The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-20


held today, the Columbia-S Shamrock Sc
ries for the Americas cup would have
ended in three straight heats for the
defender, and the Irish mug-hunter
would have sailed home without the
trophy, beaten as decisively as any
past candidate for cup honors.
Only the failure of the wind saved hey
from experiencing a defeat more sting
ing than she suffered on Monday, when,
over a windwarl and leeward course,
81 miles, she lost the race by ten MIN
utes and eight seconds. Today she
was beaten on the run to the outer
mark, FIVE minutes and fifty-one sec
0nls. elapsed time, and on the leg home
hich should have Leen a beat, but
Dying to 4 shift in the wind, was a
broad reach, the white flyer sailed away
from her like a witch.
When the race was declared Off.
about ten minutes Before the expiration
Of the time limit, the Columbia was
leading BY Glt.ut three miles. Sine wGs
then four miles from the finish. Had
the race ended he challenger would
have been beaten by at least twenty
minutes.
SHAMROCK BADLY HANDLED.
Sir Thomas beat was very badly
handled today, in spite of the aggrega-
ton of talent aboard of her. The two
English captains and the captain Of
Emperor Williams yacht Meteor, failed
to get her cVer the line before the
handicap gun was fred and she went
in the race cenali2ed by two seconds
on that account. The additional bal
last which was pus into her yesterday,
also seems to have been a tsunder on the
part of her managtrc, as it increased
the size of the body to be forced
through the water, and in the light
air cf today, retarded instead of In
creasing her speed. The Herreshoff
model has now demonstrated her eEaaU
superiority at all points of sailing in
light and moderate weather over the
Fife creation.
What the Shamrock might be able to
do in rough weather, and a reef1ngwind
is still problematical, but after the
drubbing she has received the experts
are almost unanimous in the belief that
the Columbia can take her measure in
light airs or gale of wind The crew
of the Shamrock arenow convinced that
we have the better boat Before the.I
race on Monday they had the most SUI
preme confidence in their ability to win
with the Shamrock.
There was no living with them,
said one of the Yankee tars on the
Shamrock's tender last night. They !
did not think their boat would win.
They absolutely knew it. They
wouldn't even hear arguments. After
they returned from the race on Monday, |
they were SO sore that they would not
speak to each other. Now they are
frank enough to admit that the Column
bia is the better boat by ten minutes
over a 30-mile course"
Upton DISAPPOINTED.
The yachts will race again tomorrow,
and even if the Columbia wins there is
a possibility that two more races will
be sailed. A suggestion to this effect |
has been made and Sir Thomas APP
pears anxious that it should be carried
out. He has been greatly disappointed
in the showing his boat has made, but
believes she might do better over a tri-
angular course in a heavier wind, and |
has said that he would be pleased to
sail two more races.
This was a radiant day for those
afloat. Though a veil of light haze
hung over the horizon. not a cloud
heckad the blue sky A 10-knot land !
breeze blew out of the northwest. A |
big holiday crowd went out to witness
what all supposed would be the last |
race of the cup series. The bay was
alive with sails. Fifty or more sailing |
ships of every kind, which have been |
harbor bound for two weeks, were |
speeding seward The course today /
was laid Is miles before the wind, |
southeast by south, straight out to sea.
After some pretty maneuvering be- |
hind the line, Capt. Barr bested the tai |
ent aboard the challenger, sending the |
Columbia flying across the line n sec
onds ahead of his adversary. The han /
dicap gun doomed two seconds before
the Shamrock crossed, and she sailed |
away with that penalty in addition to
Is seconds she now allows the Columbia.
The race to the outer mark was not ex-
citing Both yachts crossed with bulg- /
ing balloons, mainsails and their lar
gest club topsails drawing. But as the |
wind had pulled little to southwark |
after the course had been set, instead
of keeping away for the mark, they /
made almost a triangular race of it.
GAINED FROM THE START,
Each was striving for the weather |
gaze. The Columbia showed her rival |
= pair of heels, gaining gradually |
from the start. For almost an hour the |
inning match continued. rhe Sham |
rock having been badly beaten in her |
attempt TO get to windward, both |
SQUARED away for the mark, breaking |
out their big spinnakers to the follow |
ing winiA After watching the yachts |
run before the wind for an hour, dur
ing which the breeze gradually died |
down to about five knots or less, the