March 28, 1903.] 
FOREST « AND _ STREAM. 
^6? 
Capt. A. C, Corkuiiii her sailing mastet', under whose 
direction she was built. 
The meeting of the Yacht Racing Assodatiorl of Massa- 
chusetts will be held fit the town house of the Boston 
J . C, Rowes Wharf, Thursday evening. Several amend- 
ments to the constitution and by-laws have been proposed, 
most of which were announced in last week's letter. In 
addition to those spoken of it will be proposed that the 
number of yachts enrolled in a club that will make it 
ehgible for membership will be tweiitj'^ instead of ten, and 
that the said yachts shall be more than 15ft. waterline in- 
stead of 12ft. In regard to representation it will be pro- 
posed that each club may have one delegate for each 300 
members or fraction thereof It is proposed also to raise 
the entry fee of the Association for the season's races 
from $1 to $2. 
At Lawley's the 50ft. schooner designed by Binney for 
Major L, H. Bent, the 2T-footer designed by Fred Lawley 
for Mr. L. H. Spalding, and the 25- footer by the same 
designer for Mr. John Swift, are practically finished. 
The 40-rater designed by Messrs. Burgess and Packard 
for Col. R. H. Morgan, and the 43-rater designed by Mr. 
B. B. Crowninshield for Mr. Trenor L. Park, are partly 
planked. The 36-rater designed by Mr. B. B. Crownin- 
shield for Mr. W. B. Rogers has been hauled out of the 
shop. In the west shop the joiner work is well along on 
the steam yacht designed by Mr. A, S. Chesborough for 
Mr- Charles Fletcher, and the deck plating is being put 
on the steam j-acht by the same designer for Mr. C. G. 
Emery. The 45ft. launch designed by Mr. F. D._ Lawley 
for Mr. W. F. Dreer is planked and the deck laid. The 
wooden keel for the 64-rater schooner designed by Mr. 
F. D. Lawley for Mr. John Richmond is being turned out. 
At the Hanley Construction Company the 27ft. yawl de- 
signed by Mr. Dodge for Mr. Bird, of New York, is 
about finished. Work has been started on the 28ft. yawl 
designed by Mr. Isaac B. Mills for Mr. B. D. Amsden 
and on the iS-footer designed by -Messrs. Burgess and 
Packard for Mr. R. J. Randolph, Jr. A number of yachts 
are fitting out in the basin. 
The defender of the Lipton cup, last year won by La 
Rita, the lines of which have been turned out by Messrs, 
Small Bros., will probably be built in the east under the 
direction of the designers. She is quite a powerful craft 
of the centerboard type, and will carry 947ft. of sail. A 
28ft. yawl by these designers for a Boston yachtsman, will 
be built by Meek, of North Weymouth, and the cruising 
yawl designed for Mr. W. Mosely Swaim, of Philadelphia, 
will be built at Philadelphia. • 
Stuart, of Wollaston, has under construction two 
launches for members of the Boston Y. C. One of these 
will be soft, and the other 45ft. 
The fourteenth annual dinner of the Dorchester Y. C. 
will be held at Hendrie Hall, Dorchester, Saturday even- 
ing, April II. Congressman W. S. McNary, Hon. Fred 
S. Gore, Representative Callender, Commodore F. L. Cod- 
man and Mr. Lewis M. Clark will speak. 
MacConnell & Co. have sold the 36ft. 3'awl Virginia, 
owned by Messrs. R. L. and H. I. Sewall, to Mr. C. H. 
Sherburne, of Boston, They have also sold the 25ft. yawl 
Hermes and the 30-footer Nokomis to eastern yachts- 
men. 
MacConnell Bros, have sold the 25ft. knockabout 
Ninita, owned by- Mr. Samuel Ferguson, to Mr. E. R. 
Hastings, of Boston. They have also sold the 36ft. speed 
launch Mercury to Mr. Charles Laidlaw, Jr., of Long 
Branch, and the cabin knockabout Raduga to Mr, Richard 
H, Swartwout, of New York. 
John B. Killeen. 
English Letter. 
The announcement that the new Shamrock will be 
launched on the 17th (St. Patrick's Day), has amply ful- 
filled the expectation that every opportunity will be taken 
for tuning the vessel up prior to her departure for the 
States, Of course, sundry reports have been current in 
the press as to her design, but not a single authentic item 
of news has transpired. If any deduction can be taken 
from the various reports current, it would seem that the 
new vessel will have an easier bilge than the first Sham- 
rock, and may therefore heel a little more easily to a light 
air. Some journals predict that the yacht will show 
some very startling innovations below water, but that 
will not be known until the launch. Similar statements 
are current as to the new defender. These cup racers 
have certainly grown very large in the matter of sail, but 
it appears to me surprising that they are not very much 
larger. Of course the difficulty of keeping the huge sail 
spread properly set is very great, but it is not insuperable 
where money is no object. The yachts hardly yet repre- 
sent what would be the ultimate outcome of a pure water- 
line measurementj and that appears to me to be the craft 
that is wanted. 
