The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-04

barred white ndsS, guarded the COURSE
keeping excursion steamers. yachts and
tugs at a perfectly safe distance from the
canvas-clouded racers. On the way down
they maintained two parallel lines a mile
apart. two line fences through which not
one OF the pushing. crowding fleet OF excur-
sion vessels was permitted TO poke his nose.
The broad expanse of sea inside, without
wash or swell. was left clear and free for
the m%aneuvering of the racers. On the way
back the patrol vessels were equally eff
cient. When the yachts were on the star
board tack the torpedo boats were in
column on the same course and the rev.
enue cutters abreast. behind the yachts.
thus forming a right angle, in the hollow
Of which the yachts sailed without en-
barrassment. When the yachts changed
course each vessel of the patrol fleet
changed with it. simply altering the direc-
ton of the moving angle and keeping the
excursion boats fenced OFF. 1t was only to-
ward the close. when the hope of finishing
the race was given up. that the excursion
boats crowded about the ends of the patrol
lines. many of them making straight for
home.
The course was laid fifteen miles dead
before the wind and back again. The direc-
ton of the wind carried this course south
southwest from the Sandy Hook lightship
almost straight down the Jersey coast to
a point of Asbury Park. where a white
float with a red ball was placed TO mark
the turning point.
YANKEES QUICKER THAN SCOTS.
The Columbia was admirably handled
throughout the race. Though the Shamrock
was first across the line by forty-three Sec
onds, the Columbia's Deer island crew of
Yankees. wearing their picturesque watch
caps in Iselin's colors, were so much handler
than their Scotch rivals that they had the
Columbia's spinnaker and balloon jib set
first by three minutes. The spectators mar
veled at the cloud of canvas the Leviathans
carried. Straight up into the air the slender
yards carried the point of the pyramids of
canvas for 175 feet. 1t is hard to realize
that this means the height of an ordinary
twelve-story building and that the frail hulls
were bowling along under the pressure of
1900 feet of canvas. The twin balloons
with their following wind lifted the Column
bia along like a great gull in the ten-knot
breeze and carried her in two minutes past
the Shamrock. But when the wind died to
six knots. as 1t did in a few minutes, the
Shamrock forged steadily ahead. until at
tne end OF forty-five minutes she led by
two hundred yards. Then a sudden haul of
the wind to the north-northwest reached the
Columbia first. The big-bellied spinnaker
was taken. her mainsail was smartly gybed
and she passed the Shamrock as If the lat
ter had been moored to her wharf. Instead
OF a run the canting of the wind now made
1t a reach for the outer marker. but the
Columbia gradually edged over toward the
Jersey coast with the intention OF getting
the wind astern and running straight before
1t. The maneuver was successfully ac-
ccmplished after crossing the Shamrock's
bow. but just as the spinnaker was set
aboard to Columbia the wind canted back
to the north-northweet and left her with
a cloud Of canvas shivering like a collapsed
balloon. The Shamrock had started to fol-
low the Columbia's tactics. Twice she low
cred her spinnaker boom so as to break out
the big sail. but as the wind held from the
new quarter she gybed her main boom in
stead and reached straight for the mark.
Although the maneuver OF the Columbia had
been successful. Ii was a costly one and she
lost several minutes by holding on to her
immense canvas in the vain hope that the
wind would shift back again. But when she
did change her sails she made up for lost
time by outfooting her antagonist. She
seemed TO kin over the water, scarcely
making a ripple where she entered IL. and
leaving a wake of foam behind her.
SHAMROCK WAS PUSSY.
The Shamrock made far more fuss for
ward and dragged a wave aft. The Column
bia was the first to the mark. and as she
reached the stakeboat the excursion fleet
gathered there to greet her unbottled their
enthusiasm and gave her an ovation from
a thousand whistles. The feet also courte-
ousiy saluted the Shamrock as she swept
around, two minute and one second later.
On the beat home against a head wind the
Columbia showed her heels TO the Irish boat
Enthusiastically while the wind held. Time
after time the amir tried for the
weather gauge, luffing, squeezing and
pinching until her head sail trembled. but
without avail. The Columbia not only held
as high out, but footed her tack after tack.
The yachts made a beautiful spectacle as
they beat to windward, heeling over to the
breeze. the water sliding swiftly back from
their shark-like bows. Whenever they
smashed into an unusually heavy sea the
spray spurted from either side twenty feet
into the air.
After the Columbia had got a milo ahead
and the yachts were way over under the
Jersey snore the breeze again half failed
and the Shamrock drew gradually ahead.
1t was marvellous that In so light a breeze
a boat could slip so swiftly through the
sea- After that the Shamrock was never
headed. but from that time to the finish
the Columbia had nothing but bad luck. In
addition to her faster-footing powers in the
extremely light air, every puff of the wind
seemed TO strike the Shamrock and leave
the Yankee boat practically becalmed.
Edge as she would toward every streak of
wind, she seemed unable to find it. The
Shamrock gained foot by foot until she
overhauled the Yankee. crossed her bows
and when the time limit was up was fully
a quarter Of a mile ahead.
Taken altogether, there could not have
been a more unsatisfactory race, and yet
as a result Of it the friends o. the cup de-
fender seemed proud of the showing she
made and feel confident that the cup Is safe.
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DETAILS OF THE RACE.
Technical Description of the Gybing
Sail shifting and Lufing.