The record-union., 1899-10-03
First Round in Series Between the
Columbia and Shamrock
To Be Sa lied To-Day Over a Thirty Mile
Course Off Sandy Hook.

Will Have to Allow the Sham
rock a Fraction Over Six Sec
onds Time
NEW YORK, Oct. 2.--The first round
of the International series between the
American yacht Columbia and the Brit
ish 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 IL o'clock
from Sandy Hook Lightship, unless a
postponement is ordered. But no race
of the series is to be started later than
1870 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 tonight that the Co
lumbia would have to allow the Sham
rock six and thirty-one one -hundredths
seconds on thirty mile course.
1t was generally supposed by yachts
men who have seen both yachts under
sail and in the drydock that the Sham
rock, by reason of her greater sail
spread and apparently larger hull,
would have to give the Columbia some
thing like a minute time allowance
over the thirty y-mile courses which they
are to sail. 1t appears, however, that
Designer Fife, while giving the Sham
rock a larger sail plan than the Co.
lumbia has, at the same time so con-
structed her hull as to give her great
freeboard, less displacement and con-
most two feet.
At o'clock Sir Thomas Upton and
his party left the yacht, the caisson
was swung open, lines cast off and the
Shamrock, with housed topmast, was
towed away from the navy yard by a
tug. She arrived and made fast TO
her moorings in Sandy Hook Bay at
6:1O p. M, receiving salutes as she
passed down East River and the upper
bay from almost every passing steamer
Just before leaving the navy yard tor
his steam yacht Erin, Sir Thomas Lip
ton called his Captains, HogartR and
Wringe, and gave them final instruc-
tions about the preparations for to-
morrow's event, which means much to
him and to them. He had evidently
gathered from what he had seen ana
heard while the yacht was being meas
ured that she certainly would not have
to give the Columbia any time allow
ance, and he was correspondingly
cheerful when he came to take leave
of his two shippers.
The weather indications, according 10
the special forecast sent out from
Washington, are that the wind will
be fresh from the northeast. If so,
the yachts will start from Sandy Hook
Lightship and run almost dead before
the wind down the Jersey coast to a
point just beyond Long Branch.
According to a dispatch received
from Monmouth Beach Life Saving
Station at 10 o'clock tonight, there
will be quite a heavy sea off Sandy
Hook tomorrow, unless the wind mod
crates or shifts to some other quarter
The cup defender Columbia was
measured to-day by John Hyslop. Off
cial measurer of the New York Yacht
Club, at the Brooklyn navy yard, and
her water line was found to be 80 s
feet and a small fraction. Her main
boom is 100 feet 6 inchess in length.
the same as the Defenders In fact,
the boom that the latter boat has been
using is the Columbia's spare spar. Mr..
Hyslop was assisted in his work by
Designer Nat Herreshoff and CAPTAIN
Charley Barr, while j. Cornell of the
Royal Ulster Yacht Club represented
Sir Thomas Upton
The forward overhang measurements
We're obtained by hanging a plumb line
from the top of the stern and with a.
long wood rod, taking the distance on
the surface of the water between the
plumb and a water line mark made on
hang measurement was obtained in a
similar way.
When Mr.. Hyslop Informed Mr.. Ise-
line and Mr.. Herreshoff of the Colum-
bias water line length, it was evi-
dent that the water line was shorter
than they cared to have the yacht sail
on, and LOO pounds of pig lead was
placed in the hold of the boat Mr.
Leeds explaining that this weight was
to replace. the dunnage taken out
Mr.. Hyslop again measured the for
ward and aft oyerhang, and after get
ting the length over all informed the
party on the Columbia that her wafer
line length was fraction over 80 feet
s inches.
Then with stencil Mr.. Hyslop made
V-shaped mark in red on both the
starboard and port sides of the boat
abreast of the companionway. show
ing the point at which the water came
on the hull. This was evidently done
to avoid any possible question as 70
increasing the ballast in the future
Among those who watched the opera-
ton of taking the measurement were
Sir Thomas Upton, owner of the sham
rock; Rear Admiral Lord Charles Rer-
esford, Arnold Morley, Sir Henry Bur-
dett and Chevalier MARITIME.
Lord Charles Beresford looked the
Columbia over with a critical eve. and
said in comparing the cup defender
with the cup challenger that the Amer
ican boat was much more symmetrical
and graceful in appearance. He he
lieved, however, that this was idue to
the white paint with which her top
sides are covered, and went on to say
that in his opinion the green4paint on
the Shamrock made her look bulkier
than she really was. and that if she
was painted white she would look fully
as graceful as the Columbia.
Chevalier MARITIME said that accord