AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 147, 22 June 1901, Page 4 (Supplement)

AQUATICS.

The American papers to hand by this week's 'Frisco mail contain long accounts of the trials of speed last month in English waters between the two American cup challenger yachts Shamrock I. and Shamrock 11., the last-named of which was recently dismasted in a squall. A despatch from Weyroouth, dated May 13, to a San Francisco paper says: The Shamrock I. to-day outsailed Sir Thomas Liptou's new boat by five minutes and five seconds over a triangular course of about twenty miles. The only possible disadvantage to the challenger was in the fact that she used her old mainsail, which sits worse since its salt water bath of Thursday. There was no discoverable holding back of the challenger, although once or twice she pointed such a course as left the suspicion that the steersman was not taking advantag-e of every chance. The weather conditions all favoured a fair trial, with the wind fresh and steady, the course clear of all obstructions and no tides of any consequence. There is no doubt the result of today's trial was distinctly disappointing to those who had pinned their faith to the new challenger, especially as the Shamrock I. on the previous spins had not showed equality with the new racer on any point of sailing, with the exception of running. The first leg of the course was from the Portland breakwater to the Shambles lightship, the second to White Nose point, and thence to the point of starting. The old Shamrock had a length the best of the start, and held her advantage so well that the challenger was unable to bead her, and the Shambles lightship was rounded by the Shamrock I. forty-five seconds ahead of the Shamrock 11. The run to White Nose Point was dead to windward. Captain Wringe was able to keep the Shamrock I. on the weather bow of the new boat, and held all his advantage at the rounding of the second mark. As the yachts squared away for the home run the Shamrock I. led by about a minute. Down the wind the two yachts sailed with jib topsails set, the old boat adding to her lead throughout the six miles, and crossing the finish line five minutes before the 1901 challenger. Amateurs on board the challenger were inclined to be despondent over the result of to-day's races. One who holds out against this feeling, however, argues that the conditions of the races were such that the Shamrock 1. did nothing surprising in winning. "As is proved, in the case of Valkyrie III.," he said, "those tremendous booms and gaffs carried by cuprracers overburden them in any rcress of wind or sea. One day on the Hyde, in conditions very similar, the Britannia beat the Valkyrie 111., although the latter afterwards made the closest fight ever made for the cup. The alterations made in the Shamrock I. since her return are just snch as would relieve her of the worst part of this burden. I argue that had the challenger's spars been changed in the same manner for today she would beaten the old boat easily, while had the Shamrock I. been in her American form she would not have been anywhere in the neighbourhood of the line when the challenger finished. In running and reaching the shortening of spars was all in favour of the Shamrock 1., and in going to windward the new yacht's sack of mainsail left her no chance.

A later despatch, dated Ryde (Isle of Wight), May 30, says: The two Shamrocks raced to-day over an open sea course, the first leg of which is a beat from Calshot Castle to a mark outside the Nab lightship, and the Shamrock 11. won. The wind was steady from the east, and was blowing a club topsail breeze. In a fine, fresh breeze the boats heeled well over to the press of their enormous sails, making great progress. The first tack was to starboard, and they fetched along ten or fifteen minutes, both lying equally close to the wind, and apparently footing at about the same speed. The Shamrock I. tacked, and the challenger also came round under the weather quarter. The challenger then pulled up, and the yachts fetched along, beam to beam, in a long fast leg toward the island shore. When they next went about they were still close together, but as they hove about at different times there was a considerable gap. As they.stood off again in a northeasterly direction at this time, half an hour from the start, the boats appeared to be practically on the same footing as when they started. Neither had secured an appreciable advantage. Turning at the weather mark, the boats started sheets and reached along the wind for an island shore breeze. Soon after they gybed around the Erin, still in close company, but with the Shamrock 11. leading. The booms went over with sheets well out for a broad easy reach for the line whence they started. The challenger held her lead on this point of sailing, and was first to cross* the line. The time at the finish of the trianarular course of about seven miles was as follows: Shamrock 11., 4hrs. 1 mm. 50secs.; Shamrock 1., 4hrs. 2mins. 27secs.

The course gave them a fair test in beating to windward and reaching free. For the purpose of testing the yachts down the wind booms were squared away and spinnakers were set for a finishing trial before the wind from the Nab lightship to Southampton water. The Shamrock 11. continued to hold the lead, which she had gained over the triangular course.

The wind was fairly steady when they started the runningl trial, and the new challenger drew away in excellent fashion. On the short run from the Nab to the Warner lightship she gained more than a couple of minutes and passed the Warner, leading by 3.04. From there home the wind was soft and catchy, and the gap was repeatedly closed and opened as they ran for their moorings.

Captain Jameson expressed himself as exceedingly pleased at the improvement the Shamrock 11. had shown under the new mainsail, and was satisfied that she would yet show considerable improvement.

The exports of English yachts to America are on the increase, says the "London Express." "Americans are not only buying more English yachts second-hand, but are having1 more yachts specially built in England." i?o said Mr. Lory, tho well-known vaeht agent of Piccadilly, who deals in £100,000 yachts as if they were bicycles. "For instance, our firm has just sold Lord Eendel's boat, Lady

Beatrice, to an American; Mr. Anthony Drexel has just had a yacht built on the Clyde, and another is building there for Mr. Gordon Bennett. Many of our racing yachts also have lately been bought by Americans. The English can build steam yachts much cheaper than the Americans. Sailing yachts cost about the same in both countries. It is said the reason why the Americana come to us is that their own builders are full of orders, but that is hardly so. The. English builders are pretty full themselves. There is a boom in large yachts for chartering. We- could have let half-a-dozen 1000-ton boats to America last week if they had been available. The McKinley tariff? Oh, the Americans simply decline to pay duty on their English yachts—and there is an end of it. A big yacht is being built over here for America, and it has only had one mast put m. It is said—jocosely—that the idea is to import it into the States as an 'unfinished article.' "