The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-04

ward and at l2:IJ o'clock was blowing from
the west northwest This kept the crews
constantly hauling in sheets. and before long
1t was almost beam reach
hut as 1t shifted tho wind became fuky. 1t
was as far as the wind was concerned one OF
the most peculiar DAYS ever seen for 4 Cup
race. When the race began the wind registered
good ten miles an hour then 1t fell and rose
and fell again and finally. after the boats had
rounded. 1t died almost entirely. Then 1t
freshened and gave promise OF furnishing
plenty OF ammunition for tho finish OF the race.
but only to die out again to fiat calm. leaving
the boats bobbng up and down almost station
airy more than three miles from the finishing
line.
There was continued trimming Of sheets on
both boats. The Shamrock trimmed hers
much fiatter than the Columbia. but it did not
seem to do her much good for she could not
gain an inch on the YANKEE flyer. Finally she
headed out to sea to get out from under Column
bias lee. and the latter altered her course to
hold the challenger In check Finding the
move wouldn't work the foreigner shaped a
true course again and her rival followed suit.
NEARING THE OUTER MARX.
After few minutes trial OF this manpuvre
the Shamrock found a good streak o. wind. 1t
sent her ahead In fine style and she gradually
lessened the gap between her and her rival.
especially as the latter ran into soft spot
about this time. The little calm did not last
long. however. and soon the American got the
full breeze again and away she went The
mark was now easily dscsrnible In the distance.
1t was big red ball rugged on pole. the end
OF which was struck into float few yards
beyond the mark one Of the committees tugs
was stationed. The boats were heading directly
for 1t. and 1t appeared as though they would be
able to make 1t In half an hour.
At l 10 O'Clock the Columbia ran into another
soft spot. but slipped out OF it again In a few
minutes. Then old Boreas began to play some
more pranks. The boats stood in toward the
shore expecting that the wind would haul more
to tho westward. but they were wrong. for in
stead OF keeping on to the west It began to go
back north again. Columb la was half a mile
away from the Shamrock when this shift came.
Both boats prom pity paid out their main sheets
and 1t was seen that the Columbia's crew
was ready to set the spinnaker to star
board. Her bow fell of and she headed
straight for the mark. At :l6 the Columb bias
sailors whipped down the staysail and broke
out the big spinnaker. Half minute later the
Shamrock people. who were watching every
move made on the rival boat. took down T. dr
staysail and lowered the spInnaker pole over
the starboard side. But IL was hardly in place
before IL was raised again. The wind had
shifted once moro and caused Capt. Hogarth to
change his mind. Instead Of setting the big
sail he Rybed the boom over. This was at
1:17:3O.
Within two minutes the staysail was up
again and the Shamrock was running under
the same canvas she had used for the past
hour. namely. mainsail club topsai staysail
and balloon lib topsail. Columbia's spinnaker
all ha Vii nd mt Of har hi1 hal
sail. which hung Imply from its stay. The
breeze. hauling still more. it seemed as II the
Yankee would have to gybe very soon. The
Shamrock was gaining on her hand over fist.
getting the benefit OF the shift In wind. Before
Columbia succeeded In checking her she had
cut down the lead by half. At 1:2l Mr.. Iseln
and his associates decided II was time to call q
halt. Tho spinnaker was hauled on deck. the
main sheet taken in as fast as the crew could
pull it and over went the boom to starboard.
SHAMROCK cRAwLs UP.
The crew had some difficulty in hauling the
balloon lib topsail sheet fiat II was a hard
sail to handle in any kind OF weather. and the
Colum bia had to be luffed twice before tho big
piece OF canvas was finally adjusted to suit the
handlers OF the yacht. Tho Columbia gybed at
90 and it was not until l 27 that the crew
stopped hauling on the balloon sheet All this
time the wind was hauling back toward the
north again. In the last ten minutes the
Shamrock had crawled up within striking dis.
lance OF the American.
The Columbia sheets were hauled In more
than the Shamrock's and her speed appeared
to be hanging fire. Fortune was favorlng the
challenger. as she was in belt OF wind which
kept her sails full. while the Columbia's lib
topsail had begun to futter again. The wind
had hauled to the north n rtheast and at ] 25
was blowing very lightly.
Most OF the excursion boats were lined
up behind the stakeboat which was now
only a short distance in front OF the rival
yachts. At 30 O'Clock the Shamrock hauled
down her staysail and set a jib. She was fully
two minutes behind the Columbia which at
this time was loss than q half mile from the
stakeboat. When she got within n quarter OF
a mile OF tho mark she let the balloon lib top
sail halyards run and the sail was sooner on
the deck when the lib was broken out from its
stops. A minute later the Shamrock hauled
down her big balloon sail and the boats were
now ready to zybe around tho mark.
COLUMBIA THE FIRST AROUND.
At l 81 81 the American boat swe pit up to the
float which marked the turning point Of the
race and spun around the mark like 4 top.
leaving II on the starboard hand. The whis-
ties OF every excursion boat in the feet set up
an awful din which only Quoted down when
the challenger neared the buoy. In the mean.
time the Columbia had passed her to leeward
on the way back and had broken ont n baby
jib topsail to help her In the beat back to the
Sandy Hook Lightshlp.
The Shamrock reached the mark Just two
minutes and one second behind the Cup de-
fender. She too wheeled around it handily
and then put after her rival. who was now a
good distance ahead Sheets were hauled fiat
on both boats and the spectators settled back
to ENJOY the battle ot tacks which was
to ensue. Thsy had not long to wait
Hardly had the Shamrock hauled close
up into tho wind when the Columbia
put about on the port tack and stood ont to sea.
While she was spinning around the Shamrock
set a small Jill topsail, but before it was draw
ing well Columbia tackled TO starboard again in
order to shut off the foreigners wind as much
as possible. She was still something more than
a quarter OF mile ahead, but she proposed to
hold the whip hand over her r.va. to the fullest
extent OF the law. However. she was not draw
ing full on her first tack before the shamrock
came about. spinning from full 10 full like
I,..l, rl,aT