The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-10-03
CLOSE RACE.
Yachts Pass Each Other Sew
eral Times On the
Course.
START MADE ON TIME
Columbia Passed the Stake
Boat First But Shamrock
Gains.

The upper bay presented an animated
appearance this morning with the fleet OF
yachts, excursion boats, tugs. patrol
boats and torpedo boats which was hur-
raying out to the scene of the yacht race
The breeze, from about north northeast
was freshing and it looked as If the pig
sloops would have all the wind they
wanted The weather was chilly and but
few excursionists were to be seen on the
decks of the steamboats, and tugs.
The Shamrock passed out by the Hook
in tow at o'clock with her two head
sails in stops.
The Columbia followed at s:25 also in
tow, and hosting her mainsail. The
Columbia broke out two headsails at $40,
when about two miles east Of the Hook,
and cast of her tow.
At the same time the Shamrock, about
three miles further to the east, was head
ed up into the wind and began hosting
her mainsail. She had 1t we'll up when
the Columbia passed her under her three
lower sails.
The wind was still to the north of north
east but had decreased some and was not
blowing over 10 knots. The flagship Cor
sair, with the Regatta Committee on
board passed the Hook at $50.
Shortly after ten o'clock the Shamrock's
sails were all set and at 1912 she cast off
irving there at 10:22
The Columbia arrived at the lightShlp
at a0:12. She found the Vigilant sailing
around the hghtship and those on board
had good opportunity OF seeing how the
old cup defender stood up in the breeze:
The starting gun was fired at lib.
right on time, and. the Shamrock close to
the line, went over frs, while the Column
bia as usual in her races collected the last
edition. The Shamrock In crossing the
line broke out her baby 1lb topsaii
rr1,t<r has
shore seemed rather strange as the course
was dead before the wind The Columbia
on the other hands broke out her big bal
loon topsail and a minute after crossing
her spinnaker was also set. The Sham
rock crossed at II. 1880, unofficial, and the
Columbia about rs seconds later.
In the first ten minutes of the race the
Shamrock changed her headsails frequent
ly. Five minutes after the start she took
In her baby jlb topsail and set her spin
maker to port, then she set big balloon
her big balloon jlbsaM was swung to the
wind. During this time the Columbia
seemed to draw UP gradually on her rival,
due, as it afterWard proved, to these fire.
quent changes of canvass on the part OF
the Shamrock.
Every one was looking to see her pass
the Shamrock before another mile was
passed. About this time, however, the
Shamrock got her sails set to the satis-
faction of those on board and to the great
surprise of the spectators she began to
5oat 5oaw IN aesa the next two s miles q the
race the Shamrock pulled out until she
was almost half a mile ahead and seemed
to be going rapidly, while the Columbia
acted as If Ifeless. About this time the
steam yacht and excursion boats, which
during the first three miles of the course,
had obeyed orders OF the torpedo boats
and kept wei laway, began to close in
and their actions hurt the Columbia more
than 1t did the Shamrock.
The wind became puffy and the Sham
rock seemed to be getting the better of
for her great gain in the fourth, fifth and
sixth miles. After the boats had sailed
about six and one-haH miles the Colum-
bia tok in her spinnaker and jibing her
to starboard. She jibed her sail over very
quickly but it took considerable time to
get the spinnaker hauled in.
Before the change in the wind the Sham
rock seemed to be gaining rapidly and 1T
seemed certainty that she would turn
the race. The change In the position of
the two boats was all over inside of ten
minutes, and must have been bitter pill
for Sir Thomas and his friends.
On the run down by Monmouth Beach
the Columbia pulled rapidly away from
mile ahead. The boats sailed the sixth,
seventh and eighth mile run down well off
the wind and the Columbia seemed to go
faster on this broad reach than when
dead before the wind.
The Columbia turned the stake boat at
1:221z She was then about two minutes
ahead but the Shamrock was rapidly de-
creasing the lead.
The Columbia was reported to be al
most half a mile in the lead Of the Sham
letins received the race should be finished
before half-past four.