New-York tribune., 1920-06-01
Shamrock ~
TOHaveTrial
Spin To-day
Sir Thomas Lipton's Chal.
longing ''Mystery Shipr
Will Race at CITY Island
By Jack Lawrence

Spreading more than 10000 sou.,.
feet of sail and balancing the TALES,
spars ever seen on racing yacht, 81,
Thomas Lipton's Shamrock w, the Cos.
port mystery ship" willwing her w,v
out Of Robert Jacobs yacht basin at Cit,
Island to-day and give American Yacht.
ing sharps the first opportunity thev
ever had to see the green cup hunter
with her fighting clothes on.
The initial spin of the challenger for
the Americas Cup will take place tine
afternoon and will be the first event ~
g week that will have most important
bearing on the international YACHTING
situation.
While Lipton's stub-nosed racing
freak is working the kinks out of her
prodigious rig in the western end of
the Sound the would-be cup defenders
Nanitie and Resolute, will be iockeyinc
for the start of the trial races thas
viii eliminate one and leave the other
tp face the job of keeping the yachting
championship of the seven seas in tb;s
country. The most optimistic of local
racing sharps Is ready TO admit tha.
tA's is going to be d heavy undertaking
tor the American craft, and that the
present moorlngs of the Americas Gun
We're never so sorely threatened as thew
are this year.
To-day's sailstretching spin of the
Shamrock, though it will involve onIv
a lelsurely cruise of something less
than twenty miles, will provide Amer.
cans with the first real line they havs
ever had on the various capabilities
Of the challenger. Her every move
this afternoon will be watched closelv
by many yachting experts, alleged and
otherwise, who are planning to follow
her in fleet of motorboats.
The emerald green cup hunter Ia an
unknown quantity here Her past per-
tolmances in British waters are 50
entangled with contradictory rumors
that the most studious Of our amateur
and professional sailors admit that
the most careful perusal of the done
gets them nowhere. They all admi.
one thing, however. They confess ths.
she isn't just another Shamrock. al.
though her fate may be to go the de-
feated way Of her Liptonian predeces-
sors. IN design, rig and general ap
pearance she is totally unlike her late
sisters. They were wind driven racing
cralt t, drawn on conventional lines.
W hen Sir Thomas went to Charles E.
Nicholson and told him to build him
something different" in the way OF
cup-lifter, he was convinced that the
one great aim of his life could never
be realized if he clung to the stereo-
typed lines Of his defeated feet.
Those who saw the Shamrock Nv
yesterday at City Island, with her
cream white wings glisrcning in the
sun and her green hull making great
splash of brilliant color against a
drab background, were ready to admit
that Mr.. Nicholson had produced some
thing no different" that her like will
probably never be seen again in Amer
lean waters. She is a maritime curl
osity, iiat-nosed, square -5terned and
generally pie-faced.
And yet, those who know the chal.
lenger best say she possesses mar
vellous speed, is wizard in WING
ward work, is fast in light airs and
can work in the heaviest weather
without fear Of losing anv OF her
silken 'ingerie." Her warming I'D
spins on the Sound, beginning today,
will give American yachtsmen line
on these things and will also have
very decided influence on the betting.
Few wagers have been made on the
cup races to date, as yachtsmen have
been holding off until they could SEQ
the Nicholson creation under sail.