Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-04
First Race Between Shamrock and
Columbia TO-MOTTOW.
BOATS VERY EVENLY MATCHED
Superiority, 1t 4
When the End Came.

NEW YORK, october 3.-As the sun set
behind the Navesink hills the biggest
crowd Of sight-seers and yachtsmen that
ever sailed down to Sandy Hook to wit
ness the attempt Of foreign mug hunt
er to wrest from America the yachting
supremacy Of the world returned to New
York. crest-fallen and disappointed. The
winds had proved too light and shifty,
and the first of the international series Of
1899. between the two greatest racing
machines ever produced by England and
America, degenerated into a drifting
match, and had to be declared Off because
neither could reach the finish line i'm the
time allotted by the rules.
To avoid just such winds as occurred
to-day in which luck and not the crew
and yachts win. the rules provide that if
one Of the boats does not finish within
five and a half hours the race is declared
off. so at the end Of that time this eye
ming, when the yachts were still four
miles from home, with the Shamrock
leading by something more than a quar-
ter Of a mile the committee officially de-
clared that there had been no race. The
yachts were then taken in tow by their
respective tugs, and brought back to their
anchorage inside Sandy Hook.
Under the rules. the first race IS now
postponed for two days, or until Thurs
day.
THE DAY PROMISED WE'LL
The day promised we'll at first. The
sky was smirched with a few dirty clouds,
but was clear enough TO permit the thou
sands Of spectators who lined the Jersey
shore TO see almost every foot Of the
course. The waves were crested with
white caps here and there, and a fairly
fresh breeze blew out of the north-north-
east. but after the Columbia and Sham
rock had crossed he line The wind turn
ed fluky and variable. and the race was
a failure almost from the start. But
the fiuke to-day gave the yachting sharps
and the spectators much TO think about
and some surprises. The Columbia is I'M
doubtedly the pretter boat. She is tall.
stately. with graceful lines and towering
mast. The irish boat. with her broader
beam and longer base-lne, looked slower
and heavier. Perhaps her green color
makes her look clumsier. as IL she We're
forced through the water. while the slim
Columbia pierces it like a napier.
Though indccisive IN every respect as TO
the abilities Of the great rival single
stickers. to-day's race indicates that the
Irish boat with her English skipper and
her Scotch crew. Is the ablest slOop ever
sent across the Atlantic In the hope Of
lifting the hundred-guinea cup which the
ago, and which has since been success
fully defended against the world.
THE BOATS WELI-MATCHFD.
During the five and half hours san
the Shamrock was thrice ahead and twice
the Yankee boat showed the way. For
the first ten minutes the Shamrock led,
then for five the Columbia's graceful
bow showed ahead Of the green boat; for
forty-fve minutes following the Sham
rock: then for three hours the Columbia,
and for the last hour and a half IL was
the Shamrock that led the way. The
breeze blew as high as twelve knots an
hour ard az low as three. and shifted
about through eight points Of the COM
pass. Each I'm turn beat the other run
ming before the wind and was in turn
beaten, beating against the wind at va
ri0us stages Of the race. so that many Of
to-day are disinclined 10 believe
that there is a pin 10 choose between
them. but when the race is closely
analysed il is absolutely proved that the
Columbia showed her superiority at every
point Of sailing running. reaching, and
beating whenever the wind freshened.
and that IL was only I'm the lightest air
that the Shamrock could make Roadway
against her.
Both had their share Of good and bad
luck The Columbia had the better Of the
shifting wind on the run down 20 the
mark. and beat the Shamrock minutes
and As seconds while on the beat home,
after Increasing her lead % over a mile
AZ one time. tho Shamrock oyerhauled the
Yankee, and was a quarter OF mile
ahead when the time allowance expircd'
THE COURSE WAS CLEAR.
The feature OF the race which pleased
most was the perfectly clear
ield which was maintained. For the first
lime. this year the government took
land 10 prevent a repetition Of the unfOr- |
innate occurrence which marred the race |
when the accompanying excursion boats, |
n their frenZied edgerness 10 let nothing |
# the beautiful spectacle escape, crowd |
q down upon the racers until their back |
wash impeded their progress through the |
water and caused Lord Dunrayen to file |
lis famous protest.
The government was determined this |
'ear that the course should be protected |
gainst unofficial trespassers. a f0tilla |
4 revenue-cutters and swift torpedo |
ioats. flying red-barred white flags, |
uarded the course. keeping excursion |
teamers. yachts, and tugs at a perfectly |
afe distance from the canvas-clouded
acers.
The course was laid frteen miles dead |
,efore the wind and back again The d. |
ectiOn Of the wind carried this course /
from the Sandy Hook |
ght-ship almost straight down the Jer-
ey coast 70 point of Asbury Park. |
where a white float with a red ball was /
laced 10 mark the turning-pOint.
COLUMBIA WELL HANDLED.
The Columbia was admirably handled /
throughout the race. Though the sham
ock was first across the line by forty
hree seconds, the Columbia's Deer
sland crew OF Yankees. wearing their
picturesque watch caps in Iselins colors.
rere go much handler than their Scotch
ivals that they had the Columba's spin
aker and balloon jib set first by |
hree minutes. The spectators marYelled
L the cloud of canvas the leyiathians
arried. Straight up into the air the
lender yards carried the point OF the
yrarnl1z Of canvaq for Tx feet II Is 1