New-York tribune., 1920-06-07
Upton Yacht
Meets Accident
Off Oyster Bay
On Last Stretch of Outward
Leg When Burton Finds
Break; New Caf TODAY

By Jack Lawrence
The Shamrock w. the British cha1-
,snssr for the Americas Cup, came
4 close to having a serious accident yes
..rday afternoon while undergoing a
,;r.testing spin on the Sound of Oys-
t,r Bay. Heeling well over in q six
..en.knot breeze, Sir Thomas Lipton's
,.eer was on the last stretch Of her
outward leg from her moorings at City
,slxnd when Captain Burton noticed a
split in the big gaff.
In fash the crew had lufYed the
Shamrock up into the wind and started
10 lower the mainsail. A passing steam
Yacht went to the assistance Of the
British boat and threw a line to her
deck and started to tow her. The
shamrock's tender. the Dragon, was at
once dispatched to the assistance of the
disabled craft and towed her back to
City Island. At Jacobs shipyards it
vss said new gaff would be bent on
the mast to-day and the Shamrock
would be ready for another trial.
With Captain W. P. Burton, Mrs.
Barton and Charles E. Nicholson, her
designer, occupying the tiny cockpit
the Shamrock was towed out Of her
berth by the latest addition to Lipton's
cup hunting feet in American waters.
This is a husky little towboat called
the Dragon that has been chartered
aatil the International contest is over.
Like all the other boats in Sir
Thomass heet. the Dragon has been
given a brilliant coat Of green paint
nd dies the pennant Of the Reyal
Ulster Yacht Club with all the aplomb
q the challenger herss1f. with the
Dragon the Lipton feet now numbers
dx vessels.
With the wind blowing almost q
fale out Of the northwest the Sham
, roek pointed her nose to the eastward
Long Island shore. When the whipping
breeze caught her sails she developed
burst Of speed that left most Of the
pursuing heet Of pleasure yachts far
sstern.
Britishe1s In Crowd
There were st least 5000 people
nthered along the shore at City
hland to see the green sloop get under
way and it was noticeable that many
II them were Britishers. The large
crowd was due partly to the fact that
X was Sunday, but many Of those pres
ent had come from Canada and other
distant points to get & closeup Of the
challenger.
Hundreds Of fashionably dressed
vemen were among the throng and a
I great feet of costly yachts brought
lNmany gay parties to witness the trial
spin. The scene as the Shamrock left
her berth reminded one Of q midsum-
ner regatta.
A new staysail and a new jib were
bent on the challenger yesterday, and
bent on the challenger yesterday. The
sleop had been worked under lower
nils only until yesterday and her top
mast had not been given what could be
called a real test
Yachting sharps who have seen the
shsmrock's present mast and also the
that was lost by the American cup can
ddate Resolute OF New Haven declare
hat the imported spar has much more
give to it than the Herreshof boats
domestic stick. Under 4 great strain
Il bends like q reed.
The rather tame drilling on the
Sound is not at all to the liking of
Captain Burton and the other officers
4 the Shamrock, and 1t is their de-
hre to get out on the ocean course
ef Sandy Hook as soon as possible.
present plans do not misearry and
there is no hitch in the work Of fitting
:ut the trial boat, the entire Upton
sses viii be moved TO It's ocean base
<A-
The Shamrock ~ surrendered her
esnfcrtable berth 1t the end Of the
pc, in Robert Jacobs City Island
yaeht basin yesterday afternoon, and
ass stable mate, the twenty-three-metes
Shamrock, WAS tied up there Tor the
purpose Of having her transatlantic
heying removed.
This work was begun last night
under the glare Of . battery Of search
Lights and will be rushed. The present
plans are to have her ready for racing
y the time Sir Thomas Upton az
rises here. The Irish sportsman Is on
Ae White Star Liner Celtic, due hero
Colonel Duncan r. D. Neil. Lipton's
Yachting representative in this coun-
a. said yesterday that the twenty
Ares-meter craft would be cleared Of
nr present rigging by tonight and
souid be hauled out on the ways TO-
xerrow for a general polishing up.
itais VIII take only g day. and it Is
s0psd 70 have her racing mast stepped
Wednesday night or Thursday.
ine newly arriver Shamrock 10 far
vIetsaer boat than her big sister, the
Up Challenger. She has long, racy
anes aud her Ash-nosed bow reminds
sns u HerreshoH creation. A close
Inspection Of the hull after she had
0ssH tied up at the pier yesterday
c&snsen revealed the fact that she
.s none the worse for her Atlantic
ssss'ng. and no repairs will be necea-
'ss' when she Is hauled out
Behaves Well Crossing Ocean
1. Aptatn William D. Cameron, her
Upper. and all the members Of the
~. ssree that she behaved splendidly
- ner Seoo-mile voyage and reeled
ss y the ocean miles a. though it were
81. par: Of the days work. Like the
80 80 oeats involved In the cup situa-
a. tas twenty-thfse-meter Shamrock
~ 0een considerably altered since
~. when she had her hrst trials
.sss,.ae -. me challenger and IL said TO be
ssscerably faster. Her water-line
- sisafsnent 10 the same as that Of
= .up hunter, but she does not carry
1 D...sas enormous spread Of canvas.
assasH this fact she is reported to be
az ~ Of sufficient speed 70 make
i contender do her best TO Anish