The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-21
THE CLOSEST RACE YET HELD.
Almost An Even Contest the Stake BoaBu On Run Home
Yankee Sloop Drew Away Grand Ovation to the Victor
Sir Thomas Takes Defeat Phlosophicaly- Try His
Luck Again Willing Admit That the Better Yacht Won

from the fleet answered for both. The
Columbia had gained a minute and
eighteen seconds in the 15-mile run.
AS they leaned away On the starhoard
tack for the beat nome, the Columbia
was to windward and about n length
ahead With their sheets trimmed fiat
aft, they surged into the head seas,
sending the brine high as they pro-
ceeded. They careened until their Ice
rails were awash in The waves. Oceans
of spray came over and occasionally
both shipped gold crasus of water fer
ward. Everything aboard was wet and
dripping. Seldom has there teen such
a smashing sea under the bows OF cup
contestants. The Shamrock labored
more than the Columbia. Once or twice
she buried her bowsprit in the seas,
wetting her headsails. Ten minutes of
this satisfied the patriots that the de-
fender was as much superior to the
Shamrock in rough weather windward
work as she was in the lighter airs. She
pointed almost point higher than her
rival and footed just as fast. The Coll
| umbia had housed her working topsail
before they turned the mark, but the
Shamrock held on until in the freshen-
| ing wind it was deemed dangerous to
carry it longer, and sailor was sent
aloft to lower it.
BUCKED LIKE A BRONCO.
1t was a delicate job with the big 90
footer bucking into the jumping sea like
a bronco, but after five minutes of hard
work 1t was accomplished. On every
tack of the thrash to Windward the
Yankee increased her lead sailing so
close that the old salts said she could
wipe the ice off the wind"
At las the Columbia was leading by a
quarter of a mile. The situation for the
Shamrock was desperate, and the Brit
ish skipper decided to give her more
canvas. After some trouble he succeed
Columbia kept on under mainsail, stay
and jib. The challenger leaned over
under the press of canvas until her
decks were at an angle of thirty de-
grees. Her speed was undoubtedly in
creased, but her inability to point lost
her almost as much as she gained in
footing.
Then she resorted to splitting tacks,
once running close in shore under the
Navesink Highlands. A slight cant in
the wind favored her at this time and
she managed to close up the gap until
little more than half mile separated
her from the Columbia. Soon after the
wind slackened a little and thereafter
the Shamrock lost rather than gained
ground. All excursion boats at this time
were bucking into the head seas for
home. But the pace was too hot, and not
half the fleet was in at the finish.
THE FINAL TACK.
The rush of the racers on the final
tack was magnificent. Geysers spurted
from the bows and drenched the sail
ors lying piled up against the weather
rail. AS the Yankee shot across the
finish between the hghtship and the
committee boat, the whistles of the
fleet screeched loud applause. The
challenger raced across five minutes
and seventeen seconds later.
The Shamrock got a noiser reception
than the champion as she finished, per-
haps because some of the belated YES
sells had got up. A grand spectacle
followed. The victor, after lowering
her sails, set the stars and stripes at
her topmast truck, at both ends of her
spreaders and at the taffrail. Soon the
whole fleet blossomed out in American
flags They flew from every staff and
gaff and mast. The Corsair, the flag
ship of the New York Yacht club had
six Shaping in the stiff breeze as she
went alongside the Columbia and gave
her three shrieRing blasts. Then her
crew cheered and the Deer Isle men
aboard the Columbia responded with
barred heads.
CHORUS OF WHISTLES.
Every ship in the excursion fleet fol-
lowed, turning loose the whistles and
sirens in a maddening chorus. Some
of the excursion boats kept their
whistles going half way to New York.
Later the Erin steamed up to the Co
lumbia the stars and stripes futtering
from main and nizzen.
The Corsair greeted her with cannon,
which Sir Thomas acknowledged by
dipping the English jack at the taft
rail.
Then the crew of the Erin lined the
rail and rave three cheers fo~ -"
victors. The cheers were returned
with interest by the crew of the Co
lumbia The American yacht was first
to reach her mooring buoy inside the
Hook and when her late rival came up
in tow the sailors of both cheered each
other Justify. Later Sir Thomas went
aboard the Corsair and there soon af-
terward Mr.. Iselin Joined him. There
were toasts to victor and vanquished,
to America and Great Britain, to
gentlemen and ladies, and all sorts of
things and so with Fluctuations all
around the cup sc lies for 1899 ended
u,i+b the hest NJ good feeling