"The challenger is the first boat ever built in England under the American measurement rule. She differs greatly from the Resolute and Vanitie.

"Shamrock, although a composite boat, is virtually a wooden one. She has a multi-skin planking of three thicknesses. The two inner are diagonal, and the outer one runs fore and aft. She has no timbers or frames, in the ordinary sense, and but few web frames, widely spaced. Some of these frames are of steel and others of aluminum. Instead of ordinary frames she has longitudinal wood stringers.

"Her deck is very light, of ply wood covered with canvas. Most of her deck beams are of wood. Her steel sheer strake and deck stringer plate are those usually worked into composite yachts. The challenger came across the Atlantic without any damage or straining of the slightest.

"Her mast, instead of being steel, is a hollow wood one, and it not even braced with steel. It is the biggest hollow wood spar ever made.

"She has a much fuller bow than the defender and is longer keeled than she is.

"Her aluminum frames are in perfect condition. Some of the aluminum deck fastenings will have to be renewed, but that is all. Her giant wooden mast was examined just in time to save it; her sails are in good condition and will be used again."