BACK TO A MULTIHULL : U.S. Designers May Consider Building a Catamaran to Defend America’s Cup

In 1876, Nathanael Herreshoff, whose innovative boat designs spanned and dominated parts of two centuries, appeared on the starting line of a New York Yacht Club event with a catamaran.

His peers wouldn’t have been more shocked if Queen Victoria had spit on the carpet.

Herreshoff proceeded to blow away the fleet, which included several giant, conventional monohulls of up to 130 feet with thousands of square feet of sail.

After a few years of this mocking behavior, the traditionalists of most major yacht clubs barred multihulls from competition, and it would be about 75 years before they returned to prominence--and only then in competition among themselves.

Herreshoff shrugged and went on to design five monohulls that would successfully defend the America’s Cup six times between 1893 and 1920, but his well-made point that multihulls are faster than monohulls was never forgotten.

Since the defending NYYC had passed a club rule against them in Cup competition, Herreshoff did not consider entering a multihull. But the idea has resurfaced at the San Diego Yacht Club, which apparently has no such rule.

That is still one of the options the Sail America Foundation is leaving open in its management role for the SDYC in the controversial defense late next summer against the New Zealand superboat being built by Michael Fay, the Kiwi merchant banker who has turned the Cup upside down from Down Under.

Fay, who is locked into his design--a monohull with a 90-foot waterline, says they can’t do that, insisting that “the challenger has now, under the Deed of Gift, picked the class of boat for the next America’s Cup.”

But Sail America’s designers, John Marshall and Britton Chance, differ.

“(Fay) has already eliminated the options we’re now looking at,” Marshall said.

Chance: “We have three main design configurations under consideration. We are working to consider multihulls, hydrofoil-supported monohulls and monohulls.”

Obviously, Sail America isn’t tipping its hand, but Chance said there is one problem.

“The most significant thing is we realize we are in a building box because of the time factor,” he said.

Dennis Conner has said he will sail whatever boat they give him, but he wants to be sailing it by May 15.

“It’s a near certainty he won’t have it by then,” said Marshall, who again will coordinate the design team.

That, Chance said, gives them until Feb. 15 to finish the design, then only three months to launch it.

“We can’t build in time what we would prefer to build,” Chance said. “It will be a smaller and simpler boat.”

In fact, Marshall said: “We’re likely to have more than one boat . . . two alternate concepts.”

If that means one will be a catamaran, they aren’t saying, but it raises two points.

First, Sail America got itself into this box by doing nothing between Fay’s challenge last July 17 and the decision from the New York Supreme Court Nov. 25 that San Diego must honor it--more than four months lost on Fay’s 10 months’ notice of challenge.

Second, San Diego must now be certain of its legal position pursuant to the Deed of Gift if it does build only a multihull. Otherwise, Fay could win the Cup by default.

The deed, that 100-year-old document from the pen of George L. Schuyler that governs Cup competition, does not bar multihulls in so many words.

But Fay says: “When you read the Deed of Gift, you will see that it’s quite clear that a multihull is indeed not contemplated by the deed. The tradition of the Cup is not about multihulls.”

Fay alludes to the passage in the deed that requires a challenger to submit his waterline, beam (width) and draft (depth) dimensions. He maintains draft and beam wouldn’t be important if Schuyler was talking about multihulls, which have no deep, lead keels.

On the other hand, the deed doesn’t say the defender can’t sail anything he wants to, only that he “shall not be required to name its representative (boat) until at a time agreed upon for the start.”

But if San Diego’s design is extreme, it may decide to reveal it very soon, just to see if Fay has any objections. The club already has lost one round in court to him and would be foolish to chance arriving at the starting line with an illegal boat.

That would come under the deed’s provision for “mutual consent.”

Although Fay’s boat is committed and half-built, Marshall is wary of it because of its origins in the mind of designer Bruce Farr, who has built so many successful ocean racing craft.

“Whenever you run into a Farr boat, you know they’re gonna be tough,” Marshall said. “If he staked out the ground, it’s very possible it’s the high ground.”

Sail America, of course, would rather be sailing in 12-meter boats, which have been used in the 10 Cup competitions since World War II.

Nowhere in the deed are 12-meters mandated or even mentioned, but in some quarters they are regarded as “the boat that saved the America’s Cup,” because the competition had so out-priced itself with the giant J-boats of the ‘30s that no challenges were forthcoming for 21 years.

Then, after the NYYC persuaded the New York Supreme Court to alter the deed to permit smaller boats with waterlines of “no less than 44 feet,” the 12-meters became the America’s Cup boat and competitions since have been run no more than four years apart.

Former Cup skipper Bob Bavier, with some prophecy, wrote in his book, “The America’s Cup: An Insider’s View,” published early this year:

“It would be a pity if the America’s Cup was won or lost by an extreme boat which in effect lucked into it. (Twelve-meters) are the ideal choice. Sure, a catamaran is much faster . . . but it is entirely different, a toy . . . as compared to a majestic, powerful machine.”

And 12-meters are San Diego’s plan for 1991, if it survives the Kiwi peril in ’88.

THE AMERICA’S CUP Deed of Gift

This Deed of Gift, made the twenty-fourth day of October, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-seven, between George L. Schuyler as sole surviving owner of the Cup won by the yacht AMERICA at Cowes, England, on the twenty-second day of August, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, of the first part, and the New York Yacht Club, of the second part, as amended by orders of the Supreme Court of the State of New York dated December 17, 1956, and April 5, 1985.

