Show costly toys the yacht rainbow built at a cost of only six years ago to defend the americas cup against mr endeavour has been sold as scrap for one third of her original cost these modern racing yachts are nothing but speed machines they cannot be turned to any other use when their racing days are over of liptone Li four first shamrocks Sham rocks the only relic is a mast now used as a flagstaff at an american university ver sity every one of the modern cup racers has gone to the scrap yard these ships were not fit for anything but racing and their average life has not been more than three years it was different with the older yachts volunteer which beat the scottish boat thistle was a strongly built schooner and after her racing days were over was used for cruising her life was 22 years more wonderful still is the case of amphion a racing yacht built in 1832 after an active life of 80 years in 1912 she was turned into a houseboat |