MAST MOVED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1043, 6 August 1930, Page 12

MAST MOVED

ALTERATION TO AMERICA’S CUP YACHT QUESTION OF BALANCE The mast of the Whirlwind, one of the yachts built in the United States to defend the America’s Clip against the Shamrock, has been moved forward. The Whirlwind had shown a bad weather helm in the preliminary races and. in fact, would not steer without extreme effort on the part of members of her afterguard. Against the wind she kept nosing up into the luffing. or sail shaking point. If the wind were on the starboard side, she would swing her bow to starboard. It was as if she were climbing on tlie wind constantly. T<> keep her off to the j>oint where she would te full and by, or her sails filled so she would travel at her best, meant s constant tug on her wheel. A second let-up and her nose would swing up and her sails quiver from the wind spilling out of them. L. Francis Herershoff. her designer and the son of Nat Hereshoff. who turned out all the cup defenders 1593 up to this year, was on board during the last race off Newport, and he figured a change would be necessary. She had gone well reaching with her sheets, or sails started and had scudded fast before th? breeze, but the moment her sheets were trimmed in she began to point into the wmdIn short, she did not have the rigM balance. It was figured that stepping her ma*t 20 inches forward would make her answer her helm properly. yachts can be headed on a course wit. sheets just started and they will themselves without a touch on tn wheel. Enterprise will.