AUTEUR :
REF : 0
EDITION : 1903
DATE : 17 Mar 1903
COURSE : 0
DESCRIPTION SITE :
Sir Thomas Lipton initiated correspondence
with the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) for a third challenge in January 1902,
culminating in a letter of October 7, 1902 to “challenge for the America's Cup,
subject to the same conditions as governed the last contest and proved to be so
satisfactory namely- the best three out of five races…The first race to be
sailed on Thursday 20th August 1903”.
46-year-old William
Fife Jr. the third generation of a family of Scottish yacht designers and
builders designs SHAMROCK III. Fife's first two attempts at challengers (1893
& 1895) lose out in the British trials. In 1898 Lipton chooses him to design
his first challenger, SHAMROCK I. Fife arranges the details of the 1899 match
that subsequently also govern the 1901 and 1903 races. He personally directs all
the trials, but on arrival in America becomes sick with inflammatory rheumatism
and misses all the Cup races. In Fife's absence she is not sailed well.
SHAMROCK I loses two races to the Nat Herreshoff designed COLUMBIA and fails to
finish a third, losing her topmast in a moderate breeze.
In
1902 Fife has a problem. The Americans have three potential defenders. Two he
knows (COLUMBIA and CONSTITUTION) and he assumes Nat will cover his bases with a
new radical departure, larger and more powerful vessel. He designs SHAMROCK III
to be of good all-around capability independent of weather conditions.
SHAMROCK III is built in the secrecy typical of Cup boats at the
William Denny & Brothers yard in Dumbarton, near Glasgow Scotland. The yard,
covering 40 acres and employing 2,200, dwarfs its American competitor. Work
starts in advance of the challenge and she launches on St. Patrick's Day
1903. Two hundred fifty guests brought by special train and a local
turnout of thousands witness the launching. Because of shoal water she is
launched with camels alongside.
Framing and hull are of
nickel steel. The entire hull is enameled white. Unlike RELIANCE hull seams are
not flush, but lapped. The aluminum deck is covered with canvas and the mast and
boom are galvanized steel. She breaks tradition being the first English
boat to use a wheel rather than tiller. The unusual wheel is made in bicycle
fashion with steel spokes and rim- later to become standard in 12-Meter and IACC
Cup racers.
There is considerable new thinking put into
plans for the trials with an improved SHAMROCK I. The March 12 issue of Yachting
World reports on the general dissatisfaction with prior challenger trials to
furnish reliable estimates of vessel performance. “There was seldom any attempt
to give the conditions of an actual race.” In making arrangements with his
crews for the 1903 trials Lipton “contracted explicitly to give them a dozen
actual races between boat and boat, with all the rules stringently observed and
prize money offered on the usual scale.” The trial races are on handicap
terms- SHAMROCK III scratch, giving SHAMROCK I some minutes allowance.
Fitted out quickly SHAMROCK III sails for her first
trial on April 8. Three successful trials prove her to be faster than SHAMROCK
I. Over a total distance of 108 miles sailed, SHAMROCK III shows an advantage of
18-1/3 seconds per mile. The trials also show the advantage the wheel gives
Capt. Wringe with a clear after deck.
On April 17 sailing
in 15-knot breeze with gusts to 30 knots Wringe pushes the boat with a club-
topsail aloft. The upper eye of a shroud turnbuckle splits; the mast buckles
about 7 feet above the deck. One sailor, Wringe's brother-in-law, is drowned and
others are injured. Every part of the rig and sails with the exception of the
boom is ruined. This greatly shortens the trial series. She does not sail again
until May 7. Sail maker Ratsey, onboard that day comments: “So long as there is
no tax placed on sail area in these cup matches accidents like this will
happen.”
Lipton's steam yacht ERIN leaves the Clyde on May
28 with SHAMROCK III in tow accompanied by the tug CRUIZER towing SHAMROCK I.
The expedition numbers 156 men. Both sail yachts are fitted with short ocean
rigs. They reach New York on June 14, 1903 where Lipton joins them on Wednesday
June 24 after crossing on board the more comfortable steamer OCEANIC. He is
given a royal welcome including lunch with President Theodore Roosevelt the
following Friday. The ever-gracious Lipton responds with a tribute to the
Bristol boat builders.
NOTES AMERICA-SCOOP :
LICENCE : Autorisation en cours |