The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-21

eight o'clock, giving the shippers and
crews of the Columbia and the Sham
rock the best encouragement they had
yet received for a race. BY $40 both
yachts were pressing through the outer
end of Gedney's channel and few
minutes later, after casting off from
the tug boats, they were standing off
and ON, under mainsail and jib, trying
the breeze, which was from about
north by east and increasing with ev-
cry minute.
BY 1920 the wind was blowing fully
20 miles an hour. churning up quite a
sea off the lightship, and 1t looked
doubtful thenN neither the yachts
would be able 20 carry even working
topsails over their mainsails, much
less their big clubsails.
The committee boat, which had an
chored east Of the llghtship a cables
length, set the course signals, south by
west, soon after 1870. The preparatory
signal was given at 10.45, the warning
at 1855 and the one to start at eleven
O'clock Just as the preparatory signal
was given, the Shamrock set her
working topsail and forestaysail. The
Columbia's was not yet set. Both
yachts We're maneuvering north of the
line with booms to the starboard, when
the warning signal was given. the
Shamrock heading about northeast
and Columbia close on her lee beam.
Both were lying down with their lee
rails abaft The Shamrock came
about first and kept off for the line for
two minutes were left before the sig
nal The Columbia, after waiting a
few seconds longer, on the port tack,
came about on the Shamrock's weather
quarter, and as both approached the
line, with the Columbia in the weather
berth, the latters spinnaker boom was
dropped to port just at the gun fire.
CROSSING THE LINE.
The Shamrock, running down before
the wind, reached the vicinity of the
committee boat a few seconds too soon,
so Capt. Hogarth kept her broad off to
use up the time, and then luffed out
across the committee boats bow just
at gun fire, crossing the line at a 12-
knot clip, with the Columbia several
lengths astern, and on her weather
quarter Capt. Barr luffed the Column
bia diagonally until the crew were
ready to set the spinnaker to star
board. 1t was broken out at 11.02:30,
the Shamrock's 80 seconds later. The
official time of the start was:
Columbia ..1L01:35
Shamrock 11.00:34
The shamrock had certainly the bet
ter of the start, and with such breeze
blowing over her taffrail, it seemed as
if her chance had come, If ever 1t was
going to, to show her speed in a run
down before the wind. In setting the
Columbia's spinnaker the boom had
been Stacked so far forward that at
11.05 the sail lifted over the head stays
by the force of the wind. For moment
it looked as If the sail would be spfTt.
70 rot no Iirasr 49, E,or
brought back to it's position in a few
minutes.
Those who expected to see the Col
umbia walk right away from the SHAM
rock were disappointed. Five minutes
passed, ten, and then fifteen, and there
was no peroeptible difference in tbs po-
sition OF the boats. Tne Shamrock
naming exactly where it was put and
splitting the wind into the staysail, it,
and baby jibtopsail which sails had
been carried from the start.
COLUMBIA FAILED TO PASS.
Capt. Barr, at Ills, finding that the
Columbia was not overhauling her RI
val to any extent. had the working
topsails set The spinnaker continued
to behave badly, flying over the head
stays twice in the next 20 minutes.
thereby losing time. The course of Is
miles to leeward was to bring the
yachts off Asbury park for the run.
When they passed the Long Branch
pier, at about 11.50, the Shamrock was
leading by an eighth of mile, the Col
umbia sailing directly in her wake The
Columbia took in her forestayss.il at
that time, leaving only the lib as the
headSail. At 1915 the Columbia, which
had been steadily gaining on the sham
rock, passed her. Her spinnaker came
in at 1918, and Shamrocks was douseu
so seconds later.
AT THE STAKE BOAT.
1t was to be close work at tha turn.
Both shippers held on to their spinnak-
ers to the last moment, and there had
been no chance to round in either
yachts mainsheets The official tiRe
at the outer mark was:
Columbia ........................ .12:19:0O
shamrock ".,.................... 2;1s:17
The Columbia's elapsed time from
the start to this point had been hour
II minutes, IS seconds; the Shamrock's
hour, is minutes, 4S seconds, Showing
that the Columbia in the run of Is miles
had gained l minute and is seconds.
The yachts were only seventeen Sec
onds apart at the turn. This was in
deed close work after 15-nnile spin
maker run. Leaving the mark to star
board, the Columbia luffed widely
round it. while the crew hauled aft the
mainsheet The Shamrock's captain
was forced to make a still wider turn.
then luffing up sharply he tried to cross
the Columbias wake aud capture the
weather berth. skipper Barr, how