Evening star., 1953-01-11
55-Foot Dutch Craft,
Priced at $72,7OO,
Center Of Interest
By MoIcoIm Lomborne, Jr.

Speeiol Correspondent Of The Stor
NEW YORK, Jan. 10.-The
biggest and most diversified Ma
tional Motor Boat Show in the
industry's long history was under
way here today as thousands Of |
enthusiasts jammed Grand Cen
trail Palace to look over a record
248 exhibits.
Every available space on the
four floors is crammed with
booths presenting the newest and
finest for yachtsmen, fishermen
and the small fry for the COM
ing boating season. More than
$50 craft are on display. ranging
from a $39 kit boat to the $72. 700
flagship Of the show, a 55-foot
twin-engine dream yacht, built
in Holland expressly for this
show.
DR.. Jan Herman van Rotten,
the Netherlands Ambassador,
and a party of Embassy officials
will visit the show and inspect
the Dutch yacht at II am. Tues
day.
There are sailing craft Of all
ranges on display-from a tiny
aluminium pram to a 30-foot
British motor sailer, and more
outboards than you could drive
in lifetime. and boating
gadgetS galore. It's one Of those
shows that cover so much terri
tory 1t just can't be taken in
all in one day.
Many d. C. Yachtsmen Attend.
Hundreds Of Washington
yachtsmen are here, both for
the show and for various boating
meetings scheduled during the
remaining six days. The show
opened last night for the ira
ditional four-hour preview and
had its first full session today
from II am. to II pm. It's
closed tomorrow, then reopens
Monday through Saturday.
There were reports that this
probably would be the last boat
show In the Palace because the
Federal Government contem-
plates taking it over as Offices
for the Bureau of Internal Reve-
nue.. If the deal goes through,
then next years show will be
held in the Kingsbridge Armory
in the Bronx, which is about Is
minutes by car from the Palace.
The armory has sufficient
space on one floor to accom-
modate all the present boat
show - which should be good
news for those who don't like
to climb stairs.
Meanwhile, two developments
in the multimillion- dollar boat
ing industry stand out in this
exposition.
Foreign Competition Growing.
First, United States boat build
ers are being crowded by a
growing number of excellent |
foreign concerns, six Of them |
exhibiting in the show. Actually,
the number is many times that.
Lymington Slipway Of Great
Britain represents 20 Scottish
and IS English yards, while Fead-
ship is made up of seven Dutch
yards.
Second, never have there been
so many smart little outboard
cruisers on display. It definitely
spells a trend toward making
the sport available to more and
more families who can't afford
the higher-priced yachts nor
the cost Of upkeep.
To get back to the first point,
the foreign invasion" is making
many a United States firm Won
der how it can trim costs to
meet the lower prices being Of
fered from abroad. A good ex-
ample Is the 23-foot auxiliary
sloop, Stout Fella, which Lynn
ington says it can deliver in the
United States with duty paid
for 20 per cent less than the
same boat built here. And Lynn
ington stresses its boats are
certified by Lloyds of London.
Racing Sloop Gets Attention.
Lymington also is showing a
S0-foot motor sailer and the
famous Flying Fifteen, a 49,
foot racing sloop. Designed by
Ulfa Fox, the latter is at
tracing considerable attention
from sailing enthusiasts. It's a
beautiful nodded plywood job
selling for $3.50 with Ratsey
sails. Queen Elizabeth's husband,
the Duke of Edinburgh, owns
one Of them.
The 55-foot flagship, known
as Capri, is the center of attrac-
ton, not only because she is the
largest yacht ever to be dis
played in the show but because
Il