THE BRITANNIA.

Auckland Star, 2 September 1933, Page 13

THE BRITANNIA.

OLD AND NEW RIGS. YACHTSMEN WBND A HAND. His . Majesty's cutter-rigged yacht, the Britannia, has achieved remarkable success in her first few races this season. This is due to her modern Bermudan rig and the graceful lines built into her by Watson, the master Scottish designer, exactly 40 years ago. In these years her hull has undergone no change except necessary renovations and a small amount of internal stiffening a few years ago, when she was surveyed for classification in Lloyd's Register. tinder her old rig of jack-yard topsail, gaff mainsail, jib and staysail she proved very fast and weatherly against the boats of her day, but as rigs improved she was brought up-to-date, and now she can sail with the latest craft built for the J class of the International rating rule and etill wins. The illustration shows Britannia's old and new rig, and the comparison is interesting to all boat owners, for the principle of the Bermudan rig is alike on large or small craft. The full lines depict the old gaff rig she carried when launched in 1893. The broken, or dotted, lines, show her present-day rig. It will be noticed that the bowsprit is shorter, which is an advantage, as bowsprits are always a weak

spot, of a big yacht especially. If it curries away, the masthead forestay goes with it, also the jib and jib topsail, topmast and gaff topsail. By the modern way of bringing tho forestay to the stem-head, or even further inboard, as in the case of Velsheda, the risk of occurrences of this kind is reduced. During a race, sails have to be changed several times, aud the bowsprit provides a poor footing, and it is usually the case of "one hand for himself and one for the ship." With the forestay leading on deck the for'ard men have good footing, and can do their work quicker, a definite advantage when racing, as we all know. The long overhangs of the modern yacht are shown when Britannia is compared with Velsheda. Britannia is 121 ft 6in overall, Velsheda is 128 ft; Britannia is 88ft on the waterline, Velsheda is 83ft. Thus the latter's waterline is sft shorter, but her overall length is Gft 6in greater, or a total overhang of lift 6in more than Britannia. These very long overhangs have their disadvantages as well as advantages. In a short, steep sea, their hammer-like blows tend to shake the wind out of the sails and put her off her course a little. The overhangs certainly increase tho weight at the ends, which is a cause of "labouring" in a seaway. The under-water body of the latest yachts of similar size does not reveal any radical departure from that of Britannia. Tho greatest change is in the lines of the bow. But it is in the shape and area of the sail plan that so radical a difference has been made. The Tali, Narrow Rig. ' Modern sails are tall and narrow, while in the older rig they were low and squat. The sail area of Britannia in 1893 was 10,300 square feet, but her present-day sail area is considerably less. Yet she is just aa fast as the best of them with her reduced modern rig. The Bermudau mainsail goes right to the top of the mast, and really combines topsail and mainsail in one. The modern rig is shorter jn the base, but higher. A comparison of the two sail plans as shown by the dotted lines, depicting the modern rig and the plain lines marking the original spars and sail area, clearly shows the difference in the rigs. It is a fact that the area of the Bermudan mainsail is less than the area of the boom and gaff mainsail. The hoisting and correct setting of a gaff mainsail is slower because it is hoisted by two sets of halliards, throat and peak, each working independently, and they require some "humouring" before they are finally "set," especially the jackyard topsail. Tho Bermudan mainsail is hoisted by one set of halliards. This makes for speed in setting and saves the weight of the gaff, the topsail yard and part of the topmast. The mainsheet of the Bermudan rig, with its shorter boom, is more easily handled by the crew. This makes for fifiiciency. The scientific theory of the "flow" of sails, that is, the curvature of the canvas on which the sail's efficiency depends, is all in favour of the Bermudan rig. The saving of weight aloft is also a feature of the modern rig. Note the heavy gaff, the yard of the topsail Y and j'ackyard J. Also the double spars at AB, CD, and EF. By eliminating these spaps, with their blocks and gear, the yacht is greatly assisted to stand up to her canvas, making her stiffer. The amount of running gear is decreased in favour "of an increase in standing rigging, a good exchange, and although sail plans are now much loftier than they have ever been, their weight of top-hamper is actually less than with the old rig. There is no doubt that the tdll modernmast and rig carrying a mainsail with a long, even flow in the luff is much better suited for sailing to windward than gaff sails. It must be allowed that the gaff sail is more suitable with the wind free, but it is weatherliness that wins races. If a boat cannot point high, and at the same time travel fast, she will not have a successful racing career. If a yacht is good on the wind with her present gaff main-, sail, this quality will be increased by fitting a Bermudan rig. This sums up the whole question of the modern rig, to ''Speedwell's" way of thinking. Not only Britannia, but scores of other racing craft at Home, and many in our own port, have proved this up to the hilt in all classes of sailing craft. Even the Jellicoe class would be better with this rig. But to suggest such a thing at the present juncture would lay one open to a charge of trying to get oue ahead of the Southern men, or, if they should favour it, it may be seized on as a pretext for not playing in their yard. So better let well alone in that respect, but it has improved the all-round performance of several of our T class, and each season sees more converts.