OCEAN GREYHOUNDS

Shannon News, 3 August 1926, Page 4

OCEAN GREYHOUNDS

LINERS OF THE FUTURE. FAST TRIPS FROM ENGLAND. NEW YORK IN THREE DAYS. It is a striking fact that the swiftest ocean liner m existence, the Mauretania, should be a compara. tively old ship, built 18 years ago. Liners of much greater tonnage have since gone afloat, but none has a speed equal to that of the veteran Cunarder . Her record trip was made in August of last year, when she covered the 3198 sea miles from New York to Cherbourg in five days one and three-quarter hours ,at an average speed of 26£ knots —-say, 30 miles an hour. This was an amazing performance!, and was rendered yet more remarkable by the ag e of the ship and her machinery. , - .Nowadaj's it would be possible to build a liner of far greater speed, and some may wonder why this has not been done ,says Mr. H. C. Bywater, in the London Daily News. The answer is that very high speed is 1 an expensive luxury. It is doubtful whether |he Mauretania, even with a full passenger list, earns an appreciable profit for her owners on these record breaking runs, owing >to the enormous consumption of fuel. But if 1 travellers are prepared to pay the price for still faster transport 'on the Atlantic ferry, there would be no difficulty in meeting their requirements. Th chairman of the United States Shipping Board says he believes the advent of super-liners of unheard of speed to be only a question of time. The saloon passenger rates in such vessels would be prohibitive for the ordinary traveller, but during the tourist season thousands of wealthy Americans would probably pay without hesitation the high fare demanded for the privilege of crossing to Europe in four days or less. Suggested Speed of 32 Knots.

Ship construction and engineering have now reached the stage at which it would be feasible to build a liner equal to the Majestic in size and accommodating 4000 passengers, l>ut endowed with a speed of 32 knots, against the Majestic’s 26 knots. Such a vessel could cross the Atlantic in four days. To improve upon this speed it would be necessary to forsake orthodox principles of ship design and biuld a vessel on the hydroplane or skimming, model. A noted authority on Atlantic uassenger traffic predicts the eventual appearance of such vessels. ,

■ Such vessels would resemble the Navy’s famous “coastal motor-boats” in having a “stepped” hull, the effect of which is to raise the major part of vessel out of the water 'when sh e is moving at full, speed, thus reducing the area of resistance. One experimental design which has been worhed out provides for a small “Skimming" liner of 4600 tons, to carry 150 passengers. She would be driven at a speed of 40 knots, and could thus steam from Southampton to New York or vice versa in three days, plus a fw hours.

New Interest in Fast Travel.

The interesting point is that after years of indifference due to sound business reasons, the big shipping firms appear to be showing a new interest in fast ocean travel. It is be. lieved that a demand fdr swifter transport now exists, and if so it will certainly be met sooner or later. In 1920. the United States Shipping Board prepared plans for two liners 1000 ft. long, with a speed of 30 knots but they were never laid down. British shipbuilders, with their greater experience, would have no difficulty in improving upon this design. It is possible that we.are on the eve of a new and intensely exciting race ror the blue riband of the Atlantic.