SWEET-LINED YACHT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1064, 30 August 1930, Page 10

SWEET-LINED YACHT

ENTERPRISE, DEFENDER OF AMERICA’S CUP UP AGAINST SHAMROCK in Enterprise, the yacht which has been selected to defend the America’s Cup against Sir Thomas Lipton’s Shamrock V., the . Americans have decided on a cutter which may be counted on to test every fibre of the British challenger. Four candidates iiad been built this year by various United States syndicates ot yachtsmen and in ill ion a ires for tlie elimination tests before the actual detender was chosen. They were Fnterprise, Weetamoe, Yankee and Whirlwind-—all as pretty as yachtsmen could wish to see. Enterprise, designed by W. S. Burgess, the noted United States yacht architect and built by the equallytamed Herreshoff Company, rates the smallest of the four, Whirlwind being the most powerful. Compared with Lipton’s challenger the dimensions of Enterprise are as follows: Enterprise Shamrock Length overall .. 120 ft Sin 120 ft l.ength waterline 80ft Sltt Beam 21ft Sin xsft Bin Draught Ilttsin 15 (about) Mast height .. 1 (iStt. mtt Sail area 7,683 sq. ft 7,500 sq. ft. Displacement .. 128 i tons 533 tons The Enterprise has well turned bilges, a sweet easy run, sharp cuds with considerable flare and a pleasing profile. She is a beautiful craft donein bronze plating, tiie seams being

llappod to save the weight of What are‘ )called liners. Although the baby of‘ [Alticricu's ilm’n‘cs:~ivv quartet she has ta largo bearing surface and ought to carry lwr enormous sail well. This syacht; more closely resembles Sham‘irock's incasnroments than any of thc‘ gothcr tliroo, but. is smaller than the 'Brltisher in displacement. ; YACHTS WHICH ARE YACHTS : For the first time in the history of i the America‘s Cup contests. the defend:ing yachts are not to be built simply {as racing machines. That is to say they must have some body in them in[stead of being more shells. Built to iLloyd's requirements the four ILS. f ships look much more substantial than Ithe Americans were used to seeing in ‘prcvious cup defenders. The experts iarc a bit: dubious about the rig, howiet'cr. which they consider will have Vito be most can-fully tended in the jprcss of racing to prevent the moun;tain of canvas going by the board. ,Tho mast and spars are hollow and jlight. and some yachtsmen freely Zprophesy that there will be breakages Lbcforc the seven races are concluded—eif the contest goes the full schedule, 1 the rules provide that the cup goes to ithe yacht winning four out of seven fraces. In a hard breeze and a. jumpy i sea. conditions ruling off Brenton Reef, iaccidents are likely to happen with i sails which have sulficient latent power in them to rip the top off a sky- ; scraper. {3 WALTZED AWAY i ln club racing when Enterprise made Eher how the craft waltzed away from lher fellow candidates; she was [handled more promptly. and the crew .—which, by th way, consists mainly, iot Norwegian sailormen. Yankees :being next; to impossible to find—was 'altogether smarter. \Vhen sailingr in lclose company with her rivals, Enter;prise seemed superior in speed, ;though she got left badly in a sub— Esequent race. Later, compared with‘ :thc successful Resoéute, which stared ’off Shamrock IV’s id in 1920, Enter-i (prise appeared much faster—and so} Ithe hopes of the Americans are not‘ laltogether dashed. despite news ofl {Shamrock V’s exploits in British Clubl lracing. i The Harold S. Vanderbilt, mentioned l [in today’s cable as Enterprise’s cap-i ytain, is the regular amateur skipper of 3 gthe yacht. * l