The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-08
THE RACE DECLARED OFF
THE YACHTS WERE FIVE MILES
FROM TIE FINISH.
WITHIN FIFTEEN MINUTES OF TINE LIMIT
The COLUMBIA Was Leading at The Time the
Race Was Abandoned, and Had the
Race Been Finished ii is Believed
She Would Have Won.

sue WVuiu iidNe WoHt
New York. Oct. 7.-Old Boreas again
today played battleglore and shubtlecock
with the great single stickers, and the
third attempt to sail the first race OF
the Columbia Shamrock series for the
international trophy. ended IN failure
The race was declared off 10 minutes
before the time limit expired, with the
Yachts still five miles from the tlnlsh.
But the vast tarongs w1lo Went Gown TO
the sea to witness the battle royal We're
in a measure compensated 10y seeing i
magnificent light weather duel. In the
end. the disappointment of the patriots
was shaTpened perhaps by the fact that
when the race was abandoned, the Co
lunbia was in the lead and improving
her position. and had it been finished to-
day the American champion might have
had ONE race 10 her credit After three
trials the experts are about as much
mystified as they Were at the begin
ming concerning the merits of the two
boats. Nothing but a spanking Whole
sail breeze will furnish a true test.
Today, as ON the two previous days,
the course was laid 10 miles dead before
the wind and retllTI. SO evenly match
ed were the beautiful, clean limhed
racers that they rounded the outer mark
like thoroughbreds. almost neck AMI
neck and finished after a three hour
thresh to winslwaTd with the Columbia
white. shark like nose half length in
front and i'm the weather position, but 81
close was her green rival, that the black
shadow of the iSha4nrock's looming sails
was silhouetted against the Yankees
snowy canvas.
As a result of today's struggle and the
struggles of Tuesday and Thursday. the
talent are good deal confounded Some
of them differ as to the merits of the
two boats, but they seem unanimous UP
on two things-that the Shamrock is
the ablest boat, that ever crossed the
western ocean to lift the mug, and What
is still more important, that she is more
abby handled than the defender. The
superior seamanship of Captain Hogartll
and his crew was demonstrated at sevef-
al critical points in the race today.
The Irish boat did undeniably better
work to windward She carved her way
up into the wind in astonishing style.
But here again the Columbia seemed to
be able to more than make up in foot
ing what she lost in pointing and as the
ability of a sailing vessel is determined
by her power to make Roadway against
an adverse wind, she is the better boat
by that test
The early morning was full of promise
for a glorious, WHOLESALE breeze. The
heart of the sea-faring folk who went
Al. frt, II la1
by a stiff 20-knot blast straight out
of the northeast that covered the upper
and lower bay with a smother of white
caps And the excursion fleet went out
to the stakeboat with high hopes of
splendid days sport. But before the
feet had reached the open, the breeze
began to tumble, seas to spill less Of
their froth Overhead the sky was
unlocked. a vault as blue as turquoise,
and so clear was the atmosphere that
every foot of the course was visible to
the thousands who were watching on the
Jersey hills from Navesink Heights and
to Long Branch and Asbury Park. From
the shore every movement of the race
was followed by the sharpsy with glasses,
and the result was known there long
before it was flashed by wire from the
cable boats.
Columbia had all the better of the
start. She bounded across the line Like
a race horse with mainsail. eluls-topsaii
and staysail drawing. spinnaker down TO
s.arboard ready for the race before the
wind, and ten seconds afterward her bar
locn lib broke ont like cloadbnrsf.
THE Irish boat went over il seconds
later with the same rig.
The official time at the start was:
lColuinbia 11:21:02.
Shamrock 11:21:1a.
The patriots were mad with delight.
But their enthusiasm was short-liyed.
The willy English shippers luffed up and
ran through fhe Yankees lee for the
weather gauge Captain Barr tried to
head this move off by luffing also. This
sent both boats off at almost right an
giles to the course. for the Jersey coast
and straight for the mob OF five hun
dred vessels gathered to the right Of the
lime for the run down. The torpedo boats
charged down upon them Hike a squad
of flying cavalry TO clear the way for
the yachts. Never was there such q
scampering of ships. Bells in the en-
CINE rooms jingled full speed ahead and
full speed aStern, as some fled and 9th
ers tried to back out of the tangle. Sey
eral serious collisions Were narrowly
averted. But the fleet was scattering
like a flock OF wild ducks after the dis
charge of gun. The Shamrock got thu
best of the luffng match. blanketing her
rival and getting to winward of her
Then when both had squared off on their
course and let go their spinnakers. thou
sands waited and watched. Slowly.
very slowly at first, inch by inch the
defender of the cup drew away despite
Silamrocl repeated and tireless efforts
to blanket her. Once clear the white
beauty forged ahead rapidly. She had
established a comfortable lead, when the
breath Heightened and hauled more to the
northward. Wrinkles began to trick'e
down the sides of the white yachts bal
loons and several times all three sails
collapsed The Shamrock, as ON the
two previous days, pro6tted by the seem
ingly light air and began to crawl UP.