The San Francisco call., 1899-10-18

filed away to starboard at a point mid
way between Scotland and Sandy Hook
lightships- The Columbia continued in
tow until well up to the Sandy Hook
lightship, and at 9:25 o'clock her crew set
the mainsail in eight minutes AS soon as
the sail was up she cast off her towline
and set what appeared to be her No. 2
club topsail, not the largest one she has.
The club topsail which the Shamrock
began to set at $40 o'clock was appar-
emily her largest one, the same one which
was bent on Monday to aluminium spars.
To-day wooden ones were used With a
freshening breeze from the eastward and
an ugly swell rolling in from the same
quarter, it seemed rather risky pro-
ceeding to swing such a large topsail
aloft. Subsequent events proved that
with a smaller club topsail the Shamrock
might have finished the race. The same
persons were on board the Columbia and
Shamrock as on previous race days and
when the committee boat arrived and an
chored northeast of the lightship at 1920
o'clock the yachts were ready for the
start.
The signals for triangular course were
set at 10:30 O'Clock and one of the COM
mittee boats was at once sent to log off
the first ten-mile leg and place the first
east by south, for the second southwest
half south and for the third leg north
northwest. Inc nrSL ten miles was TO
windward, the second ten miles reach
with boom to starboard and the third a
reach with boom to port, thirty miles in
ALL
At10:45, when the preparatory signal was
given. the yachts were maneuvering for
position, while the torpedo-boats and the
revenue cutters were driving out few
excursion boats and yachts away from
the starting line AT the warning sig
nal, given at 1855, the breeze had in
creased perceptibly and there was prom
a few
skipper of each yacht saw to 1t that the
main sheets were kept well aft, so that
he could quickly, gybe or tack his boat.
the Shamrock, which had been maneu-
vering southeast of the lghtship, stood
to the northwest. closing in toward it.
Her boom was to port and well in board.
Coming up from the northward. also with
boom to port and wind abeam, the CO.
lumbla met the Shamrock just as Ho-
garth was getting ready to luff his yacht
sharp around the lightship's stern.
The. situation at the gunfire was almost
exactly the same as that between the De-
preached the line on the day when the
Nalkyrie fouled the Defender. When the
shamrock, a moment after gunfire round
ed the lightship's stern and luffed sharp
up on the wind the Columbia having been
unable to gain the weather berth, had
now an overlap of half her length on the
lee side Of the Shamrock and so close
were they that the Shamrock's main boom
as she luffed to her course came danger
ously near the Colum bia s weather shrouds
and masthead runner. Both yachts were
close hauled on the starboard tack, cross
ing the line on a diagonal course.
The Shamrock had certainly the better
of the start and Columbia was placed in
position that few yachts would be able to
eXtricate themselves from without either
keeping broad off or fouling. 1t was with
intense interest, then, that those on the
accompanying yachts and excursion boats
watched the outcome of this battle royal
between the single-sticKers.
One minute had not passed before the
Columbia's bowsprit began to show out
ahead of the Shamrock s. At Hop, when
the handicap gun was fred the Columbia
was half a length out from under the lee
of her rival, and thirty seconds later when
the Shamrock tackled to port to, get clear
of the Columbla's backwind the latter
yacht, by tacking five seconds later,
placed herself in a commanding position
on the Shamrock's weather quarter.
The official time of the start was: Sham
rock, 1100:15; Columbia, u:00:17.
The wind was east by south and fresh