THE SHAMROCKS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1930, Page 8

THE SHAMROCKS

LIPTON’S YACHTS

AMEiMCAI 1 c: UP CONTEST

LONDON, -day 29

There lias been some confusion a ,o the num tier of yachts bearing th name'“Shamrock” which have beei owned by Sir Thomas Lipton.

in chronicling the death of Captain Sycamore, one of the greatest yacht skippers of all time, it was generally ,luted that in 1929 he commanded ‘■l'inmrock TV. But Shamrock IV raced for the America Cup in 1920 and after the contest she was. broker • ip . The yacht of which Captain Sycn more was” skipper last year was Si T’-nmas Lipton’s beautiful and sucre's ful, 23-metre Shamrock, with which th '-cteran,; sportsman lias supported Bri tish yachting since 1908. Including the yacht launched at Gos, post : last week. Sir-Thomas LintPn

•v* has attained his eightieth year has. had Built- altogether six Sham '•ooks— — the five challengers for th America Cup and the 23-metre buil at Fairlie in 1908. Colonel F.. D. Neill, an amateir yachtsman of Greenock, will represent ■Sir Thbmas;. Lipton on Shamrock v during the America Cup races, anr will act in an advisory capacity o' Captain Ted Heard, the skipper o' the challenger. No one has a hette’ or more practical knowledge of racin'' r or.tlio America Cup 'than Colone>ill, as he filled a similar position ov four previous. Shamrocks. . -

1 Although the challenger and defend .for. the America Cup this year nr of the same rating and will race from scratch, the Americans still have th< important advantage that they ear mR as many yachts as they like an select the fastest, while there may Ik only one challenger and particulars o’ her must he supplied ten month’ ahead.

Notwithstanding, belief in the designing. genius of'Mr C. E. Nicholson "ives an optimistic feeling that ho may succeed with Shamrock V. American opinion, at any’ rate in, some quarters. appears to favour the challenger’s prospects. R-eeent advices from the United States are to +he effect that the propers ofi-the four American yachts— Christensen -of Weetamoa. Olsen 01,o 1, the Yankee, Muir of the Whirlwind and Mouisell of the Enterprise—ar p ’’"ding difficulty in getting good, live (foremast hands-to man their y’aolds for sailors of the sail are r"re nowadays. . Fnrther, -Mr John B. Paine, the veteran American yachtsman. Tin® expressed the view that the America Fun is. fropi the American standpoint +his occasion “three sheets in th’ 1 wind, and one shaking.”

« 0 far, Shamrock V., has fulfilcd every expectation'. She was launched earlier than the other Shamrocks in order that she might he-tried before setting out under her own sail to cross Aie Atlantic, and she has taken priH ‘n five races against boats of her own elasS. All these she has won in moist r, or>vinein’i’ style. Her rivals have a Hgger sail area, and on this account gave Shamrock a time .allowance, hut in np ease was it required. On each occasion she finished first, with her "llowance in hand.

c ',ir Thomas is naturally delighted — :t h the new , Shamrock. “The be,°t yaeljt that was ever designed ” Im declares:, and there is no doubt that ’»« ia a great improvement on the nre- ' T ioUs 9hnmronks. She has, proved herif nn'h»r all the vowing weather con''ons, and it .has been notable -hov nifißolv she sail® to the wind. It-now ’•cumins to "el lier safplv across tlm ' Jln .ntic, and no uneasiness is- ifolt o" '•h : « oroond. Rh 11 w :i l \o accompanied i,.. q;,. Thomas’s steam yacht Erin. •• i the latter will he, in close touch i>t and dav. Ml the Atlantic liners, 1 nn, wdl he regularly informed by wir"'p°s of her nosition and progress, and would race to her assistance in a* 1 omergenev. In addition, Erin will carry a large quantity of oil, which •’•ill he'noured on to the water in the -’’•put of specially rough weather hein" '••nerieneed. "’’■o American defender of the cup 's not yet, known. She w'M he chosen from four new yachts which have been specially built for the races.