The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-18

iittiS VII tnc VIM anu uHdlly came CluSt upon
the white boats weather quarter. whereupon
the Columbia which was sailing with her boom
to starbonrd wheeled of to Toward and ~ bed
Both boats were now well to the southwest oi
the starting line and tho distance might have
been figured at a third OF mile When the
Columbia wheeled of. the Shnmrock's bow rose
slowly into the wind and tacking 10 port she
waited for the Columbia to come to the front
again There were not many minutes to spare.
80 the Yankee boat resolved to make n start
even II she was forced to accept the eeward
position. The Shamrock saw her coming and
gathering Roadway kept of the wind a little
until the Coum blu was on her lee quarter and
then heading up raced with her for the
line. They were heading nearly northeast
and approached the line at an angle of
about % degrees. The Columbia having n
longer running start pulled up on the lee OF he
Shamrock until the tip OF her bowsprit was
even with Shamrock's mast Not more than
thirty feet OF water separated the sides OF the
rival sloops. They wero quite close to the line
by this time and for an Instant 1t seemed rs
though they would have to wheel around in
order not to cross before the starting signal
was Ilrcd. But the boom OF tho gun at exactly
Il O'Clock put all doubt Mt rest and the yachts
kent on their course.
| CROSSED TOGETHER LIKE A spAN OF HORSES
Ju"t h"'ore reaching the ins the Shamrock
| pnched close up int the wind and tho Column
bia i'imc lately pointed up with her. and thus
racing Ike span OF horses they shot across.
! the Shamrock fifteen seconds after the gun was
fired and the Colum bin two seconds behind her.
| Tho Yankee boat had been footing so fast dur
Ing the last two minutes that her mainmnst
| appeared to be not more than ten feet behind
that OF the foreigner when their starting time
was recorded by the Regatta Committee.
| Now. all thinpR beinp euual be cb,Ilapoor
| should have had the better Of the argument
| She held the windward nositon. By only n short
| margin. 1t IL true. but she was in shane to do
almost anything she wanted to do had she been
| able to hold the Columbia under her thumb
| The bonts were SO close together that the sun
threw the Shnmrock's sails in q dark well-de-
| fined shadow on the canvas Of the Colum bia
! Inc Yankee boat had ripped out her baby lib
| topsail before crossing the line and this I'M
douhtedly helped her perform the feat she did
soon after The line was crossed. The Sham
rocks topmast stay was bare. Perhaps had n
topsail been set Mt the timo 1t might have inter-
| Tered with the drawing power OF the white
boats head sails Be that az it may. the fact
| remains that the challenger was not able to
| hold the Columbia
AS soon az the line was crossed Cant Barr
gave his boat a rap fun and she gradually
| drew out clear OF the other boat The Sham
| i''N he"ueu VII u WI ultD, Duu enc was 100 late
to stop the onward rush of the Columbia The
Yankee drew away untiIthe spray thrown from
the green bows OF the Shamrock fell in the
! wake OF the defender This shows how close
the yachts had raced from point away to the
| leeward OF the starting line. The shadow OF
the shamrock sails was no longer cast on
her rival. The Columbia had got too far
ahead for that. Realizing that he had nothing
to gain. now that his quarry was lost Cant
| l. l. H.
swung over on the port tack heading SOUTH
east. The white boat allowed few seconds to
pass before she came about.
They were both heading about southeast
| and MS soon rs she gathered full hcadway the
Columbia began to outpoint and outioot her
rival Just as she did on Monday. Tho Sham
rock still refused to display her baby lib topsail
|. but she headed up as high as the Columbia and
endeavored to hold her in check. But it was
| no use. Whether the absence OF her lib top
sail prevented her from showing the same
speed as the Columbia. or whether she drifts on
| to lreward when sailing on the wind. as many
people think she does, the fact re ma MS that the
further they sailed the greater became the dis
lance between them. Tn. Columbia IL boat
that sails to the point she heads for as stragh hit
as rife shot. whereas the Shamrock seems to
drift off n bit rs though affected by a cross It'd g..
There was no doubt however. that she was
pointing bet'eT Indn she uld on Monday, and
she certainly kept the white boat more in
check The Colum bia could not slip away 40
easily as she did the day before Perhaps the
livelier wind helped the green boat. or perhaps
the challenger found she could sail hetter with
dry sails than she could with her canvas heavy
with mist PERHAPS. too. the heavier sea- al
though there was no roughnesS to talk about
was more to her liking. She did not appear to
relish the long rollers. however as she plunged
considerably more than did the white boat
Her boosted easy manner Of handling tho
waves suffered by comparison with that of the
Yankee boat.
SHAMROCK MEETS WITH DISASTER.
They started on this tack Mt II :O3 and they
kept on 1t until suddenly at II 20 the sham
rock carried away her topmast and her club
topsail went over with it. 1t was OF course
useless for her to continue the race. so she put
up into the wind and soon after headed for
home. When the unfortunate accident occur
red the Columbia was fully furlong in the
lead That is to say she had n weather rosi-
tion Of fully 22O yards. When the Shamrock's
topmast went by the board tho Yankee did
not alter her course special agree
ment between Mr.. Iselin and Sir Thomas
Upton provided that il one boat should
meet with an accident during race
the option Of the other boat withdrawing from
the contest through courtesy could not be ex-
ercisod, and SO there Was nothing for the Cup
defender to do but 60 over the rest OF the
course alone.
wALkovER NOW FOR COLUMBIA
Having no rival TO fear she was able to do Just
ms she pleased. She went about on the star.
hoard tack one minute after the Shamrock
camc to grief. and in short space of time
was far from the scene of her rivals misfor-
tune. She took in her baby lib and made the
rest OF the journey to the first mark under
mainsail. club topsail, staysail and jib. The
Regatta Committees tug rushed up to the
crippled challenger and the officials asked il
they could lend any assistance. AS mono was |
required. the tug left her and put after the CO.
lumbia in order that the committee could SUI
pervise the race and take the time at the turn
ing marks. Many OF the excursion steamers
crowded around the Shamrock. but majority
OF them kept on after the Columbia The Mon |
mouth. thinking everything was or turned
fpn anil F,N. No..