Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-10-20

clear weather and a fine breeze from
the northwest greeted the shippers and
crews of the Columbia and Shamrock
at sunrise. today, and the occasional
puffs that made little white caps on
Sandy Hook bay gave promise of plen-
" Of wind for the third. and what
many thought. would be the final race
of the international series.
At 1890. the course was Signallcd
from The committee boat which had
hecn anchored to the westward of the
lightship. 1t was southeast by south.
showing that the wind was northwest
by north ana the probabilities were
that it would be spinnaker start.
The preparatory signal was given at
1916, the warning nj 1885, the start at
II and the handicap gun at 11.02.
The maneuvering before the start
was remarkably interesting. Excursion
boats ana yachts gave the racing craft
plenty of room and Barr and Hogarth
had their little game all to themselves.
At the warning signal both yachts
with hooms t. starboard, sheets flat
toned well in, were sailing to the north
east parallel to the line but about
quarter Of mile north Of it with the
~ .i't Il ittlIt 'tpetiL tiit Etfilil Nllt ' "
lumbia was to windward. with the
Shamrock III her lee beam 4 couple Of
lengths away.
The Columbia crossed the line - see
onds in the lead within the handicap.
which meant fully two lengths dis
lance. She crossed about the centre of
the line and Hogarth. after a vain at
tempt to huff out across her wake and
obtain the weather position, kept off
ana gave the Shamrock Il good full.
The official time Of the start was: Co
lumba. 11.0l.33; Shamrock. 11.020o.
ibis and forestaysails We're taken in
ut once on both yachts to give the bal
loon sails q chance to fill. While the
yachts We're crossing the line Spinnakcr
hooms We're dropped to starboard and
tn" sails hoisted in stops ready to
break out, but in the game of huff and
fluff which followed neither yacht had |
q chance to set these sails for 80 min
utes. Hogarth, not being able to try
his yacht on reach on a Triangular
course. seemed determined to make a
portion Of the race reach at all haz-
ards. 50 they went at it.
Instead Of following the guide boat
on the southeast by south course, on
which they might have carried spin
makers. they sailed between four and
five points to the eastward of their |
course so as to make every sail draw
to the best advantage, thereby cover |
ing at least five miles more ground than
was necessary. During the first Is
minutes of this reaching work the Co |
lumba seemed to increase her lead.
After that for the next half hour. the |
Shamrock apparently was gaining on
the white sloop and, at 11.50, when they |
both decided to abandon the luffinC
game and set spinnakers to starbOard, !
the Shamrock had certainly gained =
some on her antagonist. Having the |
wind dead aft now the Shamrock had |
decidedly the better position.
While the wind remained steady in |
the same quarter it diminished in |
strength at times, coming in puffs Oc-
casionally. but, on the whole, the out
look for finishing the race was not very |
encouraging at l o'clock, when the out
er mark was in plain sight from the |
racing yachts.
At 12.45, both yachts gybed, after TAX
ing in their spinnakers and set those
sails again to port, the Columbia set
ting hers first. The wind gradually
canted to the westward during the next
half hour. and, at 1.32, the Columbia
gyhed to port, quickly followed by the
Shamrock, which dropped her spinna-
ker boom to starbo2rd and set the sail
at lao the Columbia setting her spin
maker four minutes later
1t was long drift before the wind
with scarcely enough of it to fill their
sails during the next As minutes. Bal
loon jibtopsais were taken in when the
yachts We're about a mile north of the
outer mark and as they approached it.
jibs. staEsails and baby jibtopsails
We're hoisted ready for the windward
work soon to follow.
It was noted as the Columbia came
down for the mark that her great
with its crosscut cloths was a