AMERICA CUP

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1930, Page 5

AMERICA CUP

THIRD RACE POSTPONED

ENGLAND’S HOPES LOW

[United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.] 1

(Received this dav at 9. a.m.) . NEW YORK, Sept. 16

..Advice from Newport states heavy fog and lack of wind caused a ’postponement of the third race for the America 'Cup. The yachts did not leave their moorings. Nicholson announced that two thousand pounds of ballast had been ' restored to the Shamrock last night, :ayid possibly other changes will ‘be made..

England is beginning, to realise that .she can never lift the Cup under the present conditions, and probably will never try again, declared Rear Commodore Ralph Groverairies, of the Royal Ulster Yacht Club, '.who . is. aboard the Erin, He believed the strain o£ crossing the Atlantic under .her own sail had undoubtedly hurt the . which looked to be an entirely different boat in the (trial races'in British quarters, giving confidence to. England beyond any other challenger that Sir Thomas Ljpton has produced. “Now she sails as. .though, dragging a crnlb . pot.'’ While in no .way representing offi-' cial opinion, Groveraines suggested that -’England be allowed to build a (boat in any section of the Empii’ e > such as Canada, saving six precious weeks in the tuning tip period, and the strain and possibilities of harm in cropsing the ocean would -be avoided.

THE CONDITIONS

(Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, September 13

The ownership of the America Cup will, be decided by, the winning of four races out of seven. If conditions permit these will be held on following days,' with .the exception of Sundays, hut each i skipper can claim a day’s rest between races.- The starting line is.: nine miles south-east of Brenton Reef .Lighthouse,, off Newport. . This coUrse .was. chosen in : the hope of -obtaining more constant winds than i off Sandy Hook, where previous contests have : been held. . ■ - C ..Each 'boat carries a crew of. about twenty, and their proportions are (-exceptionally close, despite differences of design. Shamrocks displacement •> is 133 tons, her overall length 119 ft 10m, her mast, ,162 ft, .and her sail, spread 7524f.t. Enterprise has 128 J tor/ 1 displacements her; mast - is- 168 f- high' amt her:pail.sprcfad..is 75,40 ft.. In.outfit and gear, Shamrock follows / conventional lines and her sails are man-handled except for one winch Tor the main hat yapd. Enterprise, however, is call ©a a-..clockwork boat by reason 0f,.-the innumerable mechanical cohtri vances she contains. All her ropes and wires are taken below deck, and gauges record the exact strains on all the wires. Her duralumin mast is only 18in in dibineter at'its thickest part nnd- f* nearly a . ton.,lighter than Shamrock’s mast of hollow, wood. The syndicate of millionaires owning the Enterprise have equipped her regardless of expenses, nnd her most alone is stated to have cost £BOOO. ,>■ THE FINANCIAL SIDE. ■ A million pounds will be spent on the.contest this year to determine the possession of the cup, which is worth R' hundred guineas, Sir Thomas Lipton desires it so much that he is smilingly spending between £160,000 and £200,000 in a fifth attempt, to win it, and American yachtsmen are so eager to hold it that they, are enthusiastically paying out about £Boo,oo6’to defend it. . ~. n ifour boats have been built on tlie Arrierican side of. the Atlantic, Iby three syndicates of New York yachtsmen, and one group of New England yachtsmen, to. contend for the hon r our of defending the trophy, and the construction, equipment, and .maintenance of each will cost at ' least £120,000 in the' case of the Yankee and Whirlwind and £200,000 for the Wdetamoe and Enterprise.

Including this year’s race there have been 14 matches for the America'Cup, and they represent an expenditure Jlf more than £3.000,000, of which Sir Thomas IJpton’s share is about £1,000,000.