SEEKING IE AMERICA’S CUP

Evening Star, Issue 22686, 28 June 1937, Page 15

SEEKING IE AMERICA’S CUP

ENDEAVOURS VERSUS THE RANGER WILL THE CHALLENGER Will ? [By Spinxakhk.] On Saturday, July 31, over a course of 30 miles, tho first of the series_ of races for the greatest of all yachting races —tho America’s Cup—will commence about 11 a.m. in tho open sea off Newport, Rhode Island, 140 miles north of New York Harbour. Fifteen miles will he sailed in the wind, and the same distance off tho wind, marking the opening of the seventeenth contest. Mr Thomas Octavo Murdoch Sopwith’s Endeavour, representing the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes, Isle of Wight, and Air Harold Vanderbilt’s Ranger. lepresentative of tho New York Yacht .Club, are almost certain to be the contestants. Great wisdom had been shown by Mr Sopwith in having his new challenger built and tested over a year before the races. Over the last racing season, Endeavour 11. has carried off nine first and three second prizes in 17 races. Endeavour 1., which crossed the Atlantic in 1934 and was narrowly beaten by Rainbow, sailed in 30 races at Home, winning six first and 13 second prizes. This seems to prove that the second Endeavour is a better all-round performer than the challenger of three years ago.

Both vessels journeyed to America in May, in company with escorts. Permission was granted by tho New York Club, under tho “ mutual agreement ” clause in the conditions for the cup contests for towing, which shortened the voyage. Another concession of the club was that the challenger could be nominated by July 1, whereas previously this had to be done 10 months in advance. Mr Sopwith now has the opportunity to gauge the respective performances of the two Endeavours in American waters, before making his final decision. PAST CONTESTS. It is interesting to consider how the 15 challengers over the period of 1870 to 1934 fared. Sailing against the entire New York Yacht Club fleet, Cambria, Mr Ashbury’s challenger of 1870, was badly beaten by the American Dauntless (Mr Bennett). The following year Mr Ashbury tried again with tho schooner Livonia, winning one of the series of races, the defenders being chosen on the morning of each race. Two Canadian challenges came in 1876 and 1881, when Major Gifford’s Countess of Dufferin and tho Atlanta fared even worse, the races talcing place in November. Sir Richard Sutton’s beautiful T'enesta fought a gallant fight with Puritan in 1885, and with a little luck might have emerged the victor, but the next year the Galatea, a steel “ plankton-edge ” cutter, sailed by Lieutenant Henn, made a poor showing against tho Mayfair, the defender. It was honed that the change of the rating rule in force in Great Britahv in 1887 would end the run of bad duck experienced previously, but the Scottish cutter Thistle, hurriedly budt, proved no match for the American Volunteer. Then, in 1893, Lord Dunraven’s Valkyrie would have won one race but for rank ill-luck, when she keenly contested the issue with the bronze defender Vigilant. A third Valkyrie finished first on one occasion in 1895 against Defender, but controversy which followed ended the racing for the time. The late Sir Thomas Linton entered tho field with his five Shamrocks at this stage, and tho first was beaten by Columbia in 1899. Along came the second, to come within seconds of beating Columbia. The Cun was nearly won, but Shamrock was beaten in the end. The huge American Reliance, carrying 16,159 square feet of sail against the 14,154 of the third Shamrock, overpowered the Challenger, and there came a cessation in the racing. Sir Thomas would have entered the field again in 1914, but the Great War forced him to abandon tho attempt.

