The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-21

back and forth around the old stamping
ground They made easy stretches. not car
ing to test the wind until II should become
necessary They knew its strength. and de-
cided that II anything was to be carried away
1t must be done while the race was on and
not before a start was effected.
It was Shamrock weather. sure enough. at
| least II was the kind that Sir Thomas Upton
| and his followers. from Designer Fife down to
the coalheavers on the Erin. had been pray
ing for and which they professod would enable
the challenger to show herself in her best
light. While the excursionists were waiting
for the Regatta Committee to publish their
orders. they speculated on what sails the
yachts would carry. There was talk Of housed
tormasts. reefed mainsails. and 30 on. and
every body said that something was sure to 60
by the board before tho race was ended
The Committee boat anchored 200 yards east
OF the Liehtship at 1880 O'Clock. The course
| signals were promptly run up on the tryatic
| stay. The course flags ID G" were dis
played and imm ediately everybody thumb bed
code books to ascertain what the letters signi-
Ned. They signined south by west. which
meant that the yachts would run down the
| Jersey coast to n point about eight miles of
Asbury Park. a distance OF fifteen miles. where
| they would turn a stakeboat and beat back In
| the heavy wind for the finishing line.
measure Off the course. 1t was necessary that
this tug should get an early start. because the
racers were likely to make the journey at rate
OF IL or IL miles an hour. There was every
prospect that the slow division In the excursion
fleet would get left in the shufle. 1t was a
very inspiring scene about the Lightship. but
the plsasure-seekers had only few minutes
In which to take 1t in.
LEE RAILS UNDER WATER
As the time for the preparatory gun drew
near. the rival sloops let themselves out bit
and heeled to the smacking breeze. Leo rails
were under water In an instant and the specta-
tors then saw that it was to be O slashing con-
test of speed. The first gun came at l0:45
o'clock as usual. The Coum bia was Just then
passing up to the windward OF tho starting
line The Shamrock was half a mile over to
leeward. but came racing up in great style
The torpedo boats which were clustered within
the space utilized for manpuvring. footed
| their whistles and hastily got out OF the way
A half a dozen pestiisrous tug boats which were
also trespassing on forbidden ground scamp
cred out OF gunshot leaving the space clear for
| the Shamrock and Coum bia.
The Yankee boat was still under main sail
and lib. but she had her staysail up in stops
ready to do business with 1t at a minutes
notice. Her crew were all in yellow oiskins.
a
few seconds after the gun was fred the Sham
rock broke out her working topsail 1t was q
sorry looking affair 1t did not extend to
within ak feet Of the peak of the Eafr and was
an ill-ntting piece OF canvas. After she had
passed the leevard mark that same sail cost
her some ground.
At 1888 the foreigner set her staysail flying.
The Columbia followed her example and then
both boats came close together and raced par
allel to the starting line Off to the east. with
the green boat on the white boats weather
quarter. Not ten yards OF water separated the
rivals and they stood of to the east like team
of horses. both heeling like good fellows.
They were still sailing in the wrong
direction when the warning gun fired. There
WAS yet five minutes for preliminary business.
The Yankee boat raced out from under
the lee OF the Shamrock and the green boat
came about on tho starboard tack. the Colum-
bia following Immediately. They were now
quarter OF mile or more to the eastward OF
the Lightship and they had yet two and half
minutes to spare. The Columbia allowed the
Shamrock to get a good start aud then put
after her.
SHAMROCK FIRST OVER THE LINE.
Coming down toward the line the Shamrock
found she had not timed herself right so she
had to huff out bit in order not to cross before
raced of until she was 200 yards so directly
to windward OF the line and then shaped her
course for the start. The signal came at IL
o'clock. The Shamrock reached along parallel
to the line with the wind abeam until she had
gathered good headwsv and then. heading of.
crossed with q fine rush while lowering her
spinnaker pole to starboard.
Before reaching the line tho Column bia shifted
her course until it pointed right at the Light
III 49,. So
starboard and then headed for the line. With
overwhelming impetus she made her start. and
~ she raced away from the Lightshp she
snapped out her vast spinnaker.
The handicap gun doomed lust as the Sham
rock was trying to spread her spinnaker to the
wind. The big sail unfolded itself like a cloud
until seven eiRhths Of Its surface was exposed.
Then it experienced the same trouble it had
undergone during one OF the trials two weeks
ago. Her English sailors had faster ned 1t too
tight near the head and the heavy twne re-
fused to break.
At least fifteen feet OF the sail was still con-
fined In stops and there was no way to get at II.
The wiRd kept 1t away from the mast. and con-
sidering the wind that was blowing 1t would
have been useless to send man aloft with the
idea Of cutting the cord. There was nothingto
be done except leave IL alone and trust to the
wind 1t was moro than ten minutes before
heavy gust snapped the combining twine and
allowed the sail to extend itself to its fullest
dimensions.
In the meantime the Columbia was having a
| lot OF trouble with her big sail The spinnaker
pole was light one. and the wind was so
strong that the sail got beyond the control OF
tho crew. 1t bellied forward until things
seem ed at the swapping point carrying the boom
high in the air. Her crew could do nothing
with It and the wind suddenly carried it like n
| cloud ofsteam over on the port side Of the lib
stay.
coLuMBIA's sPINNAKER USELESS.
The sail was absolutely useless to the yacht
now and groAn Of despair went up from her
| ympathizerS. as II was expected that she
| would have to haul the sail down and set 1t
again before she could derive any benefit from
It. But Capt Barr altered her course a little
| to the eastward, and the wind taking it on the
other side tumblod It over to starboard again.
But hardly was it in place and the yacht
brought to her course again before the wind
| slapped it over on the wrong side.
Once more the Culum bla s course was altered