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THERE was an unwonted stir on Tuesday, May 26, in the quaint little town which at one time boasted the glorious title of God's Port, but which in a less reverent age is known as Gosport.

For a hundred years Gosport has been famous for its yachts and yachtsmen. One firm created ; the industry, and the same firm continues to this day. The yacht-building yards were established by the late Mr. Benjamin Nicholson, and his son Charles is the creator of Sir Thomas Up-ton's latest challenger for the America Cup, Shamrock IV. Little wonder that Gosport should don holiday attire in honor of the launch day.

LIKE A GREEN BOTTLE. A hundred journalists had travelled from Lon-don in a special shamrock-bedecked express. All eyes and all attentions were for the won-derful green yacht which lay naked and ready for the water, with her topsides sleek and shining as a beautiful green bottle. Telegrams and cables announced her launch to all corners of the globe.

Yet what must the ordinary spectator have thought about her? Not so wonderful, perhaps —not so marvellous. To him she was just a boat, and an odd-looking one at that. The peculiar round of her topsides (called "tumble-home" by sailormen) would pass unquestioned; the swollen bow would have no meanings for him; the hollow near the bobstay bolt would never be noticed, and the long, heavy stern would perhaps appear to him as something clumsy.

Under water, the long-easy floor, the deep, thick keel, would express nothing of the de-

signer's mind. 'Yet these and a hundred other points are full of the greatest interest. Each

curve, each line, each almost imperceptible fullness or hollow, was carefully considered be-fore it appeared as it did yesterday.

To the yachtsman several features were evident, and the first, that Mr. Nicholson had designed what is technically known as a "big bait," and one which could and would have to carry enormous sail. There can be no doubt about this latter, for the main stick of the mast was promptly put in place after the launch and cannot have been much less than 120ft. in length, though a bare 7ft. of that, was "in the yacht"; that is between the deck and the stem on which it was stepped.

A MAST IN PIECES.

This enormous .spar is built of innumerable pieces of fine silver spruce. It was so care-fully jointed that only close examination could detect the system whereon it was built. In days not so long gone a good stout Oregon tree was dressed and put in place to serve as a mast.

Then came hollow spars of steel, and then hollow and built masts of silver spruce—wonder-fully light; wonderfully strong, and most expensive. That long, bare stick standing in Shamrock IV. would probably cost over £600. And as one unexpected puff of wind would put it over the side, two masts are already built. From this it may be gathered that racing for the America Cup, is not a poor man's recreation.

But to return to the yacht as we first saw her (says the special correspondent of the "Daily Mail"). She is a much more remarkable boat than any built in the United States, and the long, heavy counter and the pudding-ended bow will give her an extraordinary sailing

length, so that, although she may measure 75ft. on the waterline when upright, immediately the wind pressure heels her, the sailing length will be enormously increased, all of which goes for stability and speed.

To cope with the great hoist of sail, the rigging is taken outboard. Two huge outriggers stand out on either side, perhaps three feet or little less, to take the end of the shrouds at the deck. So short is the bowsprit that it appears but a stump, but the fact will be appreciated that this large racing yacht will carry only one headsail; the first yacht of any size to do on this side of the Atlantic, and probably the largest yacht to do so anywhere.

Throughout the boat simplicity is the most noticeable feature. Nothing that can be dispensed with is included. The deck is bare, save for the few necessary cleats and leads. A little cockpit contains the neat steering gear, connected with a quadrant working the rudder below deck, where, excepting one or two light partitions, there is nothing from one end of the boat to the other; nothing but a series of girders, struts, and beams, bewildering to the uninitiated, but full of interest to those conversant with the building of such craft.

VICTORY SALUTE COINCIDENCE.

All this might have been noted by the spectator before, at noon, the old Victory, lying a few cables off, roared forth a Royal salute in honor of her Majesty's birthday. Almost simultaneously the Countess of Shaftesbury christened the yacht, willing hammers struck at the wedges supporting the hull, and one swinging blow dislodged the dog-shore which kept one sliding way upon the other. With champagne dripping from her bows, the new yacht glided from her birthplace. Gathering way, she shot from the open end of the building shed towards the blue waters of Portsmouth Harbor. Amid ringing cheers she gracefully crossed the shore, and with a gentle lurch pitched over the beach bank and lay waterborne before the cheering thousands, a long, green hull upon which the sun shone with apparent good-will.

It was immediately evident that the designer had calculated well. Only naval architects are conversant with the difficulty of making such a yacht float at a proper level and with a proper draught, A slight miscalculation, and immense bother and expense would be incurred to alter the trim of such a boat, weighted as she is with a concentrated, homogeneous mass of lead. She must float at a certain draught, and she must float at a given trim. Evidently, there was no mistake in the Shamrock's design, so far as displacement and allocation of weights were concerned.

Certainly if a good beginning counts for any-thing, Shamrock of the four leaves has had it.

ENGLISH CHALLENGER FOR THE AMERICA CUP. (1914, July 4). Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931), p. 63

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