The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-10
THE RACE DECLARED OFF
YESTERDAYS YACHT RACE A GREATER
THAN THE FIRST.
THE TIME LIMIT NOT REACHED
A Drifting Match from start to Finish.
Only Twelve Miles Covered In Nearly
Five uourS-Beforc the wind the
Columbia Leaves the Iri~fsnan-Shc
Loses this Distance I'm the shifting
winds-Shamrock Barely Ahead at
the Close.

the Close.
New York, ocSober 5-Again today
N sea refused to the Shamrock Ind
Columbia a field OF conflict: again to-
day the multitudc which went out TO
watch the contestants for the yachting
championship OF the world returned
disappointed and not a little disguised.
The question OF supremacy OF the two
great yachts is still as much an open
question as before they first met. Is h
contest today was in some respects
more OF a fluke than that Of Tuesday.
Ii was a drifting match almost from
start 10 finish.
The yachts crossed the line with a
breeze OF five knots and the wind never
blew more than six knots, most OF the
time less than three and part OF the
After sailing tour hours and forty
three minutes, the yachts having COW
cred only twelve miles 81 the course
o the outer mark, the regatta commits
tee declared the race Off. as IL was
manifestly impossible. with the breeze
the stake before the time limit expired,
much less to get back home again.
During the time in which the yachts
were at the wind. which CARRIED them
dead before IL over the line, had hauled
aroun until It the finish they were
beating into its teeth.
While the vino held astern the Col
umbia steadily outfooted her rival until
she was full half a mile ahead: but in
he shifting. battling winds that fol-
lowed during the last three hours. with
the great single-stickers lacking and
beaing and gybing to catch every
streak OF wind, with fortune helping
one about as much as the other, the
Shamrock gradually worked her way
up until. when the race was declared
off the two boats were about on even
terms, the Shamrock perhaps half a
length ahead but so close was the Coll
umbia that Captain Barr could have
thrown a biscuit to the foreigner.
The only lesson learned by the nau-
tical sharps from today's trial OF the
abilities Of the two boats is hat In
light weather conditions the Columbia
is the superior in running and reaching,
and the Shamrock slightly better in
beating. There has yet been no indi-
cation OF h either boat can do In n
piping whole sail breeze.
Preparations were made aboard both
yachts for the lightest airs before the
slant. The Columbia discarded her
| heavy steel topsail yard for a lighter
n longer pine one and the Irish boat
sent aloft the largest club topsail ever
seen on her, larger by yards thar n
used in her trials on this side.
l. Mrs. Islin, wife OF the managing
| nNnar of the tvank.n hOut an.F uhn
never fails TO be aboard during "A race.
was snugly ensconced in the ompan
ion way of the Columbia.
When the committee boat had hoist
ed the signal letters ID. G. L." max
ing the course fifteen miles southeast
by south. dead before the wind a tug
steamed straight out to sea 10 plant the
outer mark.
There was some pretty m~aneuvering
behind the line before the start, each
breaking out her balloon lib and low
ering her spinnaker boom as they
jockeyed for position. Both got across
in the smoke of the last gun, the white
beauty a length ahead and in the
windward berth.
AS she crossed the green boat she
broke out her spirnaker, which was in
stops. 1t is an English fashion TO
hoist this sail from the boom, and the
Shamrock in her trials chung to the
E0SllSn way, Out SINCE neT arrival she
has learned many Yankee tricks and
breaking III the spinnaker is one OF
them.
The cup defender was a little slow
in getting her big bellying sail out, and
this somewhat dampened the ardor OF
the patriotic throng of Arpericans. who
love nothing SO much as forehanded-
ness n snap; but sixty seconds later
both boats were on even terms, fleeing
before the gentle breeze wing and
wing, spinnaker balancing mainsail
n bullying balloon jib drawing for
ward.
, The most dramatic. picturesque an
, interesting incident OF the day occur
, red JUS at the finish and IL repaid In,
thousands OF sightseers for the disap
pointment they were experiencing. Jus
as the regatta committee boat hum
out the balloon, which declared tn
race off, the spectators, all OF WHOM
were in doubt rs to which boat wa
e ahead, were watching the yachts wit
C intense interest. They had split tack
and now the Columbia was sailing Ia
ward the Irish boat on the port tacl
( with the evident intention OF crossin
q her bow. The water between ther
grew narrower and narrower, until sh
was close enough to pass a line aboart
Every body aboard the excursion fec
expected her TO cross the Shamrock
bow. but Captain Barr found IL to
risky and as the American champIo
y rose in a queenIy fashion on a heav
swell he put his helm down and cam
over on the starboard tack under IN
Shamrock's lee. II was a disappolnr
ing moment for the patriots. Althoug
q the had her nose I'm front. n
. challenger Tapped her and held II
) weather guage. Just at this instant II
signal went UP declaring the race O
and before the astonished spectatol
realized what had happened they ga
both yachts. whose shippers had ey
IDENTIFY been waiting for the signal. tut
about on their heels and head for hom