The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-07-19
SHAMROCK 4 WINNER.
In the Race Against the Prince Of
Wales Yacht Britannia.
CHALLENGER WAS NOT PUSHED.
Though Sir Thomas Lipton's Yacht
Came In Thirteen Minutes Ahead of
Britannia 1t Is Believed That She
Could Easily Have Done Better.

ShAo Ia AhiTteeH MIhutes hHeAu u
Britannia 1t Is Believed That She
Could Easily Have Done Better.
Southampton, July 19.-Sir Thomas
Lipton's yacht Shamrock yesterday de-
feated the Prince of Wales Britannia
in a 40 mile race. The Shamrock COW
cred the distance In Oh. Ann, 50s., and
the Britannia came In 10 minutes later
The Prince Of Wales was on board his
yacht during the race.
As the starting gun doomed the
Britannia Immediately crossed the line,
the Shamrock following in way to
give the impression that she had no OBJ
lection to giving the Britannia slight
maintain this advantage. 1t was a dead
beat to windward, and little distance
was covered before the Shamrock, which
started on the short leg to port. over
hauled her, and on the following long
leg to starboard the Shamrock forged
ahead rapidly. 1t was at once noticed
that she wss sailing nearly half point
nearer to the wind than the Britannia.
The Shamrock was carrying her main
sail jib headed, topsail, jlb and foresail.
The Britannia carried the same canvas,
but in addition her club topsail. The
Shamrock was half mile ahead pass
ing Warner.
Hogarth was at the helm Of the chal-
lenger. The boat held up admirably,
and there was not drop Of water on
deck She proved extremely quick in
putting about, taking only 10h seconds.
IN, ho
of the Shamrock and Britannia at the
various points, and the times at the
finish Of the race 1t does not appear
that the Shamrock has great chance
of winning the Americas cup. Those
signs, however, may be deceptive. 1t
was the opinion of those who closely
watched the race from the steamer fol-
lowing the yachts that the Shamrock
was never pushed to her utmost in the
trial, and that Mr.. Fife, the designer
Of the yacht, who practically engineer
ed the contest on behalf Of Sir Thomas
Upton, merely desired to ascertain
whether the Shamrock could show the
Britannia clean pair Of heels. He
had no desire, however, to let every
one into the secret of the actual merits
or best speed of the challenger.
Confirmation of the foregoing opin-
ion is found in the fact that while the
Britannia carried every possible stitch
of canvas, the Shamrock was running
before the wind from Nab lightship
to the Solent bank buoy, and only had
her jib headed with the topsail instead
of the club topsail, like the Britannia,
and that on the broad reach home from
the Solent buoy the Shamrock lowered
her jib topsail, which would have been
of material assistance had her shippers
really wished to show her at her best.
Mr. Fife and Mr. Jameson were on
board the Shamrock, but Sir Thomas
Upton followed on board the Erin,
which, with few yachts and one soil
tary, but crowded excursion steamer,
escorted the racers around the course.
The fresh breeze that was blowing
at the start dropped somewhat, but re-
vived sufficiently to bring the racers
home at spanking pace and proved
an excellent wind from the racing
point of view, as 1t enabled the cracks
to be tested as to three points, namely,
beating to windward, running and
the best advantage beating to wind
ward and gained six minutes on the
Britannia in the eight miles beat to the
Nab lghtship from the start, although
beating is considered one of the Britain
MAS strong points. On the run back
to Cowes the Shamrocks gain was less
perceptible, considering the distance,
about Is miles, but the Shamrock did
not set her club topsail, and so did not
do her best On the reach home the
Shamrock did better, and could evil
IDENTIFY have done the distance in much
shorter time if she had been put upon
her mettle.
The Shamrock is decidedly the fast
est boat ever launched in these waters.
No other craft ever gave the Britannia
such beating on a fair sailing trial.
The opinion was freely expressed that
the Shamrock did not appear to be SO
well handled as the Britannia, which
was in the hands of the veteran Car
ter.