YACHTING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 575, 11 June 1913, Page 2

YACHTING.

THE AMERICAN CUP. The refusal to accept Sir Thomas Lipton's challenge forwarded recently was hardly expected, aayi the Observer, and it is difficult to reconcile the decission of the New, York Yacht Club with our diels of sport, and although the vote of the committee which considered the challenge appears to have been unanimous, one may doubt if it meetß with the general approval of American yachtsmen. The position is simple. The last contest for the cup took place ten years ago between boats which, if not freaks, were of type which yachtsmen deemed desirable to discourage. Pour years later new measurement rules were adopted both in America and Europe. The American rule is modestly called the universal rule, while that under which British yachts are built is known as the Ini ternational rule, and applies to all j yachts built for racing in Europe. Two years after these rule? had been in force a challenge was sent to America for a contest, in whch the vessels should be built under the universal rule. This was absolutely declined. Those members of the New York Club who had to consider that challenge preferred that any contest should be between vessels of a type which they themselves had rendered obsolete. Another six years elapsed, and then last autumn negotiations were opened once more, and finding that the New York Club still insisted upon the obsolete type of craft, a challenge was ultimately issued in accordance with the old conditions,with the suggestion that the vpssel should be of 75ft waterline. It is upon this limitation of length that the challenge is presumably refused, notwithstanding that the "deed of gift" permits a vessel of any length between 65ft and 90ft. As no yachtsmen would presumably challenge with a 75ft vessel to which the defenders could oppose a 90-footer, the effect of the New York Yacht Club's latest decibion is to rule out a yacht under the maximum length of 90ft. Is the New York Club desirous of another contest for the cup, and if so, what ar*> the members afraid of that they should refuse a challenge for a race between boats of any stipulated dimensions within the "deed of gift"? In no other sporting contest do competitors meet upon such unequal terms. A challenger suffers a serious handicap owing to the ocean voyage and loss of time consequent thereon, and yet when a challenger is forthcoming, prepared to face all these disadvantages, obstacles are olaced in the way. In former contests competitors have been 90-footer». Why? Because for some years that was the biggest racing cutter in vogue, and it seemed meet and proper that an important raee for an international trophy should be decided between the biggest and fastest vessels afloat. But where are the 90-footers to-day? In Europe the biggest recognised class of cutter is the 23-metre class, about 74ft on the waterline, and in America they have 70-footers; when they want bigger vessels they build schooners. A 75ft vessel of the American Cup type would be bigger than any cutter or sloop racing in either Europe or America. What good purpose, therefore, is served in going to the extreme of 90ft. One consideration probably Weighed with these forty members of the New York Club in giving a solid vote against the acceptance of the challenge—that is, that in building a new defender, as a trial horse, whereas they have no vessel against which they could try the paces of a 75-footer. What would seem to be a fair interpretation of the rule stipulating the limit of length is that a challenger should name a length within the prescribed limits, and that the defenders would build to the same length. But the New York Club interprets it otherwise, and it seems now that no challenger need apply for the cup with a vessel less than 90ft,