The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-06

New York, October 4.-The off-racing
.day was a busy one for the sailormen
on the two cup racers. The Columbia
went out for a short trial spin outside
Sandy Hook shortly after noon today,
principally to try a new club topsail,
which her managing owner, G. Oliver
Islin, wished to have stretched and
ready for tomorrow's race. The sail
set perfectly.
c.. Olive Islin, who, with Mrs. Islin
and their guests, Woodbury. Kane,
Herbert Leeds and Nebury Thorne, Is
auartered on the St. Michaels, said to
an Associated Press representative this
afternoon:
Il am satisfied with the Columbia's
work during yesterdays race, but not
with the weather conditions. None OF
us could tell where the wind was COM.
ing from, not even the sailing master.
In all my yachting / don't remember
when I've seen a iukier day thar yes
terday. With all that. however, we had
o~Verhauled the Shamrock for the third
time when the race was called off. She
could not have crossed our bow If she
had gone about at that time. Our crew
worked well from start to finish"
1t has been understood in some quar-
tiers that Captain Rhodes, of the De-
fender, would be On board the Column
bia in her races to look after the trim
ming of the sails, n in an advisory
capacity. On board the st. Michaels a
member Of the crew said tonight:
Captain Rhodes has not been with
us yet, but we all wish he was along.
He may come yet, and If he does he
will be welcome"
Skipper Charlie Barr is not worried q
bit about the result Of the races. He
sticks to his original assertion that the
Columbia is the fastest single stick
yacht af1oat and that in wihdward or
any other work she is more than q
match for the Shamrock.
Sir Thomas Upton is not worrying
over tomorroW's race either. On the
contrary, when seen today on the Erin
he felt confident that his craft would
give a good account Of herself, no mat
ter what kind of a breeze there is. He
wants a good fresh breeze, however, so
that the relative speed Of the defender
and the challenger a be thoroughly
demonstrated.
Sir Thomas did not care to make any
statement about tomorrow's race, ex-
cept that the Shamrock would carry
exactly the same sails as she did in
yesterdays contest and that her crew
would do their best to cross the finish
line first. The English challenger is
in the best of condition for the COM
ing race. Not a piece of wire in her
rigging nor an inch of canvas was
found to be damaged in the least degree
when her crew looked her over this
morning.
Sir Thomas received hundreds of
~cablegrams today from all parts of the
world, congratulating him on the splen-
did showing his boat made in light air
against the defender.
In speaking about the manner in
which the course was kept clear, Sir
Thomas said:
81 can't get over the great organiza-
ton that has been here to keep the
course lear. Yesterdays course was
the clearest we ever had, or [ ever saw
in England, and only proves what 1
said before / came to A~merlca-that In
all previous races the best boat has
always won. / nay as we'll say now
that the Shamrock is the fastest boat
ever built in Britain and the
ship was the best that money could
buy. l can't tell what her cost was,
but it is probably more than you have
any idea Of. She cost as much as six
Valkyries. The estimates already Civ
en- are away below the mark"
The indications at Galilee, N. j., to-
night are that the wind for tomorrow's
yacht race will be from the southwest
in the morning, veering to south, with
indications of going to southeast by
noon. There will be quite a hard sea.
Two bets on the yacht racing series
We're made on the stock exchange this
afternoon, one at $1,000 to- $500 On the
Columbia, and one at $1,000 to $500 on
the Columbia.