THE RIVAL YACHTS

Evening Post, Issue 67, 17 September 1934, Page 9

THE RIVAL YACHTS

The Endeavour is largely a stool yacht, the rudder, of mahogany, tho pine and mahogany decks and the leaden keel being the principal exceptions to the all-steel policy announced for the ship. The Rainbow has also made large use of metal in construction but in somewhat different ways. The Endeavour has an over-all length of 128 feet and measures 83 feet, at the waterline. The mast, which is a hollow steel -tube strengthened with internal steel rings, measures 170 feet and the boom is 22 feet long. In the keel there is 82 tons of load and through this a steel drop keej can be raised and lowered by a winch. Tho spread of canvas is 7550 square feet and 4850 feet of this is in the mainsail.

Tho rigging of the British ship is stated to be different from that of any other yacht. Under tho plau adopted it will be possible to change sails more quickly than ever and also to have the -benefit of lightness. The mast has oleetrie cables connected with the wind-y vane and a pressure gauge in front or. the captain.

The Rainbow, which is .largely equipped with material from' the previous Cup defender, Enterprise, has benefited from the experience gained in sailing that boat. Thus tho Rainbow is longer and narrower than her predecessor and her principal measurements are a mean between those of the Enterprise and the other American yacht Weetamoe. The under-body of the Rainbow is of bronze plates bolted to- steel frames iind tho topsides are made of steel which is a saving in weight and expense. The shrouds are of solid metal, chrome nickel steel being used and revealing elasticity equal to that of a wire rope. The 154 feet mast is made of duralumin, a strong aluminium alloy, and weighs 56831b. New material and a streamlined shape are considered to have given the new ship much greater' spar strength than that enjoyed ■ by her American forerunners.

The Rainbow also has an unusual feature, a great sail locker extending the major part of tho length of the saloon floor. When "cleared for action" this greatly speeds up tho time of delivery of sails on deck. Centreboard, winches, mast spreaders, and deck rails have all been incorporated in the new ship from the Enterprise and most of the crew came from that ship. In her trials the vessel even carried some of the Enterprise's sails recut and on her wheel is the inscription "Enterprise 1930, Rainbow 1934."