Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-10-04
First of the international Series
of Races Declared Off.
BOATS ARE WELL MATCHED
fore the Wind. Hut Close Analysis
or,he Race Shows Columbia
tho Superior Craft.
tISv Teleor;l.ph)

! CEy TelesrnphD . ."
NE.H.' YORK. Oct. 3 AS tbs sun set
benin: tho Se,vesink hills. the biggest
crowd Of SishtSe"rs ;.nI yaohtsmen
who ever sailed down to SANDY Hook
70 witness the attempt Of Il foreign
ImG%-l'nt"r 70 wresl from America tn.
yachting supremacy OF the world. "a
turned |" New York crastfallen and as
IaIDoinleu.
The winds had proved too lSh; ans:
|sEifty and the first IF the interna-
tlnna' series Of 1892 between the Two
greatest racing machines ever produ
led by England and America G.gener-
iated into Il drifting match and had "a
ke declared off because neither could
reach the finish line in the time :,llrt-
ted by the rules.
THE: SPORT pROTECTEn. M
/ TO avoid Just such winds as occur
led today. in which luck and not the
crew and yachts win, the rules frovi,l.
that If one Of the boats does not finish
within five and a half hours. the rae.
IS declared off. so a, the end Of the time
inns evening, when the yachts were sill
tour miles from home with the sham
rock leading by something more than
a quarter Of Il mile the committee. Of.
Hicially declared that there had been
no race The yachts We're then taken 4,
70" by their respective tugs and
brought back to their anchorage inside
sandy Hook Under the rules the first
race is now postponed for two days OF
until Thursday #.
DAY WAS PROMISING.
| Inc day promised vel! at first The
sky was smirchcd with Il few dirty
j clouds. but clear enough to permit tho
thousands OF spectators Who lined tile
Jersey shore to see almost every foot
Of the course. The waves were crested
with white caps here and there ana !,
1alfly fresh breeze blew out of the
northeast. but after the Columbia ana
shamrock had crossed the line, the wind
turned Huxley and variable and the race
was lizzie almost from the start But
she ~. nuke Today gave the yachting
SharPs and the spectators much to think
about-and some surprises. The Co
tumble, is undoubtedly the prettier boat.
she is tall. stately. with graceful lines
ana lowering mast. The Irish boat,
With her broader beam and lonoa, has.
line. looked slower and heavier. P,:
maps her green color makes her look
clunsier. as if she We're forced through
the water. while the slim Columbia
| plcrceS 1t like raper
| SH AM ROCK A FLYER
Though indecisivc in every respect :, :
20 the abilities of the great rival single
suckers. loday'S race indicates that
the lrlsh boat. with her English skipper
al'a fef scotch crew, is the ablest sloop
Yer sent across the Atlantic in the
up. which the America brought bacl,
| ~ years ago, and which has since been
successfully defended against he
world.
During the tiverand q half hours sail.
the Shamrock was thrice ahead and
twice the Yankee boat Showed iho wav
Hor the first ten minutes the Shamrock
co then FOR five the Columbia'S grace
Iui Dow showed ahead of the green
o6at: for IS minutes following the
shamrock. then for three hours the Co
turlbla. ana for the last hour and A ha f
was the shamrock that led the wav.
me breeze blew as high as twelve
Knots an hour. and as low as three.
md shifted about eight points of the
compass.
I EACH HAD AN INNING
Etscf IN turn beat the other runnin Q,
before the Wind. and was in turn beat
en-, beating against the wind at various
stages OF the race, so that many OF the
sSperls VINO saw the two boats sail to-
.iaN are dlsinclined to believe that there.
IS a pin TO choose between them. h1t
Wnen the race is closely analyzed if is
absolutely proven that the Columbia
showed her superiority at every point Of
Sall!ns. running, reaching and beating
whenever the wind freshened, and thar
Il was only in the lightest air that tha
shamrock could make hes1way against
Ter. Both had their share of good and
bad luck The Columbia had the better
OF Ehe shifting wind on the run down TO
the mark and beat the Shamrock two
I
beat home, after increasing her lead to
over a mile al one time, the Shamrock
oVerhauled the Yankee and was 4 quar-
-er OF mile ahead when the time al :
| oWance expired.
HAD \ CLEAR FIELD.
! me feature OF the race which pleas
ed everybody most was the perfectly
clear field which was maintained For
me first time. this year the government
.ook hand to prevent Fl repetition Of
me unfortunate occurrence which mar
ed the race when the accompanying
excursion boats in their frenzied ca ger
ness 10 let nothing of the beautiful
spectacle escape. crowded down upon
the racers until their back wash inlped-
~ thclr progress through the water and
caused Lord Dunraven to file his ia
nous protest The government was de
termined this year that the course
should be protected against unofficial
trespaSsers. y fiotilla of revenue cut
ters and swift torpedo boats. flying red
barred white flags, guarded the course,
| Keeping excursion steamers yachts
and tugs at a perfectly safe distance
from the canvas-clouded racers
THE COURSE
I the course was laid fifteen miles dead
oef"fe the wind and back again. The
| direction Of the wind carried this course
south southwest from the Sandy Hook
nghtship, almost straight down the
Jersey coast to a point off Asbury
Park. where a white float with q; red
oall was placed to mark the turning
ooint. The Columbia was admirably
handled throughout the race Though
the Shamrock was first across the line
by Is seconds. the Cnlunbia's Deed Is
picturesque watch caps in Isclin's col