WITNESSETH--

That the said party of the first part, for and in consideration of the premises and of the performance of the conditions and agreements hereinafter set forth by the party of the second part has granted bargained, sold, assigned, transferred, and set over, unto said party of the second part, its successors and assigns, the Cup won by the schooner yacht AMERICA, at Cowes, England, upon the twenty-second day of August, 1851. To have an to hold the same to the said party of the second part, its successors and assigns, IN TRUST, NEVERTHELESS, for the following uses and purposes:

This Cup is donated upon the condition that it shall be preserved as a perpetual Challenge Cup for friendly competition between foreign countries.

Any organized Yacht Club of a foreign country, incorporated, patented, or licensed by the legislature, admiralty, or other executive department, having for its annual regatta an ocean water course on the sea, or on an arm of the sea, or one which combines both, shall always be entitled to the right of sailing a match for this Cup, with a yacht or vessel propelled by sails only and constructed in the country to which the Challenging Club belongs, against any one yacht or vessl constructed in the country of the Club holding the Cup.

The competing yachts or vessels, if of one mast, shall be not less than forty-four feet nor more than ninety feet on the load water-line; if of more than one mast they shall be not less than eighty feet nor more than one hundred and fifteen feet on the load water-line.

The Challenging Club shall give ten months’ notice, in writing, naming the days for the proposed races; but no race shall be sailed in the days intervening between November 1st and May 1st if the races are to be conducted in the Northern Hemisphere; and no race shall be sailed in the days intervening between May 1st and November 1st if the races are to be conducted in the Southern Hemisphere. Accompanying the ten months’ notice of challenge there must be sent the name of the owner and a certificate of the name, rig, and following dimensions of the challenging vessel, namely, length on load water-line; beam at load water-line and extreme beam; and draught of water; which dimensions shall not be exceeded; and a custom-house registry of the vessel must also be sent as soon as possible. Centre-board or sliding keel vessels shall always be allowed to compete in any race for this Cup, and no restriction nor limitation whatever shall be placed upon the use of such centre-board or sliding keel, nor shall the centre-board or sliding keel be considered a part of the vessel for any purposes of measurement.

The Club challenging for the Cup and the Club holding the same may, be mutual consent, make any arrangements satisfactory to both as to the dates, courses, number of trials, rules and sailing regulations, and any and all other conditions of the match, in which case also the ten months’ notice may be waived.

In case the parties cannot mutually agree upon the terms of a match, then three races shall be sailed, and the winner of two of such races shall be entitled to the Cup. All such races shall be on ocean courses, free from headlands, as follows: The first race, twenty nautical miles to windward and return; the second race an equilateral triangular race of thirty-nine nautical miles, the first side of which shall be a beat to windward; the third race (if necessary) twenty nautical miles to windward and return; and one week day shall intervene beteen the conclusion of one race and the starting of the next race. These ocean courses shall be practicable in all parts for vessels of twenty-two feet draught of water, and shall be selected by the Club holding the Cup; and these races shall be sailed subject to its rules and sailing regulations so far as the same do not conflict with the provisions of this deed of gift, but without any time allowances whatever. The challenged Club shall not be required to name its representative vessel until at a time agreed upon for the start, but the vessel when named must compete in all the races, and each of such races must be completed within seven hours.

Should the Club holding the Cup be for any cause dissolved, the Cup shall be transferred to some Club of the same nationality, eligible to challenge under this deed of gift, in trust and subject to its provisions. In the event of the failure of such transfer within three months after such dissolution, said Cup shall revert to the preceding Club holding the same, and under the terms of this deed of gift. It is distinctly understood that the Cup is to be the property of the Club subject to the provisions of this deed, and not the property of the owner or owners of any vessel winning a match.

No vessel which has been defeated in a match for this Cup can be again selected by any Club as its representative until after a contest for it by some other vessel has intervened, or until after the expiration of two years from the time of such defeat. And when a challenge from a Club fulfilling all the conditions required by this instrument has been received, no other challenge can be considered until the pending event has been decided.

AND the said party of the second part hereby accepts the said Cup subject to the said trust, terms, and conditions, and hereby covenants and agrees to and with said party of the first part that it will faithfully and fully see that the foregoing conditions are fully observed and complied with by any contestant for the said Cup during the holding thereof by it; and that it will assign, transfer, and deliver the said Cup to the foreign Yacht Club whose representative yacht shall have won the same in accordance with the foregoing terms and conditions, provided the said foreign Club shall, by instrument in writing lawfully executed, enter with said party of the second part into the like covenants as are herein entered into by it, such instrument to contain a like provision for the successive assignees to enter into the same covenants with their respective assignors, and to be executed in duplicate, one to be retained by each Club, and a copy thereof to be forwarded to the said party of the second part.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the said party of the first part has hereunto set his hand and seal, and the said party of the second part has caused its corporate seal to be affixed in these presents and the same to be signed by its Commodore and attested by its Secretary, the day and year first above written.

George L. Schuyler (L.S.)

The New York Yacht Club

by Elbridge T. Gerry, Commodore

John H. Bird, Secretary

in the presence of

H. D. Hamilton

(Seal of the New York Yacht Club)

The America’s Cup Deed of Gift excerpts

This Cup is donated upon the condition that it shall be preserved as a perpetual Challenge Cup for friendly competition between foreign countries.*

Any organized Yacht Club of a foreign country, *

shall always be entitled to the right of sailing a match for this Cup, *

The Challenging Club shall give ten months’ notice, in writing, *

Accompanying the ten months’ notice of challenge there must be sent the name of the owner and a certificate of the name, rig, and following dimensions of the challenging vessel, namely, length on load water-line; beam at load water-line and extreme beam; and draught of water; which dimensions shall not be exceeded; *

These ocean courses **

shall be selected by the Club holding the Cup; **

The challenged Club shall not be required to name its representative vessel until at a time agreed upon for the start, **

no other challenge can be considered until the pending event has been decided.**

* Bold ** Italic