. and :.
e will be reiitted here Immediately !.
ter her arrival. The racing mast will !.
stepped: the rigging will be set up =
ut. the big sails bent on and even !.
her practice runs for tuning up she Z.
II be called upon to endure ten times =
G strain that she will ever endure IN !.
ming across the ocean. Even Ii she :.
IRE to be towed. the strain. while !.
I the same as that of racing, would -
more likely TO cause damage than :.
ything that might happen while she :.
sailing across. The fact Is, that ev- :.
: racing yacht, and especially those =
large size which engage in very inn :.
rtant races are built as strong IA. :.