Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-10
Yacht Races Furnish Topic for Long.
MINDED Arguments.
SHAMROCK SEEMS 10 Be FAVoRlTE
Prospect Of Interesting Meeting in
Six-Day Cycle Race.
SYMPATHY FOR BOERS
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
NEW YORK, October 8, 1880.
While the race for the Americas cup has
been most unsatisfactory, viewed from the
American standpoint of rapid action and
quick results, 1t has proved a genuine
blessing In affording theme Of discussion
at the hotels and clubs If the subject of
the comparative merits of the yachts, and
what they had shown in the three attempts
in which they started to make a race, has
been thrashed over fifty times it has been
thrashed thousand times fifty, and the
partisans of the American yacht and
those of the English yacht are quite as
far from coming to an agreement as ever
they were. Saturdays attempt at race
showed one thing more conclusivey than
had been demonstrated before, and that is
the superiority Of the British boat in work
ing to windward If the superiority is not
in the yacht, it certainly must be in the
handling, and that, under the present con-
dition OF things, amounts to the same. 1t
is contended by many that the sails on the
Shamrock are SO much superior to those
carried by the defending boat; that the
Shamrock has got more out of the prevail
ing light airs than the Columbia, and that
part of the reason of the Columbia $ fail
ure to do good work lies in that fact. The
mereSt novice can see that the Shamrocks
sails fit far better than those of the Coium-
bla. When both yachts are In motion the
sails of the Shamrock always seem to draw
better than those OF her adversary. That
gigantic club topsail that towers above the
Shamrock $ gaff, generally bulges out with
all the breeze that blows, while the Column
bias club, on the contrary, spills wind
from the top constantly.
Boats Evenly Matched.
One deduction can be made from the
work of the yachts, and that is in regard to
a possible lucky end to any race. In case
~
as certain be that the yacht favored
ever so little by any stroke of good fortune
will win the race. There have not been two
yachts better matched to contend for the
Americas cup than those engaged in the
races of 1899. AS the contest grows warm
er, and it is better understood that the
chances of both yachts are nearer even
than was at first anticipated, the specula-
ton on the event becomes more exciting
1t has been tedious enough to those who
have daily gone to the ocean hoping to see
race, but the yachtsmen who sail up and
down Broadway are now warming thor
cughly to the contest. They can't warm
up without desiring to show their great
American shrewdness by wagering a few
dollars where they think they will reap
some return. The result Is that more bets
are being made than at first were, and
more will be made during the week than
were made last week. There are some per-
sens who have wagered sums on the Amer
lean yacht who have taken to the tall tim
Der and are anxious to hedge. While still
of the opinion that the race may be won
by the Columbia, they are little afraid
that she may lose. Originally they made
their bets satisfied that they had sure
thing. Neither patriotism. pride nor per-
spicacity counts with them if they only can
get their money back Others have been
holding Off waiting to see what the yachts
could do. Now they are ready to jump in
and make all kinds Of bets at about even
money.
The Columbia is still the favorite but the
odds have been cut down. Where 100 to
- had been the current figure for the
series, 100 to 30 is now demanded. Quite
a number of pugilistic experts made their
way out to the ocean on Saturday and
watched the proceedings. What they don't
know about yachting would fill volumes,
but they have natural shrewdness in
making bets, and they returned to the
city thoroughly convinced that the Sham
rock would win the series.
Up to the present time both yachts have
been remarkably lucky as far accidents
are concerned. Neither has suffered bit
by a breakdown. Every line is critically
examined before the yachts go into a race.
and careful eyes watch that everything fits
exactly and that there Is no opportunity
for damage from careleSsness.
Shamrock's Crew Sanguine.
The crew Of the Shamrock are absolutely
certain that they are going to win the cup.
There isn't a man aboard but believes that
1t is as good as gone from America. This
IS largely due to the fact that the yacht
behaves well In light weather. I'm
doubtedly the yacht brought across
with only fair opinion of her light-weath-
sailing qualities. Greatly to the sur
prise of the Americans, who had heard OF
what she had done abroad. and quite as
much to the surprise of the owner, the
officers and the crew, the Shamrock has
shown that she is regular ''drIfter" Ger
tainly her hull Is not shapely as that OF
the Columbia, and her superior ability as
a light-Weather boat must be due to the
enormous spread of canvas that she car
ries. 1t is possible that the races Will be
completed this week. 1t would surprise no
one however, who has seen the yachts
perform if they We're still racing next
week
Six-Day Team Race.
Four thousand dollars will be distributed
in the siX-day team race to be held IN
Madison Square Garden December to .,
inclusive, and the event promises to be UNI
usually interesting, and will be a novelty
such as has never been seen before in cycle
competition. Instead of the continuous
grind, as heretofore each rider OF team
will be on the track twelve hours q day,
selecting the hours which will suit him
best, and this will mean the hottest kind
race. 1t is likely to be in the nature OF a