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Category: DEFIANCE
After Resolute and Vanitie, the third of the defenders for the 1914 challenge is the Defiance, built at Bath Iron Works for $63,000, from designs by George Owen. She was built for a syndicate of yachtsmen of which G. M. Pynchon is the manager and E. Walter Clark the treasurer.
There are 15 yachtsmen in this syndicate and as these members represent New York, Boston and Philadelphia, the yacht is called the Tri-City defender.
G. M. Pynchon, K. Trowbridge Hail, George Lauder, Jr., George D. Barron, James B. Ford and Thomas C. Dunham represent New York; E. Walter Clark is the representative of Philadelphia. From Boston there are Frederick C. Fletcher, E. S. Webster, Charles Hayden, F. E. Peabody, J. C. Cobb, Oliver Ames and Henry Taggard.
Mr. Pynchon, the manager, is a banker. He is also a yachtsman of considerable experience and has owned and raced very successfully the Neola I., Neola II. and Istalena. With the last named he won a King's cup, which is the ambition of all yachtsmen. He began his racing on the Sound, later went the lakes, where he was interested in the sloop Vencedor, which was built to race for the Canada cup, and then returning to New York started with the 60 footer Neola.
E. Walter Clark, who sails with Mr. Pynchon on the Defiance, has been the most prominent of the Philadelphia yachtsmen for several years. He has owned several yachts, all of which he names Irolita. His present yacht is the big schooner Irolita, which was formerly the Queen. This yacht is in commission and is used as a tender for he cup yacht. She goes with the sloop everywhere in company with the two motor yachts Marie and Zipalong.
George Lauder, Jr., owns the Endymion and is an ocean racer. He has not taken much interest in racing over short courses, but has crossed the ocean in several times in his yacht, and at one time the Endymion held the record for the fastest time across the western ocean. James B. Ford, vice-president of the United State XXX Company, owns the schooner Katrina, which a few years ago he used to race consistently, but the Katrina has been outbuilt, although she is still wonderfully fast under certain conditions. F. C. Fletcher is the vice-commodore of the Larchmont Yacht Club and has always been interested in racing craft.
Capt. Howell is the sailing master of the Defiance and he handles the yacht when sailing against the wind. He is regarded as being particularly clever on that point of sailing; he had charge of the sloop Effort when that yacht won the first race for the King's cup.
The new yacht had problems from the beginning. Her sail spread was so great that the frail body, even with its load of lead as ballast, could not stand the strain. Twice the designers reduced the sails and had her mast cut down in size.
The yacht was withdrawn from the competition during the trial races. Commodore E. W. Clark, treasurer of the owning syndicate, bought out all the other interests in her in an attempt to rebuild or change her rigging so that she could race again. By this time over $100,000 had been spent on building and modifying her.
By January 6, 1915 the yacht was sold as scrap metal. The boat contained seventy tons of lead in her keel.
- PERSONALITIES BEHIND THE STRUGGLE FOR THE CUP - The sun. (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, August 09, 1914
- Defiance (yacht) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- DEFIANCE READY FOR OCEAN RACES - Third Cup Yacht, with Reduced Rig, Will Rate Close to Resolute. - Article - NYTimes.com
- DEFIANCE PUTS ON QUEER SUIT OF SAILS - Tri-City Yacht Will Wear Novel Canvas in Race Off Sandy Hook. - Article - NYTimes.com
- DEFIANCE SOLD AS JUNK. - America's Cup Candidate Cost $65,000 -- Goes for $6,500. - Article - NYTimes.com
