The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-20
HOW 1T HAPPENED.
An Experts Description of the Race
Tint Was Not Finished.

An Experts Description of the Race
Tint Was Not Finished.
NEW YORK, Oct. 19.-Clear weather
and a fine breeze from the northwest
greeted the shippers and crews of the
Columbia and Shamrock at sunrise this
morning, and the steady puff that made
little white caps on Sandy Hook bay
gave plenty of promise for a good race
for the third of the international series.
After an early breakfast decks were
cleared for action, moorings cast off,
and both boats taken in tow before 8
o'clock. Eager to try his large club top
sail on his new topmast, Capt Hogarth
made sail on the Shamrock on the way
out to the lightship, and by 9:15 the tow
line had been cast off and she was un-
der way with everything on her, includ
ing the baby jib topsail. 1t was 10
clock when the Columbia cast off from
her tug, broke out the jib, and began to
sail about with mainsail and jib set. Fif-
teen minutes later her largest club top
sail was set, and soon after the staysail
was broken out.
At 1890 the course was signaled from
the committee boat, which had anchored
to the westward of the Hghtship. 1t
was southeast by south, showing that
the wind was northwest by north, and
the probabilities We're that it would be
spinnaher race. About the time the tug
started to log off the course of fifteen
miles to leeward, the patrol fleet of five
revenue cutters, five torpedo boats and
the steam yacht Erin arrived off the
lightship. The Shamrock took in her
baby job topsail and sent up her balloon
jib topsail and stay, IN steps, at 10:40,
the Columbia having done the same a
few moments before.
THE START.
The preparatory signal was given at
1916, the warning at 1855, the start at II
o'clock, the handicap gun at 11:02.
The maneuvering before the start was
remarkably interesting. Excursion boats
gave the racing craft plenty of room,
and Barr and Hogarth had their little
game all to themselves At the warn
ing signal both yachts, with booms to
starboard and sheets f1attened we'll in,-
were sailing to the northeast, parallel
to the line, but about a quarter of a
mile north of it, with the wind a little
abaft the beam. The Columbia was to
windward with Shamrock on her lee
beam, a couple of lengths away. 1t be-
ing necessary to use up the five minutes
between the warning and starting sig
nails, both yachts scared far over to the
northwest, gradually luffing to the north
ward. When three minutes were left the
Columbia lufed into the wind, and then,
coming about, headed for the line Ho-
garth, instead of tacking like Columbia
wore the Shamrock sharp round on her
heel, bringing, her close up under the
Columbias lee, both having booms to
port Hogarth lost both time and head
way by wearing instead of tacking, so
that when Shamrock pulled up near the
wind the Columbia, with better headWay,
was pointed straight to the line, couple
of lengths to the good. AS soon as Ho-
garth realized this he broke out Sham
rocks balloon Jill topsaiE, her crew trim
ming the sheets sharply just after the
gun was fired. The Columbia's crew
broke out her balloon sail while the
smoke from the gun was blowing away.
The Columbia crossed the 4ine twenty
seven seconds in the lead, without the
handicap, which meant fully two lengths
| distance. She crossed about the center
of the line, and Hogarth, after a vain
attempt to luff out across her wake and
| obtain the weather position, kept off and
gave the Shamrock a good full The Of
fetal time of the start was:
] Columbia, II 01 :33
Shamrock, 1102:O0.
The Shamrock s actual time of cross
ing the line was 11:0202 She was handi-
capped two seconds, because the yachts
are allowed two minutes from the start
ing signal in which to cross the line, and
Sne oXc66QeQ Illdl llIIe ny TWO SECONDS.
Jibs and fore staysails were taken in at
once on both yachts, to give the balance
of the sails a chance to fill While the
yachts were crossing the line spinnaker
booms were dropped to starboard and the
sails hoisted in stops, ready to break
out, but in the game of luff and bluff,
| which followed, neither yacht had
chance to set these sails for fifty min
utes.
HOGARTH TRIE., REACHING.
Hogarth, not being a. e to try his
yacht on a triangular cours>N seemed de-
termined to make a portion of the race
a reach at all hazards. So they went at it.
Instead Of following the guide boat,
| southeast by south, on which course
they might have carried spinnakers, they
sailed between four and Eve points to the
eastward of their courses in order to
make every sail draw to the best ad-
vantage, thereby covering at least five
miles more ground than was necessary.
The excursion fleet gave them miles OF
room, keeping SO far away that the
yachts were hull down most of the
time.
f. During the first fifteen minutes of this
reaching work the Colr~nhia seemed to
increase her lead. After that for the
next half hour the Shamrock apparently
was gaining on Columbia, and at 11:50.
+ Wnen- tney Doth decided to abandon tha
luffing game and set spinnakers to star
! board, Shamrock had certainly gained
| somewhat on her antagonist
Until the wind died down Shamrock
had decidedly the better position. If
with the assistance Of some friendly puffs
she could succeed in closing in on the
Columbia she would stand good chance
of blanketting her. The wind dimin.
ished, coming in puffs occasionally, but,
on the whole was very discouraging
At 12:40 both yachts jibed after taking
in their spinnakers and set those sails
again to port, Columbia setting hers first.
The wind canted to the westward grad
ually during the next half hour and at
1872 the Columbia jbed to port quickly
followed by Shamrock, which dropped
her spinnaker boom to starboard and set
the sail at 1:4O the Columbia setting her
spinnaker four minutes later
1t was long drift before the wind.
with scarcely enough of it to fill their
! sails during the next forty-five minutes.
Balloon jib top sails were taken In
! when the yachts were about half a mile
north of the outer mark, and as they
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