THE FATE OF "LIPTON" YACHTS.

Southland Times, Issue 18059, 31 January 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE FATE OF " LIPTON " YACHTS.

"What becomes of all the expensive yachts ihat are built ; to compete in the America (really Queen's) Cup ? Sir Thomas Lipton has spent upwards of ,£200.000 in this way already, and he is building a third yacht that will increase his expenditure by quite fifty per cent. On the other side, the Americans must also have spent some large bums of money, while if we go back and include all the races of the Last quarter of a C3iitmy, and -reckon the costs to both countries, we shall probably find that the expenditure on yachts to compete for the trophy has not be^n less than two million pouuda. A question has been asked what becomes of these expenedve yachts when tiny have ceased ia. serve their original purpose as challenger or defender of the 1 America Cup. They are of no use for oidiiiary yachting purposes, being too

lar»e for one thing -fend too frail for another, and as the supreme contest in acquatics has its events few and far between, th.} query mentioned is justified by circumstances. According, to an American journal "in "the line "they are broken up and. sold for, what they will bring as old material, generally about from £100 to £200 each. As an instance the American yacht Defender, once the glory of the yachting world, has just been broken up nn.l sold for £275, while Valkyrie 111, belonging to Lord Dunraven.has suffered a 'simila*' fate, the sum realised being but £200;.'" These law piices are the result of the yachts having .been constructed so lightly, and of such light materials, as to render them useless for any other purpose.