The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-05-21
BIG YACHTING
EVENT STARTS
FIRST PRELIMINARY RACES FOR
CHOOSING DEFENDER AMER
icA'S CUP TO BE HELD SOON.

iCA'S CUP TO BE HELD SOON.
| New York. May 1s.-The first OF.
fetal activity in connection with the
American cup races off Sandy Hook
July Is. will begin Friday on Lons
Island Sound, when the prospective
| cup defending yachts Resolute and
Vanitie meet in the opening races
of the 1920 elimination series. Weather
permitting, six races will be held off
| New Haven, Conn, between May q
and q, after which the yachts Will
| proceed to Newport for a more ex-
tended series of races under open sea
conditions. The schedule calls for
races off New Haven on May 81, %,
"a, 25. 26 and 81. The Newport races
| are set for June 3, 4, S., 7, 8, 9, 10, IL,
II, IA, Is. 16, II. IS and 10.
The contests off New Haven are
| to be short practice events, probably
| count materially in the selection of a
defender Their chief purpose will be
to afford the crews practice and to
stretch sails and riggings.
The real trial races will be the ones
off Newport. There will probably be
twelve or fourteen of the brushes. The
cup committee then will announce the
defender. These races will be "for
blood The friendship that exists
between the two crews will be for
gotten. each desiring to be the cup
boat Once the defender is picked,
the brains of the two yachts will
again get together to plan the de-
Tense of the Americas cup.
TIL regatta committee of the New
York Club will have full charge of
all the trial races. It is made up of
II. deb Parsons, chairman; Joseph
NJ. Marlborough and Frederic o. Sped
den.
With both Resolute and vanitie in
the water again yachtsmen are once
more beginning to take an interest in
the international series for the classic
trophy. The race to put Resolute ana
Vanitie into the waters first was
watched with interest throughout the
country. The honors went to Vanitie.
Not only was she relaunched a day
ahead of Resolute, but she also was
under sail "a hours ahead of the
Herreschoff, designed craft. This, of
course. means nothing in the selec-
ton of the defender. Still the race
to put the yachts into commission
was interesting, as it showed the keen.
rivalry that exists between the ,.,anag-
ing directors of the craft
vanitie, designed by William Gard
ner for Alexander Smith Cochran, u
member of the New York Yacht Club,
originally was built by George Lawley
& Son Corp, at Neponset, Mass, in
1914. Her general dimeltions are lis
feet overall; rs feet on the waterline:
% feet inches extreme breadth and
a draft of about IA feet. Since 1916,
the craft has been at Robert Jacobs
yard, City Island. Last winter Mr..
Cochran gave the yacht t., the cup
committee of the New York Yacht
Club and the committee, in urn,
placed Vanitie in the hands of Rear
Commodore George Nichols. one of the
best amateur sailors in the country.
Throughout the winter, Rear Com
modore Nichols has been experiment !
ing with the vessel. In the trial races
of 1914, Vanitie had TO allow Resolute |
time. The junior flag officer OF the |
New York club tried to find method |
of eliminating the handicap. With |
this idea in view changes have been
made in the rig and the centerboard |
and the yacht generally lightened I
Naturally, there has been consid-
cradle secrecy regarding the changes.
Whether Rear Commodore Nichols /
has gained his point will not be known
until the defending yachts are Off
cially measured.
The changes in vanitie were made
at Robert Jacobs yard. It is said
that Startling Burgess, a Boston
a member of the after
guard of the Gardner boat. principally
is responsible for the changes. One
is a new hollow topmast. The yacht
also has new hollow spruce spreaders,
about thirty-five feet from tip to tip.
These changes have been made 20
tighten the craft.
Regardless of the fact that it had
been frequently reported that Van
ties stem was to be shortened mar
terially and that her rail- which is
really the continuation of her sides
above the deck, was to be removed.
these changes have not been made.
The rail has been cut away, from
about two-thirds way aft, So as to
enable the decks to clear themselves
If seas, that may come on board.
more rapidly than if the waters had
o get away through the small Soup
,ers The angle. at which the center
BOARD of Vanitie extends, has been
Uttered so as to throw the weight for
ward This is hoped to increase her
vindward qualities.
Vanitie will be raced by Rear Com
nodore George Nichols. In addition
o the flag officer and Mr.. Burgess.
here will be on thes quarterback in
he majority of the races, c. ]. Nourse
nd c. Sherman Hoyt. Both are we'll
nown New York yachtsmen, The for
ner being prominent in the weekly
acing of the Seawanhaka- Corinthian