Our coming racing season does not promise very well. 
There will be no regular large class, and though a new 
65-footer is building at Fairlie, that class can hardly be 
of much interest, as her only competitor will be TuUy, not 
built for this rule. The name of the new 65-footer's 
owner has not even yet been divulged. The 52-footer, 
Magdalen, has been sold by Baron de Forest to Italy, She 
did not race last year, although put in commission. The 
only new boat for this class is one designed by Alfred 
Mylne for Mr. W. Leuchars. It will be interesting to 
note how she sails with last j'ear's Fife crack. No 36- 
footers are building, and few boats for the smaller classes. 
The new "South Coast" one-design class has undergone 
yet another change. It was originally intended that the 
boats should be about the 36-footer size, and should cost 
from £600 to £800. Now it has been decided to make 
them larger, and they will cost £1,200. They are 38ft. on 
L.W.L, lift, beam, 57ft. over all, and will be about 42- 
rating. Eight are said to be ordered, and it is stated that 
there is an intention to limit the class to that number. If 
that is so, one must be glad, because it will interfere the 
Jess with open racing, but it may be found that clubs will 
not be over ready to suppl}^ prizes for a self-organized 
and exclusive class of this nature. There was for a time 
some prejudice against the Clyde 20-ton one-design class 
because it was self-organized, but it has always been open 
to everyone who cared to build for it. The Solent Classes 
Y, R. A. has decided not to admit this new class into 
its list of classes, and it is therefore dependent on the 
spontaneous generosity of individual clubs. 
The handicap owners have failed, after all, to induce 
AZTEC 
Designed by Gardner & Cox and owned by A. C. Burrage, 
Photo by N. L. Stebbins, Boston. 
the Y. R. A. to countenance handicap racing, even to the 
exteiit of appointing official handicappers. At the general 
meeting of the Association their scheme was rejected by 
33 votes to 23, and the Council's own alternative was en- 
tirely unsupported. The truth is that no matter how well 
such regulations might work at the Thames and south 
coast regattas, they would break down at the Clyde and 
Irish meetings, which must take such boats as may come 
along, and classify them to suit each occasion. 
There is a brilliant opportunity now open to your power 
yachtsmen to teach Europe a lesson. We have been read- 
ing marvelous reports of the performances of some of 
yonr newest steam and motor boats, and the opportunity 
of seeing them would be hailed with delight. I will not 
conceal from you that in this country there is an un- 
worthy suspicion that the miles grow short towards the 
setting sun, and that some of your fliers might fail to 
maintain their highest records in a race over here. Well, 
there is an easy way of settling this little doubt, for Mr. 
Alfred Harmsworth has presented an International launch 
cup to the Automobile Club, and the first races will be 
held in Cork harbor about the middle of July. The class 
will be for launches of 40ft. over all, and there is no 
restriction as to power or dimensions. The cup will be- 
come a hotly contested trophy, and many visitors are ex- 
pected from the Continent to compete for it. The Auto- 
mobile Club will hold the races under the rules of the 
Marine Motor Association, which will present three 
souvenirs to the three best boats. You can send steam, 
petroleum or electric launches, but ^ou will have to send 
fast boats, for, short as the time is, I hear of quite a fleet 
being built. Each country may send three representatives, 
but these must be entirely constructed in the country that 
they represent. Needless to say they are not required to 
come to this country on their own bottoms. It will be 
very interesting to note the types produced for these 
races. England holds the Gordon Bennett car cup, and 
will. make a bold bid to defend the Harmsworth trophy, 
top. I know that the donor and the Automobile Club 
will be deeply gratified if some boats from the States are 
sent over. E. H. Hamilton. 
The Steam Yactit Aztec. 
Aztec was designed by Messrs. Gardner & Cox for 
Mr. Henry C. Pierce, and built by Mr. Lewis Nixon 
at Elizabethport, N. J. Before the vessel was com- 
pleted she was purchased by Mi*. A. C. Burrage, of 
Boston. Aztec is 263ft. over all, 216ft. waterline, 31ft. 
breadth and 14ft. draft. 
Sir Thomas Lipton's new challenger for the America's 
Cup, Shamrock III., was launched on St. Patrick's 
Day, March 17, at Denny Brothers' yards, Dumbarton, 
Scotland. 
The weather was anything but pleasant in the early 
morning, but as the day wore on it brightened up, 
stopped raining and 'the wind went down. Shortly after 
.one o'clock Sir Thomas Lipton and his guests appeared 
on the platform that was erected under the bows of the 
new boat. The Countess of Shaftesbury named the 
yacht. As she broke a bottle of wine over the j'acht's 
bows the boat began to move slowly down the ways, 
and the Countess said : . "I christen you Shamrock III. 
May God bless you and may you bring back the Cup." 
