The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-02
SAVANNAH. GA. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER ?,

line on the starboard tack ahead and
we'll to windward The Shamrock
luffed over the line a few seconds be-
fore the gun fire and was recalled by
the judges boat and had to put back.
The official time of the start was: Co
lumbia 1100;10; Shamrock 11:00:22.
Luck was with the American boat at
first, for a fortunate catspaw struck
her and enabled her to head up a cou-
pie of points higher than her oppo-
nent. This gave her a commanding
lead. the Shamrock meanwhile scarcely
moving through the water and appear
ing to be dull and loggy.
Wind and Fortune FicI<le.
The Shamrock went on the port tack
fifteen minutes after the start, the Co
lumbia following Immediately. Once
again the American boat showed her
superior smartness in stays, coming
about much quicker than her rival and
gathering way as soon as her head
sheets were trimmed down. At IL: 80
both yachts were pretty nearly be-
calmed, the Columbia having a lead of
about quarter of mile. At 1875 the
Shamrock went on the starboard tack,
the Columbia following and then a
lucky streak filled the Shamrock's sails
and gave her an appreciable lift. At
noon both yachts were on the port tack
almost becalmed. The club topsails and
jib topsails were the only sails that
puffed out responsive to the stray
streaks of air. The big mainsails
tapped as the yachts rose and fell in
the long easterly roll and the huff Of
the headsails quivered. The result was
that the yachts barely had steerage
way.
a Game of Seesaw.
Then the unexpected happened.
Waited along at a fine clip by a stray
puff, the Shamrock overhauled the Co
lumbia, and at 1:15 she was so close
that Capt. Barr bore down on her in
order to kill her wind. as he had SO
often killed the wind of the Constitu-
tion. The Shamrock went on the port
tack Immediately, followed by the Co.
lumb1a, and in another minute the
Britisher was ahead and to windward.
The wind now became more southerly.
Both yachts set reaching jib topsails
and eased off sheets, steering a direct
course for the mark. Then the Sham
rock forged ahead. and got into the
dead calms, while the Columbia got a
slant of wind. and at 1:55 passed the
Shamrock. Then it was Shamrock's s
turn to get the benefit of
a breeze, and she came along
and planted herself on the
Columbia's weather quarter, crawling
upon her until at 2:OS they We're neck
and neck with the British boat to
windward, blanketing her opponent.
To escape from this blanket Capt.
Barr sent the Columbia on the port
tack at 2:12, but luck was against her
and she lost every breath of the tickle
wind as well as steerage way and it
was fully two minutes before she got
away and filled away on the starboard
tack again, and by that time the
Shamrock was too far ahead to be
overtaken. The first mark was then
close at hand and the yachts tackled
| around it as follows: Shamrock
2:41:36; Columbia 2:44:44
Lucky Close for Columbia.
| The Shamrock had beaten the de-
| feEder three minutes and twenty Sec
| onds in the first ten miles, and try as
| the Columbia would she was unable to
lessen the wide gap that separated her
| from her antagonist. She held her luff
| hunting for wind, but failing to find
it dropped slowly astern until the gun
from the committee boat brought fhe
| contest to an end with nearly half a
mile Of blue water between her and the
golden boat of Upton.