Shamrock the fourth won two races in 1920; she was designed by tho famous Gosport designer, Mr Charles Nicholson. However, she lost the series to Resolute. The last of the Shamrock line again failed in 1930. Enterprise being the successful American. Followed the contest of 1934. when with moderate good fortune Endeavour _I. might have turned the tables on Rainbow. THE ENDEAVOURS, The old Endeavour is made available by the kindness of her owner, Mr H. A. Andrease, who has lent tho ship to Messrs P. Hill and F. Sigrist, who have undertaken to equip the vessel and to manage and run her at all points throughout tho season comparable to the new one. Captain Ned Heard is to be the skipper, and he will have with him tho finest crew he can assemble. Mr Sopwith will, of course, sail the new Endeavour; bat ho will have with him as stand-by helmsman and genera l ! adviser Sir Ralph Gore, a sailor with a record of high distinction. Captain Williams is her professional skipper. The differences between the two vessels may sound slight, but they are important. Though both are J-c’"ss vessels, the old boat is, _ towards tho bottom, of permissible size, the new one at the top. Endeavour I. is 83ft on tho waterline, the other 87ft. The penalty for this added length is an increase in displacement of 21 tons. Endeavour 11. is an ever closer-winded vessel than the old one, hut there is a doubt whether she can get her extra bulk as fast through tho water in light airs. Tho Endeavours are the result of steady building by one firm. Endeavour 11. might be called the grandchild of Shamrock V. As such she should demonstrate tho steady improvement in British J class from its earliest beginnings, and represents the last word in British conceptions of what a J class cutter should he. They have good accommodation below, and a moderate sail space, more loftily rigged than the older gaff-rigged type, which carried twice as much sail. The modern Bermuda rig, is much better ior racing. The new rat’ng rule (1934) provides for bigger-bodied boats with no freakish qualities, the under■fwater portion being of fair shape, with long overhangs. Many of tho mechanical paderets of three years ago have been discarded in this year’s boats. DIMENSIONS OF THE CONTENDERS. Endeavour I.—Length overall 128 ft 6in, 1.w.1., 82ft 4in, beam 22ft, draught 15ft, sail area 7.550 ft, displacement 143 * tons.

Endeavour ll.—Length overall 132 ft, 1.w.1. 87ft, beam 22ft Ciu, draught 15ft. sail area 7,560 ft, displacement, 164 tons. Rainbow.—Length overall 126 ft Sin, lw.l. 82ft, beam 20ft llin, draught 14ft llin. sail area 7,558 ft, displacement 138 tons. Ranger.—Length overall 135 ft, 1.w.1. 87ft, beam 21ft Sin, draught 15ft, sail area 7,550 ft, displacement 166.5 tons. Yankee.—Length overall 12a.9ffc, 1 w.l. 86ft Sin, beam 22.5 ft, draught 15ft, sail area 7,520 ft, displacement 161.5 tons. THE RANGER. It will be seen from the foregoing dimensions that the new boat,_ Ranger, is the largest of the five with 166.5 tans, two tons and a-half more than Endeavour 11., 23 tons more than Endeavour I, and 28.5 tons more than Mr Vanderbilt’s Rainbow, winner of the 1,934 contest. Ranger appears to be on good lines, with long, fine ends, knife-sharp forward. Her mast is a duralumin spar lG6ft long, lift 3;u being below the deck. Tho mast is oval, about 22in fore and aft and 16iu across. All halliards except the spinnaker run inside the mast. To remove the downward pull of the mainsail halliard 1 , estimated at 10 tons, a link is attached to the head of the sail which, by an ingenious device, is automatically hooked on to a bolt on the mast, correctly placed for full sail. This eases the down pull of the halliard and halves tho crushing strain on the mast. Ranger is painted aluminium topsides, blue line at waterline, and a bronze bottom. Her lead keel is over 100 tons and is circular on the bottom, the steel garboaixl plating being let in into the lead near the tap of this lead keel. The platings are of s + ecL .2?’’-' thick above water and ,23iu below, with garboards .26in thick. The heavier plating above the water is to resist tbe strains due to long overhangs, and is required by Lloyds’ rules, to which all J class boats must conform. The plating is riveted and is flush with joggled steel frames. Only the decking, skylights, companion, and interior filings are wood, all else being steel. Below deck Ranger is fairly well fitted. Her sides and bulkheads are panelled in butternut and the main cabin lias Bft headroom. A galley, fo’castle, and other quarters are provided for the crow, who will live aboard.