The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-20
FIZZLE NUMBER EIGHT.
COLUMBIA AND sHAMROCk IGIIS
fAILED TO COVER THE COURSE.

Was AboutTwO Miles Ahead OF the thni-
longer when the Time Limit Expired
hnother Attempt Will Re Made To-day.
Again the autumn zephyrs frustrated tho
effort OF the Shamrock and Columbia to sail
race of the Hook. fifteen miles to the leeward
and fifteen miles on the wind. starting from
the red Lightship. The time limit for the con-
test, five and a half hours. expired when tho
Columbia was more than two miles from the
Apish and about the same distance ahead OF
the emerald challenger. The run down the
wind was all in favor OF the white yacht.
she was admirably handled. She rounded
TN. eeward mark nearly six minutes ahead
n, the Shamr rock. The weather work. be-
c,use OF a shift in the wind TO the westward.
became a long reach after the second tack.
The 3, 3s3 pounds OF ballast taken aboard by
the Sha m rock on Wednesday acted as drag
upon her and she failed to display the light
weather elusiveness that made her seem 80
dangerous in former fukes.
The weatherwise Of the notilIa that swarmed
about the red Lightship estimated the force OF
tho wind at from ten to twelve knots when the
racers got out and began preparing for combat.
II WAS northwest by north. as all knew who
could read the language OF the bunting dis
played from the committee tug Walter A.
be d c y, or southeast by south.
Unlike the other previous trials which have
started on with run to leeward. the yachts
manpuvred to the windwari OF the starting
line for full fifteen minutes. But when the
boats finally crossed they were not near
enough together to make it exciting. The
Columbia was in the lead. crossing l minute
and 80 seconds after the starting gun was
fred or at IL :0l 81 The Shamrock was timed
at O2. but she did not cross for fvs or six
seconds after the handicap gun sounded
The boats were 100 yards to the lesward OF
the line when the starting gun was fired. They
had been wheeling and veering and playing
tag with each other for fifteen minutes and
found themselves further away than they de-
sired when the signal came Tho Colum bIa
was five or six lengths nearer the line than her
rival who broks out her balloon lib topsail at
the crack Of the gun in order to increase her
speed to the start. The Colum bia waited until
she was on the line before she broke out her
big headsail and as soon as It was drawing
full she hauled down her staysail. The Sham
rock crossed about half minute behind her
and Immediately luffed up to westward in
order to eat out beyond her rivals weather.
The white boat was forced to duplicate the
challenger's move and for a long time they
stood of on false course.
At IL 80 after they had been sailing of their
course for half an hour there was Just about as
much water separating them as there
was soon after they had crossed the line and
gathered their full Roadway. The Shamrock
still held the Columbia in a vice The Yankee
could not shape atrue course for the outer
mark because tho moment she did So the
Shamrock would follow suit. and as soon as the
white boat broke out her spinnaker the green
slooD would follow suit in twinklnR and
thereby smother tho leader with her cloud Of
canvas.
At IL :4S the Shamrooks boom began to slip
further out to port Capt. Hogarth headed her
of and shaped course which would bring him
nearer tho outer mark. Capt. Barr immedi-
atey put the Columbia of a corresponding
degree and paid out his main sheet to match
the Shamrock Finally. the challenger appar-
emily became convinced that she was too far
away to blanket the Columbia 30 she
headed off still more and ripped out
her spinnaker. Her sailors got the huge
triangular piece OF canvas out with a
rush, but before three-Iuarters OF 1t had left
the confines of the stops. the Yankee sailors
broke the Columbian spnnaker out and had it
drawing full less than ten seconds behind the
other boat. Both boats then headed for the
mark, which could not vet be seen. but whose
direction was indicated by the guide boats.
which was low in the horizon TO leeward. Tho
setting OF the spnnakers put the balloon lib
topsails out Of business. and they hung limp
and mOtopess from their stays. But tho spin
makers were drawing we'll on both boats, show
ing that the Shamrock was too far in the rear
TO blanket the Columbia.
Al l2:l5 the wind was down to four miles an
hour and In the next few minutes fell to almost
nothing. The uffing which both had INDUCED
IN early in the race had thrown them off the
direct line and the wind hauling a bit forced
both boats to gybe. At 12:+5 the Shamrock
took in her 5pnnaker and at the same instant
the Coumbia's big sail disappeared like a
cloud Of steam. Main booms were hauled in
and thrown over to starboard and then the lib
topsai! sheets were hauled over tho lib stays
spInnaker booms were quickly lowered over
the port sides anil soon the big sails were
drawing again.
rs the rival sloops got within mile OF the
turning mark the wind showed strength
OF i've or six miles an hour. and was
coming from the northwest 10y west. The
excursion boats shaped their course for the
stake. and long before the rival sloops reached
the little raft the pleasure boats were behind
H. forming huge semi-circie. The Columbia
was In the lead. some said furlong. and some
sad quarter Of milo. At . o'clock the
columbia hauled her balloon lib topsail to the
uecE' and few minutes later the Shamrock
uid likewise. Then. as the white boat got
WITHIN half a mile OF the stake she sent up a
oaoy 10 topsaii and then broke out the lib. She
was PREPARING her sails for a beat home. The
ehamrock was not long in following the
leaders, example. The excursion boats Were
al standstl for full twenty minutes before
the Columbia turned.
a mile from the mark Columbia had a lead
OF third Of mile. but here the Shamrock
Iet better breeze and picked up lot Of
ground before her white rival finally reached
ne marx. Al one stage Shamrock was COM
.uS IN so last 1t seemed as IL she would over
haN. the Yankee. but that was not TO be. She
succeeded in shutting OF some Of the white
ooat7 wind, but tn RI were fully 100 yards of
water separating them wheu the Columbia
hHh,Iy turned. At 2:2D the Colum bias spin
taS"r was quickly taken in and the boom
lowered over the bows. detarhsl from the
mast aud hauled in on deck She was then
less Than nifty yards from the mark. but ap-
TtoAchnG 1t so slowly that 1t seemed as il she
would mover reach it The wind had dropped
AKA during tho last fifteen minutes until it
WAS hAr"Iy two miles an hour.
u" white boat along Mt