Impeding Craft

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 221, 18 September 1934, Page 5

Impeding Craft

’ AMERICA’S CUP RACE TAKING ENDEAVOUR’S WIND ißy Telegraph—Press Zkssociation—Copyright) NEW YORK, Sept. 16. As the. Rainbow and Endeavour e started on the homeward stretch in the Q first race on Saturday several vessels, s notably the United States destroyer h Manley, with movie camera men on board, interfered with the challenger’s c wind. The Endeavour was almost be--3 calmed until President Roosevelt, from £ a nearby ship, wirelessed to the Manley c to get out of the way. The impeding v craft immediately headed away and the ». Endeavour showed a quick improvement. d THE RIVAL YACHTS. D , c The Endeavour is largely a steel yacht, the rudder, of mahogany, the 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 overall length of 128 feet and measures 83 feet at the waterline. The mast, which is a hollow a steel tube strengthened with internal e steel rings, measures 170 feet, and the v boom is 22 feet long. In the keel there s is 82 tons of lead and through this a a steel drop keel can be raised and lowj cred by a winch. The spread of canv vas is 7550 square feet and 4850 feet .. of 'this is in the mainsail. t The rigging of the British ship is .. stated to be different from that of any 2 other yacht. Under the plan adopted s it will be possible to change sails more c quickly than ever and also to have the benefit of lightness. The mast has electric cables connected with the windvane and a pressure gauge in front of 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 the 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 J and the topsides are made of steel which is a saving in weight and expense. The shrouds are of solid metal, 3 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 56831 b. 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 5 feature, a great sail locker extending • the major part of the length of the ’ saloon floor. When “cleared for 1 action” this greatly speeds up the 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 her 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.”