The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-05
"She is the Better Boat" "
He Cries.
THE CLOSEST CUP RACES EVER SAILED
The Excursion Boats Crowd Around
Columbia With Loud Huzzas, Tten
Run Alongside Shamrock and
Erin to Cheer the
Vanquished.
(By the Associated Press.)


New York, Oct. 4.-With victory flags
flying from her towering mastheads
and the ends OF her spreaders in honor
of her concluding triumph in the Cup
Races of 1901, the gallant sloop Column
bia returned to her anchorage tonight
unccr the escort Of the entire excursion
flect. SHE today completed her defence
of the honored trophy in another STIR
ring race with the Shamrock H.. over
leeward and windward race of thirty
miles, crossing the finish line two sec
onds behind her antagonist but winning
on the time allowance conceded by Lip
tons boat, by Al seconds.
For the second time she has success
fully foiled the attempt of the Irish
knight to wrest from our possession
the cup that means the yachting su-
premacy jbf the world, And plucky Sir
Thomas Upton. standing on the bridge
of the Erin led his guests in three
hearty hurrahs for the successful de-
fender.
"She is the better boat" he
said, land she deserves to be cheered.''
CLOSEST RACES EVER SAILED.
The series of races just closed will
always be memorable as the closest ever
sailed for the cup and Sir Thomas al
though defeated will go home with the
satisfaction of knowing that his golden
yacht is the ablest foreign boat that
ever crossed the western ocean.
During both series of races not an un-
toward incident has occurred and Sir
Thomas will return to England by far
the most popular of all the foreigners
who have challenged for the America S
trophy
The racers were sent away before the
wind. each carrying penalty for cross
ing the line after the handicap gun. No
official record is kept of the time after
that gun is Sired, but the experts with
stop watches estimated Columbia's
handicap at fifteen seconds and Sham
rocks at &c seconds
The contest of the yachts fleeing be-
fore the wind was picturesque but not
exciting. Their crews were gathered aft
to keep the heads of the boats UP and
thereafter until the outer mark was
reached it was merely question of
holding on to all the canvas and letting
the wind do the rest
THE SHAMROCK'S VICTORY.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
Columbia beat the Shamrock before the
wind last Saturday the Challenger to-
day gained slowly but steadily all the
way out and rounded forty-nine seconds
before the Defender, having actually
gained one minute and four seconds.
Immediately after the yachts turned
their noses into the wind for the beat
home the breeze moderated and turned
fluky. The shippers split tacks, each
searching for wind, with the result that
first one would get lift and then the
other.
At one time Columbia seemed a mile
ahead when a sudden cant of the wind
allowed the Shamrock to point nearer
the mark. and a mile from home the
Challenger appeared to be leading by
fully half mile.
The talent began to feel nervous, but
as the yachts approached the finish, the
Yankee skipper by some miraculous
legerdemain showed his boat into the
light air like phantom ship and one
hundred yards from home the two rae
ers were almost on even terms.
CROSSING RAIL TO RAIL.
1t was pretty sight and one seldom
witnessed when they crossed rail to
rail, the white yachts bowsprit just lap
ping the golden boats mast The usual
pandemonium that attends the final
Yankee victory in a cup contest follow
ed Whistles, sirens bells bands, and
cheers united in grand chorus of jubi-
Iation and j. p. Morgan's steam yacht
Corsair added to the terrific din by fir
ing national salute of twenty-one
guns.
After the Columbia had hauled down
her sails and set her victory flag the
excursion boats crowded alongside to
cheer the Yankee sailors and the win
ming skipper
Nor did they forget either Upton or
his gallant craft. In turn the crowded
steamers ran alongside the Shamrock
and Erin and the vanquished received
almost as much honor as the victor.
And thus with felicitations all around
the twelfth series of races for the old
cup which the schooner America