Shamrock III. slipped easily into the water, and the 
launching was entirely successful, being accomplished 
without a hitch. Owing to the shallowness of the 
water off the yard, it was necessary to launch the j'acht 
in pontoons, and canvas was hung over the sides for- 
ward and aft which, to an extent, concealed the over- 
hangs. As the yacht took the water the band played 
"The Dear Little Shamrock," and the Countess of Shaftes- 
bury and Sir Thomas Lipton were heartily cheered. 
After the launching the yacht was towed to Greenock. 
While the actual dimensions of Shamrock III. are 
not forthcoming, all the reports agree that the new 
vessel is a finely turned boat, more of a yacht and less 
of a machine than was expected. She is said to be 
about 140ft. long over all and nearly 90ft. on the water- 
line. Her breadth is just over 22ft., while her draft 
is practically 19ft. It AA^as expected that the designer, 
Mr. William Fife, would take more over all length in 
the new _ boat, but the reduction of breadth some 
18 or 2oin. over Shamrock II., came as a surprise. 
The freeboard is higher than was expected, and the 
sheer quite straight. 
Shamrock III. should be a wonderfully good light 
weather boat, as her fine lines and easy form ought to 
be easily driven by a moderate sail plan. The wetted 
surface and lateral plan have been greatly cut away, and 
the boat ought to be quick in stays, and unless very 
well balanced may prove wild on her helm in a sea 
way. Fife boats are, however, invariably well bal- 
anced, and we may rest assured that the designer has 
given special attention, to thi? feature in the new Sham- 
rock, 
The boat's lighter construction enables her to carry 
rnore ballast in proportion to displacement than did 
either Shamrock I. or II. She is framed and plated 
with nickel steel. The deck is of aluminum, covered 
with a materii'l which gives a good foothold. The 
metal deck fittings are of steel galvanized, while the 
cleats are of wood. As was stated in these columns 
some months ago, the boat will be steered with a 
wheel. 
The mast, which was stepped the second day after 
the launching, is of steel, about 170ft. in length. The 
mast and topmast are all in one, and the spar is of 
less diameter than the one Shamrock II. carried. The 
same can be said of the boom (which is 102ft. long) 
and the gaf¥._ These spars are also of steel. The bow- 
sprit is of pine and solid. 
Her sail area will not be much greater than was 
Columbia's, and she will have only a moderate amount 
of canvas in the lower sails, but will swing a large 
club topsail. By so doing she can get a very advan- 
tageous measurement. This distribution of sail has 
several things to recommend it. In light weather she 
has a big sail well up in the air, and yet she can be 
put under yery comfortable sail spread for bad weather 
by taking in the topsail. 
The workmanship on the boat is of the very highest 
order throughout, and the hull is exceptionally smooth. 
The entire hull is painted white, and this is relieved by 
a green stripe at the waterline and the rail. 
It is conceded by everyone who has seen the boat 
that she is by far the handsomest and most carefully 
designed boat ever turned out to challenge for the 
Cup, and whether she wins or loses she is a remark- 
ably fine vessel and reflects great credit on her de- 
signer. 
The new boat building at Bristol for the defense of 
the America's Cup, is to be named Reliance. The 
name is an improvement over any of the others sug- 
gested, and has the proper ring to it. There is some- 
thing about the name that conveys great confidence to 
all those interested in the success of the American 
boat in her coming races against the new Shamrock. 
Good progress is being made on Reliance, and the 
hull is almost entirely plated, although there is still 
a good deal of riveting yet to be done. The work of 
covering the lead keel with bronze plates has been leit 
till the last, but it is expected that these will be in place 
in a few days. The steel boom is nearly finished, and 
the workmen have started to bend the plates for the ^ 
steel gaff. Reliance will be put overboard about the 
middle of April. 
YACHT CLUB NOTES. 
The Williamsburgh Y. C. has arranged the following 
fixtures for the coming season: May 3, opening day; 
May 30, annual spring regatta; July 3-6, annual cruise; 
July 19, at Plum Beach; Aug. 16, ladies' day; Sept. 7, 
Labor Day cruise; Sept. 27, open fall regatta; Oct. 25, 
club goes out of commission. 
i« ac 
Seventeen clubs were represented at the meeting of 
the American Power Boat Association, held at the 
Columbia Y. C, foot of West Eighty-sixth Street, New 
York City. The racing rules submitted by Mr, Henry 
J. Gielow were discussed and adopted after making 
several changes. The formula for rating electric mo- 
tors was changed from 950 watts to 750 watts to equal 
one horse-power. In rating gasoline explosive en- 
gines, the constant divisor for two cycle engines, was 
changed from 600 to 900, The election of officers was 
postponed until the next meeting, which will be held 
on April 29. 
•? >? 15 
The second general meeting of the New York Y. C. 
will be held at the club house on Thursday, March 26.. 
■S « * 
Com. Tilford, of the Indian Harbor Y. C, has ap- 
pointed Mr. L. D. Armstrong Fleet Captain, Dr. 
Leander P. Jones Fleet Surgeon, and the Rev. M. Geov" 
Thompson Fleet Chaplain. 
