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


not touch OF moisture In the air. so thu
weather conditions were much more aRreeabl,
| than on Monday when the rival yachts sailed
their first real race In the present series tc
decide the possession OF the Americas Cup.
The yachting enthusiasts who had missed
the treat or Monday made haste to atone fol
| their mistake. ana as a result the excursion
boats that put out to the starting point hat
| moro than double as many on board as on the
previous day The fog which had been max.
ing nuisance OF itsolf for nearly a week had
retired from the scene and tho steamboat cap
| tains were able to make an early start from
| the piers OF New York. As tho result. the spec.
tators were on the scene Of action in time to
| sec tho Regatta Committee hoist the course
| signals and were able to enjoy the beautiful
manGuvrinR which took place before the
| rival sloops crossed the line. It was CHEEKY
| crowd that moved out through the Narrows to
the familiar old LiGhtship. Tho bands on the
excursion steamers played merry and IA the
| true. fresh breeze was encountered of the
Hook everybody felt that n grand test OF skill
| was in store.
| The patrol feet Of revenue cutters and tor
| pedo boats seemed to be imbued with the on
| thusasm OF the hour. and they had n merry
| race out to headquarters. Uncle Sans boats
| reported right on the heels OF the Newspaper
tugs. which. as rule. the flrst on the scene.
| A few private yachts came next and last Of all
| long string OF excursion steamers. the speed
lest OF which were tho last to leave their riers.
| but the first of their delegation limo up
around the starting point
YACHTS EARLY ON THE SCENE.
But the Shamrock and Columbia we're
out ahead OF them all. As the day
has broken clear tho crews were up
with the sun. Tho sailors on the
challenger we're not a bit discouraged by the
defeat of Monday, and 40 the hours wore on
and the breeze increased thsy slapped their
thighs and said. We'll get tho kind of u breeze
we're looking for to-day. 1t can't blow too
hard for u.s. We have a reach or two to sail
to-day and We guess the shamrock will show
the Yankee few points in the way OF speed ,"
After hearty breakfast on the Plymouth.
which 10 the steam ten der OF the challenger.
they nut back to the Shamrock and began pre-
pairing for the contest
Capt. Hogarth became impatient to test the
hnc wind outside the Hook and ordered the
Shamrock's tug to send a tow line aboard.
While this was being done the sailors began
hosting the mainsail and in n short time they
had the big piece OF canvas hauled tight be.
tween boom and gan. Then as the boat moved
out around the point OF the Hook the lib was
shaken out. Long before the Lightship was
reached the tow line was thrown overheard
and the challenger finished her journey under
her own sail.
In the meantime the Columbia people too,
were astir. and by the time the foreigner was
we'll under way they ordered their tug the
Wallace b. Flint. to pass a line aboard She
dropped her moornGs and passed out
into the open under bare poles, and
it was not until the Lightship was
only two miles Off that she decided to
hoist hor mainsal The Deer Isle sailors
swung at the halyards with will. and the
big sail was hauled as stiff as a board The
Columbia did not drop her tow line until she
was within haing distance OF the starting
point. then she broke out a lib and sailed to
and fro while those on board OF her sized up
the weather situation.
Meanwhile the Shamrock was playing back
and forth with the wind a beam. practising the
point Of sailing which it was expected would
play an important part in tho Forthcoming
contest. Finally firing OF this the green boat
at 3:3O o'clock hauled up into the wind and
began the delicate operation OF setting her
club topsail. This Is no easy task at any time
but on this particular occasion n tedious Job
was made OF it, IL was nearly twenty five
minutes before the sail was set to the satisfac-
ton OF her handlers. Then she filed her sails
and stood or on another reach. At the end
OF five minutes she came into the wind again.
lOWeTeu inc peak OF the gan loot
and began to tinker with the club topsail
again. Finally the gafr was straig htsned up.
the topsail club pulled close down upon it, and
she made of again with the wind aoeam This
sail was smaller than the one she used on
Monday. and her shippers call 1t q mum Der two
club topsail While all this was going on the
Columbia set her club topsail. then she hailed
her tug and told her to pick up two extra club
topsal spars which she had Just dropped over
board. finding that their room was better than
their company. Both boats beat up to the
wndward OF the starting line in order to be
clear OF the gathering fleet.
THE COURSE ANNOUNCED.
Tho tugs OF the Regatta Committee were
among the early birds The officials who were
to supervise the race were as usual on
the Walter Luckenbach. After hanging
around while. the committee ordered
an anchor dropped n iurong north OF the
lightship. and a few minutes later set
the signals indicating that the course
the yachts were to sail. The flags were set up
in three rows on the triatic stay. The first
row read ID c. g." the second ID +. NJ" and
the third ID. G.. s." Translated this meant
that the first leg Of the triangular course was
to be east by south. the second southwest one
half south and the third north northwest As
the wind was blowing point south Of east the
rival Scoops knew tnat the nrst leg would be
beat to windward. the second reach. and the
the third broad reach for home. The signals
were shown at 1925. five minutes after the
committee boat had anchored. The revenue
cutters and torpedo boats had arrived and the
leaders OF the excursion fleet were close by
AT 1850 the committee sent ono Of its tugs to
log off ten miles to windwnrd. and at 10 30 the
guide boat steamed half mile out and then
stopped to await the time when the Columbia
and the Shamrock would start on their second
race OF tho series. BY this time everything was
shipshaps on the sloops md they were ready
for the word. At that hour the skies were
overcast with gray clouds which had come in
from the sea. but these soon passed inshore,
and when tho first signal was made by the Re-
gatta Committee bright sun was shining.
For the first time in many days one could see
where the sea met the sky at the horizon.
When tho preparatory gun doomed at 1915
o'clock the manmuvring ground to the lee
ward OF the starting line was pretty well
guarded by torpedo boats and around them