Arizona republican., 1899-10-03
CONTEST OF CONTESTS
The Columbia and Shamrock Will
Meet Today.

CT the international series between the
American yacht Columbia and The
British challenger Shamrock will be
sailed tomorrow, weather permitting,
over a course fifteen miles to windward
or leeWard and return, off Sandy Hook.
The start is to be made at II o'clock
from Sandy Hook lightshiD, unless q
postponement is ordered But no race
of the series is to be started later than
1890 p. m.
One of the greatest surprises for
yachtsmen since the arrival of the
Shamrock in these waters was the an
nouncement officially made at the New
York Yacht club that the Columbia
would have to allow the Shamrock six
and thirty-one one-hundredths sec
onds on thirty-mile course, on ac-
count of the Shamrock's construction.
New York, Oct. 2.-The telephone
bells high up in the building at 100
Broadway were kept in a continual
jingle today and Local Forecaster
Eben H. Emery and his assistants had
their hands full in answering the
countless inquiries concerning the
prospects for tomorrow weather. The
concern Of the public in this matter
may be taken as an indication of the
intense interest. Greater New York is
manifesting in the America cup races,
the first of which is scheduled 10 be
sailed tomorrow. No previous contest
for the coveted trophy has ever
aroused such intense and widespread
interest on both sides of the Atlantic
as the races between the Shamrock
and the Columbia Not only are hun
dreds of strangers in town from Phila-
-delphia, Boston, Washington, Pitts
burg, Chicago and many other cities,
eager to witness the grand struggle be-
tween the two speediest yachts ever
built but the number of foreign visit
ors here for the same purpose has new
er before been exceeded. The hotels
with guests as they were last week fer
the Dewey celebration, and every
available excursion steamer, yacht and
launch in the vicinity has been pressed
into service to accommodate the thou
sands of sightseeIs who will witness
the great contest.
The contests are discussed by every
body. One reason for this is that it
IS generally believed that the British
ers this time have the best chance they
have ever had and that the contests
will to really races, with nothing of
the walkover about them. From east
ern and southern waters have come
hundreds of private yachts and other
pleasure craft. The most of these have
dropped anchor off Bay Ridge and the
mammoth f1otil,a with everything
spick and span aboard is a rare and
pleasing spectacle. Unusual precau-
items are being taken by the cup COM
mittee to have the course properly pa
trolled SO that the racing yachts shall |
not be interfered with by the excur-
sion fleet. The captains of the excur- /
sion beats and pleasure craft have
been urged by the committee to help |
keep an absolutely clear course and to
do all in their power to prevent inter
ference with the races, as there was on
several occasions during the contests
between the Defender and the Valkyrie
Ill The official measurements of the
two yachts are 10 be made this after
noon.
THE COURSE.
The course of Inc race is to be the
familiar one off Sandy Hook. There is
a circle of buoys about mile in diam
eter surrounding the Sandy Hook
lightship which is the starting and
point of the race. The first
Of the two alternate courses which will
next course is due east for fifteen miles
and back again to the lightship, each
be sailed will be over a triangle The
next course is due east for fifteen miles
and back again to the lightship, each
course amounting to thirty miles in a
straight line. To cover those courses
the yachts will have to sail consider
ably over thirty miles, for the neces
sary maneuveIs require that they
change direction, CT tack" as it is
called, to get the best results from the
wind
LINES OF BOATS COMPARED.