The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-21

her rival that she took away some OF the green
boats wind They had crossed the line nve or
six lengths apart. but the American had wiped
out length or SO OF the Shamrock load At
11:15 the wind finished breaking out the
Shamrocks spinnaker. and as the sail nlled full
1t put the little baby lib topsail out OF business
SAILING TWELVE MILES AN HOUR.
The boats were going twelve miles an hour
and leaving half OF the excursion feet behind
them The Shamrock tried to set more sail.
She didn't relish the idea OF the Yankee boat
blanketing her and thought she could stand
more canvas So she hauled down her stay
sail and set q balloon staysail in It's place. She
lu1ed bit to get clear wind and came very
near knocking her spinnaker over the j!bstay.
the way tho Colum bias sail had gone only a
few minutes before. The Columbia luffed. too.
in order to keep tho Shamrock directly in her
lee and the action again caused the spinnaker
to roll over to port.
This time everybody thought the sail would
surely have to be hauled to the deck. But tho
Yankee boat fell off from her course again and
the sail came back into place. In the brief
period that It lay helpless over the jibstay the
Shamrock had forged ahead with jump and
proved to every body that unless tho Yankee
| bont got her spnnaker to behave itself. she
| had no earthly chance OF reaching the mark
| ahead OF the challenger. But from that time
on there was no more trouble with tho sail. and
though 1t still persisted in bellying away ont
and forming the letter p. 1t kept in plnce and
drew finely until it was hauled to the deck just
before tho stake was reached. At II 30 the
green boat took down her jib and the stay was
bare for nearly fifteen minutes before she sent
up larger sail TO take its place.
| 1t was great race Everybody was on the
| Jump except the crews Of the rival yachts who
had now A ished sail -bauling and were grouped
far aft on the docks. 1t had settled down into
q stern chase At IL 80 the boats appeared to
be in the same relative position as they we're
when they had crossed the starting line
Columbia's staysas and lib were not drawing
at all while all OF the Shamrocks canvas was
| still to the limit. At last the Columbia began
to creep up on the challenger, and from that
| time until she passed her. Just before round
ing the outer mark. she showed n steady gain.
After setting large lib tho Shamrock skip
| pers decided that the Columbia's spinnaker
looked very well away UP In the air. so they
manipulated their sail until it also formed
letter In connection with the mast.
CoLUMBIA's SPEED INcREAsEs.
Just before the noon hour the wind dropped
long enough to allow the Columbia to get her
spinnaker down whore 1t belonged but when
the breeze resumed full speed again it made
an effort to lift the big sail wv to port 1t
was down to stay this time. however. and no
| further trouble was experienced with 1t. The
Columbia then hauled down her staysail. but
set smaller one in its place. This sal drew
we'll. and the Yankee boat came up on the
Shamrock with Increasing speed
| The green boat then began monkeyinR with
her sails again with the idea OF striking some
| happy com bnation which would permit her to
hold tho white boat in cheek. She took down
| her baby lib. but that did not seem to help
| Oatters any. Her 20 and staysail. small
| though they Usre were not now drawing at
| all. She hedged in shore Just trifle while the
| Colum bia hitched out bit in order to provide
room enough to pass her
| At L. O'Clock the log boat had thrown the
stake overheard fifteen miles to the leeward Of
| the Lightship. Then she wheeled broadside
to the course and hoisted three red balls. SO
| that 1t could be plainly seen where the turning
| point was located. But the stake itself was
now Visible to the naked eye and was less
| than three miles AWAY from the sloops.
| The wind WAS not quito i, strong as it was at
first. but It was plenty good enough for either
| OF the boats.
The Columbia began to yaw and this caused
| her spinnaker to belly In and out. But in spite
| OF this she geined on the Shamrock hand over
| fist. In fifteen minutes she had worn down one
hundred feet ofher rivals lead and at II 10 was
nearly abreast OF her The Shamrock could
| not stop the onward rush do what she would.
and the Columbia quickly passed her thirty
| yards to port. 1t was q great moment for the
| supporters OF the American boat and there
| was great cheering on more than one sxcur-
| sion boat.
1t was now question whether the Columbia
| could luff under the Upton boats bow and
turn the mark or whether the Shamrock would
be able to throw her off whom the stake boat
was reached As soon she got clear of the
| Shamrock she doused her topsail and hitched
| bit closer to the Shamrock.
| HEADING FOR THE STAKE BOAT.
| At l2:l7 both took in their spinnakers. They
| were now only a quarter OF a mile from the
mark and both heading straight for it. The
| Columbia seemed to increase her speed the
| nearer they got to the stake boat. and she was
soon in position to edge up under the Sham
rocks bows and make dash to round the
mark. Shamrock could not help herself and
was forced to follow around in the wake OF the
| white boat.
| With a grand sweep the Yankee came up to
the mark and turned with the green bow close
| on her heels. Her crew rushed to the main
sheet and hauled 1t in with all the power they
possessed. and as the white boat came close
| up to the wind her main boom was hauled in
| over her decks The Shamrock came tearing
| along behind her. turning lust II seconds
after the Columbin's time was recorded.
| When the figures were published on the
| Committee boat they read as follows:
l!'iO
| l.:1,
Tho Columbia had crossed the line min
ute and l second later than the Shamrock
| but she had wiped this out and beat her round
| the mark Is seconds. total gain for the leg Of
i minute and IL seconds. 1t was now to be n
beat back against heavy sea and in wind
| that was blowing up to its full strength OF
| twenty-five miles an hour again. There was
| great curiosity to see how the boats would act
under the prevailing conditions. No one would
have heen surprised had the canvas OF
both boats carried away. They reared and
| plunged in the element and threw great clouds
| OF spray high In the air.
| Before they had been travelling 100 feet the
| Coumbia's deck was wet to the mast and her
lee rail was under water. She would bow TO
| the influence OF the wind. but would come up
again shiv sring and sternly resume her slash