The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-19
FORTY MILE COURSE.
Calculated By Comparison With vigilant
That Columbia is Two Minutes Faster
English Claim Upton Did Not
Sail His Swiftest- Agree She
isQueen of English Yachts.

Southampton, July 1S-The Shamrock
beat the Britannia in 4O-mile race off
| Cowes today by 13 minutes, thereby
proving herself the fastest sailer ever
launched in British waters. 1t had been
hoped, however, that she would win out
by 10 minutes, it being calculated by
comparison with the Vigilant's records
that the Columbia is that much faster
than the Britannia. The result of to-
| days race goes to show that the Column
bia is about two minutes faster than
the Shamrock.
The scene at Ryde Pier was most ami
mated. Long before the start crowds Of
fashionable visitors arrived The Sham
rock was towed from Southampton, the
Erin following with Sir Thomas Upton
and distinguished comp any.
The weather was hot and slightly
hazy with slight southeast breeze
which promised to last through the day.
The course was from the Ryde Pier
head eastward around the Nab light
| ship, leaving 1t on the starboard hand;
| then back past Cowes to a buoy on the
| Solent bank, at rounding the buoy on
the starboard and finishing Cowes OPP
posite the railway station, distance of
about 40 miles.
The Prince of Wales arrived at II
o'clock wearing yachting suit and Inn
mediately embarked on board the adj
niralty yacht Queen, and later boarded
| the Britannia
AS the starting gun doomed the Brit
| ANNA almost Immediately crossed the
I line, the Shamrock following in a way
to give the impression that she had no
objection to giving the Britannia a
slight lead. The latter, however did not
long maintain the advantage.
| It was at once noticed that she. was
sailing nearly half a point nearer the
wind than the Britannia. The Shamrock
was carrying her main sail, jib-headed,
| top sail, jib and foresail The Britannia
carried the same canvas, but in addition
her club top sail. The Shamrock was
half mile ahead passing Warner.
| Hogarty was at the helm of the chal-
lenger. The boat held up admirably, and
there was not drop of water adeck.
She proved extremely quick in putting
about taking only 101a seconds. On
rounding the Nab lightship both yachts
set their spinnakers for the run back.
| The only mishap Of the day was that
when the Shamrock's sail began to
I'LL tine top caught IN the cross trees.
The huge canvas Topped fiat and then
| suddenly burst like balloon and big
rent became visible in the upper part,
where a long strip had been torn cut,
| leaving a hole big enough for a man
| to crawl through. The Shamrock
speed naturally suffered somewhat
from this accident. Both boats soon
set their topsails and later their balloon
foresails. The yacht jibed to port side.
| They were then travelling at such a
rate that the press boat going at a
keep the pace with the Shamrock
though the wind lightened considerably
after leaving the Nab nghtship.
The Britannia appeared to be holding
her own for a short spell before she
reached Ryde, but the Shamrock again
crept slowly ahead, widening the gap
The scene at this time was an inspir-
| ing one. Both yachts, under a cloud
| Of canvas, were gliding on even kcels
The wind freshened after passing
Cowes, and both boats took in their
| spinnakers and started on the
broad reach to the Solent buoy After
| jibing around they reached back finist-
| ing with a short tack to make the homs
mark.
| Experts are satisfied that the Sham
rock would be able to give good &C
count Of herself in the contest for the
American cup.
The Shamrock passed Warner at
12:36:1S and Britannia at 12:43:18.
| The Shamrock rounded the Nab