The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-10-25
COLUMBIA WINS GRANDLY
FIRST RACE FOR AMERICA" CUP
MAGNIFICENT.
In the Second Race the Shamrock
Loses Her Topmast and is Disabled.
The Cup Safe.

! NEW YORK, October 16.-The cup
which the old schooner America won
so handlly over the course around the
Isle Of Wight in 1851 and brought
across the seas will probably remain
here another year In a glorious breeze.
over a windward and leeward course of
thirty miles, the Columbia scored
against the Shamrock today in the
first race of the 1899 series for the
trophy. She bounded across the finish
! line fully a mile and a half ahead of
the challenger. defeating her by ten
minutes and fourteen seconds actual
time, or ten minutes and eight seconds
corrected time, after allowing the six
seconds handicap which the Columbia
must cOncede to the challenger on ac-
count of her longer water line. 1t was
a decisive contest a magnificent race,
magnificently sailed and magnificently
won
The Yankee boat outgeneraled the
Shamrock at the start, beat her hope
lessly in windward work to the outer
mark and gained twenty-five seconds
in~the run home before the wind. There
was a good strong ten or twelve-knot
breeze throughout the race.
| 1t is undoubtedly a bitter blow, be-
cause the English hopes of lifting the
cup have never been higher since the
Thistle met the Volunteer in 1887. Like
the Shamrock, she was decisively de-
feated in the first hours sailing. The
regatta committee as a result of the
showing made by the Columbia today
are convinced that the cup is safe,
Blow high or low, the Columbia, it is
believed by the manager, Mr.. Iselin,
can beat the Shamrock. Sir Thomas,
like the true sportsman that he is, con-
fessed after the race that he had been
fairly beaten. He had no apologies to
make
THE START.
The first few minutes of the race was
the most interesting. They made
beautiful picture as they raced away
like hounds, their sails to the nautical
eye We're perfection in fit. They looked
as ~ they might have been carved out
of alabaster, so firm and faultless We're
the lines. 1t was soon apparent that
the white flyer was forging ahead. The
clear water began to show between
them. The Columbia not only seemed
to outfoot the challenger, but the ex-
perts saw that she pointed higher.
1t was astonishing how she sliced her
way up into the wind. Within fifteen
minutes she had a lead of five lengths,
and from that time on the race was
hers. The patriots We're Jublant. and
the bands, which began playing, never
stopped until the race was over.
At 1925 both yachts cast off their
tow lines, broke out their jibs anc
mastheaded their No . club topsail
The Columbia also sent up her baby
jib-topsail on the stay. The course was
a beat dead to windward of fifteen
miles and a run back, if the wind held
the same quarter.
At 1O:45 the preparatory signal was
made. Both yachts then began ma
neuVering for positions, and at 0:55,
when the warning signal was given.
they We're playing for a weather berth
to the northward of the line, the Sham
rock breaking out her staysail at this
time.
When two minutes were left before
the starting signal both yachts were
heading, a couple of lengths apart, to
} the westward, with booms to port, the
Columbia to windward. The Shamrock
began to head for the committee boat,
which was lying at the south end of the
line, Captain HOgarths intention ap-
parently being to stop the Columbia,
then length or so astern, from getting
{ the weather berth When the starting
gun was fired the Shamrock had run
/ parallel with the line to nearly the cen
ter of north. She still held her course
| until nearly over to the lightshp be-
fore she began to luff to cross the Inc
; Captain Barr, on the Columbia held
/. his yacht well in hand being at this
| time good length astern, with sheets
fiat aft. He began to luff the moment
Hogarth did and, shooting the Colum-
bia across the Shamrocks wake he
sent her across the line more than fifty
yards to the windward of the challeng-
er and with such a good overlap on her
that, according to the official time, she
was only three seconds astern.
The official time of the start was:
| shamrock, ll:Ol:03; Columbia. II :01 :O6
Both yachts now We're close hauled on
the starboard tack and We're carrying
exactly the same sail-mainsail. club
topsail jib, foresail and baby iib top
sail
THE FINISH.
The first ten minutes were anxious
ones for the friends of both yachts.
, After that time it was all over but the
shouting. In five minutes the Columbia
had widened the distance to windward
between herself and the Shamrock
fully length. She heeled more than
the latter boat, but her sails We're all
fun and she was pointing higher from
the moment she started.
zach yacht made twelve taCks in the
windward work and in all these the
Shamrock took the initiative. Captain
Barr waited for Hogarth to tack, and
with but one or two exceptions, he put
the Columbia about within thirty sec
onds of the other boat. The last half
dozen tacks made We're longer than the
others.
The official time at the turn was:
Columbia, 1:4S:19; Shamrock, 1:5S:OS.
1t could not be called an exciting fin
ish, nor was ii tame one altogether.
SO Few boats We're present to witness
1t and the weather was so depressing
that as a spectacle the finish might be
called poor one from a picturesque
standpoint. Both in time and distance
the yachts We're so far apart that II
was rather poor finish from a sports %
mans view.
Ten minutes and eleven seconds in
time elapsed between the finishing of
the Columbia and the Shamrock, which
means In distance about milo and a