- Shamrock (yacht)
"Shamrock" was the unsuccessful Irish challenger for the 10th
America's Cup in1899 against the United States defender, "Columbia".Design
"Shamrock" was designed by third-generation Scottish boatbuilder, William Fife III, Jr., and built in 1898 by
J. Thorneycroft & Co. , atMillwall on theThames near London, England for owner Sir Thomas Lipton of theRoyal Ulster Yacht Club (and also ofLipton Tea fame)."Shamrock" was built of all-metal construction, with a steel frame and a pine deck. She was skippered by Captain Archibald "Archie" Hogarth.
Career
"Shamrock" (also known as "Shamrock I", to distinguish it from its successors) was built in 1898 under a shroud of secrecy, and christened by
Lady Russell ofKillowen at its launch onJune 24 ,1899 .During its trials it raced against the
1895 America's Cup challenger, "Valkyrie III", as well as twice beating thePrince of Wales ' royal yacht, "Britannia" in regattas on theSolent . It sailed to New York for the America's Cup race in the summer of1899 . The Cup defender "Columbia" beat "Shamrock" in all three races. It returned to Britain in the autumn of 1899, towed by Lipton's steam yacht, "Erin". It was subsequently refitted by Lipton and used as a "trial horse" to test the later challengers, "Shamrock II", "III", and "IV".pecifications
* Overall length: 38.86 m
* Length at water line: 25.12 m
* Beam (width): 7.46 m
* Draft: 6.15 m
* Displacement: 156.9 tonnes
* Sail area: 1214.30m2References and External links
* [http://www.americascup.com/en/acclopaedia/circlinggalaxy/bateau.php?idContent=4704 America's Cup's Ac-clopaedia]
* [http://www.jsjohnston.org The 19th Century Yacht Photography of J.S. Johnston]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.