The San Francisco call., 1899-10-21

northeast had the Columbia close on her
lee beam. Both were lying down with
their lee rails awash
The Shamrock came about first and
kept on for the line when TWO minutes
were left before the signal. The Colum-
bia, after standing on a few seconds long
er on the port tack, came about on
the Shamrocks weather quarter, and
as both approached the line with
the Colum bia in the weather berth,
the latter's Sptnnaker boom was dropped
to port just as the gun was fired. The
Shamrock, running down before the wind,
/ reached the vicinity of the committee boat
a few seconds too soon, so Captain Ho-
garth kept her broad off to use up the
time and then luffed across the commit
tee boats stern Just at gun nre, crossing
the line at a twelve-knOt clip, with the CO.
lumbia several lengths astern and on her
weather quarter. Captain Barr luhed the
Columbia diagonallY across the line until
the crew were ready to set the spinnaker
TO stsrbOard. It was broken out at u;OZ;5V,
the ShamroCk's thirty seconds later. Inc
official time of the start was
Columbia, 1l:01 :35.
Shamrock 1l00:34.
The Shamrock had certainly the better
Of the start, and with such q breeze ploW-
ing over her taffrail 1t seemed as II her
chance had come to show her speed IN a
rundown before the wind; In setting
the Columbias spiunaker the boom mad
been Stacked so far forward that at HOS
the sail lifted over the head stays by the
force of the wind. For 4 moment 1t
Looked as if the sail would be split, but
by careful handling of the guy 1t was
brought back to its position In lie"
minutes.
Those who expected to see the Colum-
hia walk right away from the Shamrock
were disappointed. Five minutes passed
ten. flfteen-and there was no noticeable
difference in the positions OF the ooats.
The green yacht maintained her Ieau, her
spinnaker remaining exactly where 1t was
put and spilling the wind into the stay
had been carried from the start.
Captain Barr at 11:11, finding that the
Columbia was not oYerhauling the Sharn-
rock to any extent, had the working top
sail set The spinnaker continued to be-
have badly flying over the head stays
twice in the next twenty minutes, thereby
/ losing seconds of time for the yacht. Inc
course Of fifteen miles to leeward was to
bring the yachts down off Asbury PARK
for the turn: When they passed the Long
Branch pier at about 1l;5O the Shamrock
wes leading by an eighth Of a mile, the
Columbia sailing directly in her wake.
The Columbia took In her fore stay sail
at that time, leaving only the jib as the
headsail.
steadily gaining on the Shamrock, passed
to her port, taking IN the working topsail
as she did so so as to be ready for the
windward work Her spinnaker came In
at 12:18 and the Shamrock's was doused
thirty seconds later. It was to be close
work at the run. Both shippers held on
! their spinhakers to the last moment and
/ there had been no chance to round either
yachts main sheet. The official time at
| the outer mark was:
! Columbia 12:1900.
! Shamrock, 12:19:H.
Colurnbia's elapsed time from the start
! to this point had been 1:17;27, the Sham
/ rocks 1:1S43, showing that in the fifteen
mile run before the wind Columbia had
/ gained l:18. The yachts were only sew
/ enteen seconds apart at the turn. This
/ was indeed close work after a fifteen mi lie
/ spinnaker run.
Leaving the mark to starboard the Co
! lumbia luffed widely around it. while the
/ crew hauled aft the main sheet The
/ Shamrock's s captain was forced to make q
still wider turn. Then, luffing up sharply
| he tried to cross the Columbia 5 wake and
capture the weather berth. Skipper Barr
| however, had weather eye out for such
! an emergency. He gave the white slooI
a North River" luff, placing her well out
on the Shamrock's weather bow.
1t took some few minutes to get sheets
trimmed and for both yachts to settle
4 down to business on the starboard tack
Captain Hogarth gave the Shamrock q
good hard full, hoping to outfoot the
/ Columbia.
The wind was blowing at least twenty.
five miles an hour and there was a jumI
! OF sea on, sufficient to make racing
craft do some rather heavy diving. They
weather bilges were exposed.
At 1872 the Shamrock's topsail was
taken in. She was then throwing spray ir
clouds across her deck, making, If any
thing. worse weather of it than the
! Columbia.
Captain Hogarth put her about at 12:40
and one minute and thirty seconds later
the Columbia went about This was about
twenty minutes after they had rounded
the outer mark. The Columbia was ther
| between a Quarter and a half-rnile ii
WindWard and the same distance ahead ot
the Shamrock. She was increas sing her lea :;
every minute. Both tackled to starboard
at l2:57. Holding this tack for twenty.
enc = minute. they came about to port. the
ColuIhpla having been steadily outpoint-
to starboard for short bout Of five min.
utes. The Shamrock, however. made the
short bout to port and tackled to star
During the next fifteen minutes the