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1895
Valkyrie III was the third challenger designed by George Lennox Watson who had carte blanche to conceive it. But when it went to the United States to race Defender, the challenger suffered from a lack of previous competition. Launched on May 27th, 1895, it made its first test sails on June 1st. It raced three times against Britannia (1893, G.L. Watson's design) and lost twice. After an addition of 12 tons of ballast, Valkyrie III defeated Britannia and Ailsa (1895, William Fife III design) and again Ailsa in a private match…
America's Cup races: September 7 to 12, 1895, in New York
Best three out of five races.
Valkyrie III vs. Defender
Three different courses: the first one, 15 miles to windward off Scotland Lightship and return; the second one, equilateral triangle, 30 miles; the third one, 15 miles to leeward and return from Sandy Hook Lightship.
Races: three sailed.
Results:
Valkyrie III beaten by Defender three wins to nil!
- September 7, 1st race, 30 miles, Windward-Leeward Course: Defender beat Valkyrie III by 8 minutes 49 sec in corrected time.
- September 10, 2nd race, 30 miles, Triangular Course: Defender was beaten by Valkyrie III by 47 seconds, but Valkyrie III was disqualified by the Race Committee. Defender won the race.
- September 12, 3rd race, 40 miles Windward-Leeward Course: Defender beat Valkyrie III. Valkyrie III did not start.
During the races, Lord Dunraven, the owner of Valkyrie III, was not at ease. He began a controversy by announcing he felt the Americans had cheated. The controversy was so big that nobody could imagine the America's Cup would continue in the future…
Lord Dunraven's second failure and the additional controversy that followed put an end to his yachting career. Valkyrie III was moored and did not sail for many years.
1899
Valkyrie III was refit to sail as a trial horse for the first Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock.
1901
Valkyrie III is broken up…
J.T.
VALKYRIE III
1895
GBR
Yacht Club: Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes, Isle of White, England
Unsuccessful challenger beaten in the ninth America's Cup - 1895 - by Defender (USA).
Owners: Windham-Thomas Wyndham-Quin, Comte de Dunraven and Mountreal, Lord Londsale, Lord Wolverton, Captain Henry McCalmont.
Keel cutter
Length and sail area rule
Rating: 100.49
Designer: George Lennox Watson
Builder: D & W Henderson & Company, Meadowside, Partick on the Clyde, Scotland.
Sailmaker: Ratsey, Cowes.
Year of construction: 1893
Launched: May 27th, 1893
Skipper: William Cranfield assisted by Captain Edward Sycamore
Afterguard: H. Maitland Kersey, Arthur Glennie, George L. Watson, Thomas W. Ratsey, Lady Rachel Wyndham-Quin, Lady Eileen Wyndham-Quin.
Data:
Construction -
Composite (wood and metal structure)
Frames: Steel
Hull: Planked with American elm below the water-line, teak above
Deck: Pine
Mast: Steel
Boom: Wood
Spinnaker boom: Wood
Dimensions -
L.O.A.: 39.31 m
L.W.L.: 26.65 m
Beam: 7.92 m
Draft: 5.97 m
Displacement: 166.9 tons
Sail area: 1172.52 m2
Mast: 29.50 m
Boom: 32 m
Bowsprit: 9.98 m
Topmast: 16.89 m
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Year of building
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1883 |
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Launched
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27/5/1893 |
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Edition 9(1895)
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Crew
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Hull
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Steel |
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Mast
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Steel |
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L.O.A
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39.31 |
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L.W.L
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26.65 |
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Mast
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29.5 |
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Beam
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7.92 |
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Boom
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32 |
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Sail Area
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Displacament
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166.9 |
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Draft
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5.97 |
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Rating
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Ballast
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