The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-10
TIME LIMIT NOT MADE.
THE THIRD ATTEMPT AT THE YACHT
RACE A FAILURE.
SHAMROCK LEADS AT THE TURN.

The Sail Down to Ethe Buoy Splendid
Exhibition of Seamanship-Snamro
Better Handled than her Rival-Co-
1umbfa's Daring Maneuver Home
stretch Under Light BreeZe-Wfnd
Dies Down Time Expires-The Race
Declared Off with Columbia Slightly
in the Lead.
again today played battledore and
shuttlecock with the great single stick
ers, and the third attempt to- sail the
first race of the Columbia and Sham
rock series for the international tro
ply ended in failure. The race was de-
clared off fifteen minutes before the
time limit expired, with the yachts still
five miles from the finish; but the vast
throngs who went down to the sea to
witness the battle royal were in
measure compensated by seeing a mag
nificent light weather duel. In the end,
the disappointment of the patriots was
sharpened perhaps by the fact that
when the race was abandoned, the Col
umbia was in the lead and improving
her position, and had it been finished
today the American champion might
have had one race to her credit.
After three trials the experts are
about as much mystified as they were
| at the beginning concerning the merits
of the two boats. Nothing but a spank
ing wholesail breeze will furnish a true
test.
Today, as on the two previous days,
the course was laid fifteen miles dead
before the wind and return. So evenly
matched were the beautiful, clean
limbed racers that they rounded the
outer mark like thoroughbreds, almost
neck and neck and finished after a
three-hour thresh to windward with
the Columbia's white, sharp-like nose
half length in front in the weather
position, but so close was her rival that
the black shadow of the Shamrock's 8
looming sails was silhOueted against
| the yankees snowy canvas.
AS a result of todays struggles, and
those of Tuesday and Thursday, the
talent are good deal confounded.
Some of them differ as to the merits of
| tine two boats, but they seem unani-
nous upon two things-that the Sham
rock is the ablest boat that ever cross
ed the western ocean to lift the mug,
and, what is still more important, that
fender The superior seamanship of
Captain Hogarth and his crew was de-
monstrated at several 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 footing what she lost in pointing,
| and as the ability of a sailing vessel is
| determined by her power to make head
| way against an adverse wind, she is
the better boat by that test.
| The early morning was full Of prom
| ise for a glorious, wholesail breeze.
| The heart of the sea faring folk who
| went down to the water front was
gladdened by stiff 20-knot blast
! straigha out Of the northeast: butbefOre
| the fleet had reached the open, the
| breeze began to moderate
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 High
| lands to Long Branch and Asbury
| Park. From the shore every move
| ment of the race was followed by the
| sharps with glasses. and the result was
known there long before it was flashed
| by wire from the cable boats.
| The Columbia had all the better of
l
| like a race horse, with mainsail, club
| topsail and staysail drawing, spinna-
ker down to starboard ready for the
race before the wind, and ten seconds
| afterward her balloon jib broke out
| like a clOudburSt
| The Irish boat went over seventeen
seconds later with the same rig.
! The official time at the start was:
| Columbia 11:21:02; Shamrock 11:21 10.
The wiley English skipper luffed up
| and ran through the 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
angles to the course straight in for
| the Jersey coast and straight for the
| mob of five hundred vessels gathered
| to the right of the line for the run
| down. The torpedo boats charged
| down upon them like a squad of fly
| ing cavalry to open the way for the
| yachts. Never was there such a scam
pering of ships Bells in the engine
rooms jinged full speed ahead and full
| speed astern, as some fed and others
| tried to back out of the tangle. Sew
| eral serious collisions were narrowly
averted; but the fleet was scattering
! like a flock Of wild ducks after the
| discharge of a gun.
| The Shamrock got the best of the
luffing match, blanketing her rival and
| getting to windward of her Then when
both had squared off on their course
| and let go their spinnakers, thousands
waited and watched. Slowly, very
slowly at first, inch by inch, the de-
| fender of the cup drew away despite
| the Shamrock's repeated and tireless
| efforts to blanket her.
! Once clear, the white beauty forged
ahead rapidly. She had established a
comfortable lead, when the breath
lightened and hauled more to the north
ward Wrinkles began to trickle down
the sides Of the white yachts balloons
and several times >aif three sails col
| la psed.
The Shamrock, as on the two previous
days, profited by the seemingly light
| air and began to crawl up. But she
did more. Captain Hogarth took in
| the Shamrock's spinnaker when the
mark was sighted, gybed the Shamrock
| and trimmed down the balloon lib top
sail with great rapidity and with ev-
Ell ything drawing splendidly before the
Amricans knew that he was luffing
toward the Columbia. Captain Barr. on