Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-10-03
YACHTS READY
For the First Of Americas
Cup Races, Today.
The Shamrock to Receive 6 3t-1OO
Seconds Time Allowance.
To lays Race. is Miles to Windward or Lee.
ward and Return.

New York, Oct. 1.-The first race of
the international series between the
American yacht Columbia and the
British challenger Shamrock will be
sailed, tomorrow, weather permitting,
over a course 10 miles to windWard or
leeward and return off Sandy Hook.
The start is to be made at II o'clock
from Sandy Hook lightship, unless a
poseponement is ordered.
one of the greatest surprises for
yachtsmen since the arrival of the
Shamrock in these waters was the an
nouncement, officially made at the
New York Yacht club, tonight. that
the Columbia would have to allow. the
Shamrock 6 and 31-100 seconds on a 30
mile course.
II was generally supposed by yachts
men who had seen both yachts under
sail and in the dry dock that the Sham
rock by reason Of her greater sail
spread and apparently larger hull.
auld have to give the Columbia some
thing like a minute time allowance
over the 30-mile courses which they are
to sail. il appears, however that De
signer Fife, while giving the Shamrock
a larger sail plant than the Columbia.
has at the same time SO constructed
her hull to give her great free board.
less displacement and consequently q
shorter water line by almost two feet.
The Columbia was the first boat of
the two TO be measured Shortly after
6 O'Clock. the valves in the caisson at
the entrance to No. , dry dock, at the
navy yard were opened, and the dock
was filled with water. When the tell
tale on the caisson showed that there
was about q feet Of water in the dock
the Columbia hoated. but in order TO
be sure that the ship was off the blocks
the water was allowed 10 flow in until
there was about inches short of IS
feet depth.
Mr. John HyslOp. the olnclal
neasurer OF the New York Yacht
club. arrived at the navy yard. shortly
before o'clock. and at once commence
ed getting the length of the boom, gaff.
mast and spinnaker pole. The crew
rendered all the assistance they could
and a man was hoisted in a boat
swain's chair to the top to carry the
tame to the head of the topmast. In
measuring the length Of the spinaker
boom il was found that the pole was
q DOut j lncilSS loilStl imam tiC AtS'i'N
tions alowed-that is. from the centre
Of bowsprit between the jib and Jib
stopsail stays to the mast, was one
quarter Of a foot too long. Capt. Char
ley Barr with a saw cut two inches
from one end and one inch from the
other of the spinaker pole.
Then plans were made to measure
the water line and over all lengths Of
the boat. The crew and Messrs. G.
Oliver Iselin, Capt. Woodbury. Kane,
Herbert G. Leeds. w Butler Duncan,
Jr.. of the Defender. Harry F. Lippitt
Of the Americas cup committee. Hugh
{. Kelley. secretary of the Royal u
ster Yacht Club. who will sail on the
Columbia as Sir Thomas Lipton's rep
resenta tive in the cup races, Mr. }.
Cornell. also of the Royal Custer
Yacht Club. Capt. Nath. Herreshof
and Mrs. c. Oliver Iselin. were aboard
the American boat when the hull was
measured. Mrs. Iselin, Mr.. Duncan
and Secretary Kelley We're in the cabin
conversing. while all the others on
board, with the exception of Nat Her
reshoff Capt. Barr and Mr.. Council,
were placed amidships in order to bring
the boat down evenly to the water line.
Mr.. Herreshoff. Capt. Barr and Mr.
Cornell assisted Measurer Hyslop in
getting the figures. The forward over
was suspended from the very tip Of the
bow and getting into boat. Mr.. Hy-
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