Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-13
CUP YACHTS DIFFER
GREATLY IN DESIGN
Shamrock Daring and Original
While Resolute Follows Con-
ventional Lines.

two Yachts ReSolute ana Sllaiiiioch ~ -
which are to compete Tor the Aineric, :
Cup. IL also is necessary 10 cohsioel i .,io
designers of these craft, representing .'ie
acme of naval architecture ana marine
engineering brains In the countries then
represent. The contest TINS year WIN
bring together two craft as u'ii1ien' 90
could be, and each represents hel ne. ne.
sioncr's idea of the best craft to hold OF iiit
that old silver mug. More properly, the
two craft represent the ideas OF l914, ana
!, i fair to say that both would ouiid
different craft were they to try again, ior
Yacht design, like other branches oil
science. has progressed materially during
the last six years. a..
Charles Il. Nicholson, creator OF the
fourth Shamrock, is recognized as the
most daring aud unfettered navai ar,
cbitect in Great Britain. His daring ana
utter disregard of traditions In design ana
construction has brought him into great
nronn;nence abroad, and there is nothing
he likes better than to originate and at
tempt what others hesitate to tackle
Shamrock ". proves it.. She has been
called the mystery" yacht. Even the
s,,perwise individuals who think they
know all about yachting, admit that the
cheerful alert minded little British naval
architect has evolved machine when
NAV succeed where all other more CON
servative British craft have tailed. Not
having the clearest idea OF what sofI oi
vessel might be produced here, ne deciueu
10 go the limit. 1t was gambling chahce
shot he decided upon, and ne deciuea 10
stand for a penalty IN the form Oh 'iiio"-
nnce of time, if that became necessary, iol
the sake of getting big driving power ID
Shamrock is not thing of beauty as
Yachts 90. and no one knows It better tilln
Mr.. Nicholson. but it was speed and not
beauty that he sought. The snub bow ana
SQUARED off stern Of the challenger were
about the onlv forms Mr.. Nicholson could
adopt and still attain what he was after,
SO he let them go at that. In the fnatJer oi
RIG he went the limit and showed great
daring and originality. In many oUner
wavs Shamrock is a revelation TO all VINO
see her. and only those who arc urreason-
able will deny that she has good chance |
to accomplish what so many others nave |
failed To accomplish before
ALLOWED TO co THE LIMIT.
Sir Thomas Upton has permitted MIR.
Nicholson 10 90 the limit when it came to
eo,,inment. special rigging and all other
details. and no finer equipment or rigging
has ever been seen on any yacht IN the
Americas Cup history.
Mr.. Nicholson is a member of the flrm
of Camper x Nicholson, naval architects
Yacht and ship builders, with yards at
Gosport and Southampton, England, In
which wards many noted sail and steam
yachts have been built. The challenger
was built at the Gosport yard
Among the Yachts designed by Nlchol-
son are the Nyria and Brynhlld, tlrst-c;lass
cutters, the Istria Of the 15-metre class, |
which cleaned up all competitors and |
was the Yacht in which the Marcom mast, |
bv Mr.. Nicholson, was frst |
Then came the Paula III. and |
Paula Ill, each being q bit speedier than |
the former and then the Istrla. Ii was
constant progression. The American
schooner Westward was sold to German
owner and cleaned up IN her class until
Mr.. Nicholson designed and built the
which held sway from the
time Of her first appearance.
OF Nat Herreshoff, designer OF so many
American Cup defenders, little more can
Dc said than is known to all followers OF
he sport. From his board and his shop at
Bristol. r. l.. came the Vigilant, the De-
ender. the Columbia, the Reliance, as
veil as the Colonia and the Constitution.
The first four were successful defenders of
he cup. the Columbia accomplishing that
ask on two different occasions.
HERREsHoFF AS DESIGNER.
To Nat Herreshoff as much as to any
,sher individual in this country belongs
he credit of developing yachts to their
,resent state of perfection. He has built
nd designed many one-design classes of
raft, some Of them not particularly sight
V. but as rule speedy enough to defeat
most of their adversaries, and generally
,ood sea boats. The n. Y. Y. c. sos. 4O's
nd SOS. as well as the old 70's and SIS,
ne but a few of the many classes of
-achts that have made yachting history in
america.
Many large and speedy schooners have
cen designed and built by him, including
he Katoura, the Elena and the Westward, |
rhile his steam yachts have proved to be
larvels OF economy as regards fuel con-
umption and general weatherly qualities
/ was generally believed that John B.
ierreshoff was the scientific man of the
oncern by many and he was generally re-
erred TO as the blind wizard designer of
'ristol, but In reality 1t was Nat who was
esponsible for the successful design Of so
lany yachts, while John B. was the
nancial genius OF the concern.
When 1t came TO the problem of de-
gning a sloop to defend the America
up against Shamrock ", Mr.. HERES
of decided on the middle ground as the
afest 20 follow.
There Is nothing particularly radical
bout Resolute except her extreme light
ess OF construction, which has occasioned
Iore or less concern during the last few
ionths, but which is expected to be
urdy enough TO serve the purpose of de-
nding the cup, unless a heavy sea is en-
,untered, when she might meet with some
isfortune. However, Mr.. Adams, her
ever amateur skipper, has handled her
ith no easy hand and it is generally be-
wed that any weaknesses she NAV have
assessed have been discovered and
sufficiently to meet the
rains she is liable TO encounter.
In general appearance, as compared
th the challenger, as they rested close
gether ID dry dock while being measured.
esolute seemed a pigmy. Her underbodv
particular impressed one as being
pable Of being driven through the water
great speed in light airs, and at the
me time she had certain sturdiness
ID bluntness of appearance that removes
Z from the class Of marine beauties.