El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-25
The Americas Cup
Notes on the Columbia and the
Shamrock and the Cup that
Mas Not Lifted.
Written for the HERALD.
SSSS

| THE Englishmen are really never
| defeated and the Shamrock failure
this year only means that the stubborn
Britons will go home to build better
| boat and that American ship builders
may not re st on their oars a moment,
but will have to design and build boat
with even swifter wings than the Co
lum bias broad trium pha6t sails.
| While the Columbia showed without
doubt. and Englishmen acknowledge,
that she is the better boat-yet there
| is great regret that the second boat
race should have been won by an acct
dent. The rule with regard to acct
dents is ironclsd, and was agreed to
and signed before the contest begau.
| 1t is always difficult for the owner of
| the unin jured boat to accept the victo-
~ of q race sailed with the rival help
less because of some accident,
though it is plainly understood that
the race is a test of boats, as we'll as of
sea craft. In the races before, when
one boat has been hurt, there has
always been much parleying over the
natter before it was decided to either
accept the race as run or to throw it
out. 1t was to avoid exactly such de-
lay and difficulty that the question was
decided by both Upton aud [selin. to
make it absolute and final that an &C.
cident should not excuse boat In
race.
The rule has another reason for be-
ing. If there were not some such ar
rangement, the shippers would be reck-
less in crOwding sail upon their boats,
and would take hundred desperate
chances in their efforts to win, II they
knew that in case of an accident they
could make repairs and try again. The
race would obviously be much loss fair
as test of both ships and sail r..
~ ba han hn
rocks mast was hurt, the day was ex-
actly what the Irish boat had been
praying for-the wind was suited to
her sails and the waves just sized to
her keel. She made the better start
and for a short time succeeded in
blanketing the COlumbia's wind. The
Colum bia showed her marvellous sail
ing powers by Kidding herself of this
disadvantage and of the other that she
was two seconds behind the Shamrock
in crossing the line. It was some COM
fort to the American yachtsmen that
the Colum bia was in the lead when the
accident occurred.
Some yachtsmen say that the Sham
rock put up too much sail for the wind
and brought trouble upon herself by
greedy sailing. The direct cause of
the accident was the breaking of the
strands of wire backstay that helped
to support the slender spars, and the
big Oregon pine topmast, as big as a
telegraph pole, so feet long and IA
inches in diameter, snapped like q
match. The yachts are made as light
as possible and then tmost exquistely
balanced and bsllasted in order to
carry the enormous sails. Unless there
Is perfect order in every part, the deli
cate mechanism of the.whole is made
worse than useless-because its very
accuracy of adjustment makes
the least accident dangerous. The
Shamrock's mast was not only support
ing the great sail of 5000 feet in Is
knot breeze, but also the two top club
sail yards each forty feet long.
Upton felt that the Shamrock was
seriously handicapped by the illness of
Fife her designer. For one thing the
Shamrock was ballasted in English
waters and whether her ballast was
true when she sailed here, whether
she was on her true line-the line she
was designed to sail on-is q question
that only her designer could answer
positively.
Upton has established himself as
true and honorable sportsman. in the
esteem of Americans. He has played
absolutely fair and taken every mis-
hap-and there have been many-in a
generous and philosophical way. If
any but the Columbia were to win,
Americans would choose the Shamrock
to run off with the laurels.
If the Shamrock had been crippled
before the race, time would have been
allowed her to make repairs, but once
started she had to accept the cOnse-
quences. AS it was she was given time
to get new mast and try it before the
the third race.
The Columbis made excellent time
on the race and showed her marvellous
sailing qualities at every moment.
In the old days of yacht races the
A nericsn boat could always be told
from the English by the Wilderness of
her sails. The Britons used fax for
their sails which is yellower than the
white of the cotton of American boat
wings. Nowadays the British boats
use cotton duck sails also, and Ameri- |
can cotton at that.
Yachting slang, or the technical
terms used by experts in speaking of
yachts and their runs, have an anus
'jockeyed for position" The ST. am
rock first had the "windward BERTH"
both boats had their sheets trimmed |
straight aft "The Colum bias jib |
sheet was broken out and sheeted |
home in eight seconds" the Col
um bia was "blanKeted. Both "heel- |
ed'' away but the Colum bia ''footed |
fast and pointed higher" The Col !
umbia ''spilled no wind out of her |
sails as she ale her way hOmeward."
The Shamrock did not "set her hand
kerchief forward "The Colum bia |
held on to her club topssil |
setting her balloon jib in the final
reach for home"
Sir Thorn as Ltpton's speech on his
yacht Erin, the day of third race when
the Columbia was sailing to the finish
with q clean fair victory, shows the |
tenn per of the Englishmau.
"My friends, | came over here to lift |