Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-10-09
SILL NO RACE.
CONTINUED from page -

Then came the first piece of sharp
maneuyering in the race. The Colum-
bia was heading the Shamrock, and
made to cross her bow as the two bore
off. Hogarth seemed not to mind this,
for he made a jump for the Columbia
wind, trying to fasten on her weather
quarter.
The Columbia was too quick for TINS
move at once to succeed. She broke out
her balloonjib and in jiffy had IL
drawing well. She jumped clean nan
dozen lengths while the Shamrock was
still luffing to her windward. Inc
green 'un" did not set a ballooner' put
broke out a small jibtopsail, her mead
sails being staysail, a mediumsizeu Jip
and jaibtopsail.
1t was soon clear that WIN the'S
sails the Shamrock was SAILING i"''o
than the Columbia with ner idi SCI
spread of headsail The boats were sooii
on even terms, and the Shaillroch iiau
the weather berth, the WIND having
drawn so,ne to the north. The wisdom
of Hogarths first play Tor posltioii was
now apparent to all. he hdu iiiiue "
snring for Columbia's quarter like
mountain lion jumping at the hauhch
of nving antelope, and ne was now
making good by a burst of speed.
py tho time the boats had sailed
,,,i,a tho shamrock showed what was
in her She looked more dangerous
+h.n over before. But as in live and
var 90 in Yacht racing, there are many
Linz ,twixt cup and lip. The Shamrock
bounded forward abreast her rival, on
i I'D fol limo hob iD6
To make a better showing with his
headsails Hogarth ordered down his
babv iibtopsail and sent up balloner
in stops ready to break out later. The
columbia in the meantime had stuck
70 her ballooner, which was pulling her
along like a great kite. Soon after the
Shamrock's small topsail came in, she
broke out her balooner, and in few
minutes more her spinnaker.
1t must be understood that up to this
time the boats had been sailing with
the wind over their starboard quarters
and sheets lifted to port. Now they
bore off a little to the westward of
their true course in order their spin
makers into play.
Another dose of hard luck was in
store for the Shamrock in the matter
of setting sails. for when she broke
out her spinnaker one of the stops,
about two-thirds of the way aloft. re-
fused to break, this keeping the sail IN
stops two-thirds of the way aloft. Thls
accident caused the foot of the sail to
drag in the water for fully three min
utes. There was not wind enough to
round the sail out hard. for the breeze
had continued to fall
If ANYTHING. the Columbia's sail had
filled the better. and the beauty pulled
out a bit. until the Shamrock's bow
sprit was on a line with the defenders
stern.
When the yachts finally settled down
to their spinnaker work it could be
seen that Columbia was the superior
boat on that point of sailing. she
buckled down to business most hand
somelv. and showed her heels to her
fleet rival with spirit.
AS on the former trials. the course
was kept splendidly clear. There We're
fully three miles of green water be-
tween the columns of excursion boats.
tugs and yachts that accompanied the
racers. The attendant armada of mis-
cellaneouS craft of all sizes and de-
scriDtions went slashng and stopping
along right mcrrily. the sea abeam, ana
their stacks and spars cutting crescents
in the air with regular rhythmic SWING.
Eight bells found the racers nearing
even terms again. the Shamrock nav
ing pulled up until the gap between her
and the Columbia was reduced one
eighth less than a length. She rocked
somewhat less than the Columbia in
the beam sea, and this was in her ia
vor. for with every roll the Columbia
spilled more wind out of both spinna-
kcr and mainsail.
The green yacht was certainly max
ing the better showing at this time and
looked as if she would take the lead
inside of another 10 minutes. And be-
fore the 10 minutes were up she had
done the trick.
The conditions though bad. appeared
as good for one as for the other, and
there is TO denying the Shamrock
made more of them than the Colum-
bia She pulled ahead until it looked,
at 2.45. as if there was a good eighth
of a mile to her credit We're the rela-
tive positions to be held until the turn.
At l2.52 the Shamrock jibed. and with
her boom pointing toward the beach
hauled little offShore to the mark.
with the wind to port Of the sternpost
and sheets wide off.
The Columbia followed suit in iibing,
and the boats kept along under mainsails
and balooners the Columbia's sails pull
ing the better This helped THROW the
gap between the boats for a few minutes
hut in the nip and tuck Of the race the
Shamrock spurted ahead in the new few
minutes. The wind had hauled some to
the eastward and the boats were sailing
a broad reach with sheets well off. Some
times their ballooners pulled well, and
sometimes they didn't. The breeze was
tickle.
The turning Of the mark was exciting.
for the Columbia got a good streak Of
wind half mile up the line and rapidly
came up on the Shamrock. until at the
turn she was only nine seconds behind
the green beauty and in the weat tncr posi-
tion abaft the Shamrock's beam. Il was
a most pleasing sight, after the slow run,
to see the boats come smartly around the
stake together and start off for a series
of short. lively tacks. in which the Sham
| After endeavoring to get the better Of
enc another in this way for 10 minutes or
| 50, the boats turned off shore on the porl
| tack Both bounded along on this tack
! with a Ouick and reaching lump into tbs