The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-10-16
YACHTS TO TRY AGAIN TO-DAY
THE WE1TH ER PREDICTIONS NOT
 VERY ENCOURAGING.

l
 l VERY ENCO URAGING.
 Yaohtsmsn, However, Are Hopeful and
 VIII Not be Surprised tf Conditions | Are Exactly Opposite Those Predicted
 No Changes Made in Sails Yesterday
 -BandIing of CoIumbin.
 New York, Oct. 15.-After seven days
 of fluky winds and fogs the Columbia
 and the Shamrock will again attempt
 to race tomorrow. Fair weather, with l light east to southeast winds, is again
 predicted, but so little dependence can
 be placed in the weather predictions | that the yachtsmen are hopeful, and 1t would not surprise those who go down the bay in the morning to find condi- 1 tions exactly opposite those predicted 1 hy the clerk of the weather bureau. If
 the regatta committee is lucky enough
 to have sufficient wind from any quar- ter to start the yachts the course will
 be fifteen miles to windward or leeward
 and return.
 No alterations have been made since
 Saturday to the sails of either yacht. The only changes likely to be made will erned, of course, by the weight of the
 breeze just before the start. If the yachts should succeed in finishing one race tomorrow there is a chance that the series may be completed by the end of the week. It is to be hoped that such will be the case, for every one will be glad to see this international contest the most interesting one of all-conclud- ed in breezes strong enough to make the best boat win on her merits, not by flukes.
 The Columbia and the Shamrock did not leave their moorings inside Sandy Hook to-day. Not a sail cover was talk en off, notwithstanding the fact that the sun shone brightly good part of the day and would have afforded an ex cellent opportunity to dry out what dampness there might have been in the NoiiN AG' III ie'tAJ u Nao uli pii Nny ici the crews of both boats, and barring q watch of half dozen men on each crafe not a soul was on board.
 The sight of the big kites that the Shamrock has been displaying during the past two weeks, especially the huge club topsail does not cause Captain Barr any alarm for he feels that they will not be of any use in breeze that will move the challenger at anything more than a snaifs pace. No attempt was made to-day to scrub the hull of the Columbia, and when the St. Mi chaels came up to the city at noon all but seven of her crew were brought along for little outing on shore while the tender was being coaled.
 Captains Hogarth, Wringe and Par ker of the Shamrock have predicted that there will be no wind until Tuesday or Wednesday, or until the moon changes, and as they made this statement sev- eral days ago to Sir Thomas Lipton, and the forecast has so far proven true, the opinion of these experts is we'll worth considering. Captain Matthews of the Erin, a skipper with equally as long, if not longer, experience on the water, holds the contrary opinion and says that there is just as likely to be a stiff breeze tomorrow as a week from that time, and that the change of moon has been proven by statistics to have nothing whatever to do with the wealth CT conditions.
 Sir Thomas was asked to-day why he did not sail on the Shamrock during the races. ITO tell the truth" he replied, T They say it is apt to make them ner vous and more liable to make mistakes. I have so much confidence in my men that I am perfectly willing to keep off the ship and know that they will do their best to win. When racing against | the Prince of Wales cutter Britannia on the other side I was on the Sham rock, but since soming over here the | only day I have sailed on her was the | time her gaff broke when we were giv- ing her a little tuning up outside Sandy | Hook
 When discussing the Shamrock's big | rig Sir Thomas said he did not count | much on the huge club topsail that has been sent alOft the past two race days. Tt is magnificent sail" said he, "but do not think it will be seriously han in any kind of breeze we may get. In running before the wind I think it will be useful and in light air I count on it being of just as much ben eft as her mainsail. The sail can be changed in ten minutes, so that we will not lose much time in case it has to come in." On the Erin no one thinks he boats have had a fair test believ- ns that if either boat is superior at my point it is yet to be demonstrated. They agree that the weather has been oo fiulky for a fair comparison, but at he same time the Erin people seem to hink that the Columbia people are title nervous as to the outcome.
 HANDLING OF COLTMBIA.