The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-02
Another Trial Will be Made
on Thursday.
THIRTY THOUSAND PEOPLE DIsGUsTED
The Result Of the Race Yesterday
Proves That tho Shamrock il Mere
Dangerous in Light Airs Than
Was Supposed.
(By the Associated Press.)

4
New York, Oct 1.-Today's attempt
to safl the second of the present series
of international yacht races for the blue
ribbon of the sea proved dismal fail
ure.
Between $4,000 and 10000 people who
crowded the pleasure fleet off Sandy
Hook light ship in the hope of seeing a
repetition of the thrilling one Of last
Saturday witnessed instead more of
drifting match than race. The wind
was exceedingly light and variable, at
times falling SO low that the gossamer
wind pennants which are as light as
thistle down, hung limp against the
masts of the big single stickers.
The wind, with crews lined up on the
lee rails, was not sufficient at any time
to make the racing machines heel to
their lines. At the end of four and a
half hours the two yachts had covered
less than one half of the prescribed
course of thirty miles and as there was
no possibility of their finishing within
the time limit the Regatta Committee
declared the race off.
When the gun was fired announcing
this decision the Challenger was about
half mile ahead of the Defender and to
that extent today's trial was a victory
for Shamrock III.
LUCK WITH THE SHAMROCK.
But the fiulSe today demonstrated lit
tie as to the question of supremacy be-
tween the two boats except perhaps that
Sir Thomas new champion is more
dangerous in light airs than was sup
posed after her two former meetings
with the white flyer to which the pa
triOts are pinning their faith.
In fluky winds of variable strength,
shifting as they did today, through six
points of the compass, luck cuts almost
as much figure as model and seaman
ship and today fortune was unmistak-
ably with the foreigner.
The course was an equilateral triangle,
ten miles to the leg, the first leg being a
beat due east into the wind. The YAM
kee skipper at the first outgeneraled
his adversary in a splendid piece of
jockeying, crossing the line in the wind
ward berth twelve seconds ahead of the
Britisher
This advantage Columbia held for two
hours while both yachts steered far off
their course to the southwark looking
for a streak of wind that would profit
them.
Finally Barr declined longer to con-
fnue the vain quest. He put his helm
down and headed in shore on the star
board tack.
SHE FINDS A BREEZE.
The Shamrock at this time, after both
had been sailing in the same airs, was
beaten boat and her skipper could af-
ford to take gamblers chance with
fortune. He held doggedly ON and for
tune smiled upon him. Within five min
utes he got a breeze out of the south
which ruffled the crestless seas and
waited him like a ghost through the
Columbia's weather.
But this was not his best piece of good
fortune. After this reverse the Column
bia, slipping through the seas at an as
tonishing pace considering the lightness
of the breeze, had worked out ahead Of
the Shamrock but to leeward. When the
two yachts were in this position about
two miles from the first turn cant of
wind threatened to blanket Columbia. and
to avoid such a possibility Barr went
under Shamrock's stern.
Just as he did so the wind hauled
around more to the south knocking the
Columbias head off until, to the astonish
ed spectators, she seemed headed al
most back for the light ship at tie
starting line.
AT THE FIRST MARK.
Tho golden boat favored by the same
boat was headed in exactly the opposite
direction. Then the shifting wind backed
again and Barr got the Columbia.
straight again. He was a third of
mile astern. This position the two boats
held rounding the first mark Shamrock
three minutes and eight seconds before
Columbia or a gain for Shamrock on the
beat to windward, adding the IL seconds
which Columbia beat her over the line,
of minutes and 20 seconds.
During the next hour in a close reach
for the second mark the yachts were
able to cover about four or four and a
half miles of the remaining twenty, and
as only fifty minutes then remained be-
fore the expiration of the time limit the |
race was declared off.
After turning the mark the experts
thought Shamrock increased her lead |
slightly. This gain may, however, be /
accounted for by the fact that che co.