The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-08-23
SHAMROCK TAKES A SPIN
SATISFA CTORY PERFORMANCE ON
 FIRST TRIAL ON THIS SIDE.

Yacht Perfectly Balanced "0n the xviud,,-Leayes a Clean and smooth Wake-Her Work in stays-Her Point ing Ability.
 New York, Aug. 22.-Sir Thomas Lip tons new challenger for the America s cup, the Shamrock II, had her first | trial spin in New York lower bay to- l day and although it only lasted short | time it was satisfactory performance. Sir Thomas Lipton and Designer George L. Watson, both of whom were on board the yacht during her trial, eX- pressed themselves as perfectly satis- | fled with the result.
 | In sailing about eight miles dead to windward, against a two knot tide she covered the distance in 57 minutes anq | the reach back of six miles in forty minutes. The wind was fresh and fair | ly steady from about south by east and | of from ten to twelve knots strength. | The yacht carried mainsail Worklhg | topsail, forestaysail and jib.
 1 At times, while on the wind she put | her lee rail under a trifie, but she l showed herself well able to carry her sail, and she appeared to be quite as stiff as either the Constitution or Co., | lumbia. Her sails set remarkably well | for the first time out. The mainsall, q splendid piece of duck with narrow cloths and wide seams and of the cross cut pattern, was set for the first time ] to-day. It fitted to perfection with the | the exception, perhaps, of a slight | looseness in the leach. The headsalls set we'll as did the jibheaded topsail she carried.
 | The trial was all in smooth water, except during the last mile of the wind | ward work, when she passed out by | Coney Island point. There slight easterly swell made her pitch little but not enough to stop her headway to any extent. She makes very little fuss under her lee bow and carries hardly any quartering wave. Her wake IS clean and smooth and from observa- tions taken from directly astern, while she was close hauled, her sails trim very flat and she is able to lie within four points of the wind, with every sail full. Many thought her pointing" was as close as that of the Herreshoff boats. but that remains to be seen. l The yacht is so perfectly balanced lon the wind" that she carries neither lee nor weather helm. her long tiller be- ing exactly amidships.
 During the eight or ten tacks she made to fetch from her anchorage to the buoy, at the Junction of the SWash and the main ship channel, where she turned back, the average time rom "rull to fulT in stays was about sevef- teen seconds. It was plain, however, that Captain Sycamore was not put ting her through her best In that direc- tion, The crew trimmed and handled sails with the smartness and precision that shows experience and a thorough knowledge of their ship.
 Sir Thomas Upton announced upon his arrival at the Shamrock's anchor age off Stapleton, Staten Island, at 11.35 this morning, that the Shamrock would sail at 2:30 p. m, Accompanied
 by Hon. Charles Russell, Designer Watson and J. J. Hillard, of the Royal Clyde Yacht club, the Shamrock's own CT boarded his steam yacth Erin. Then after greeting the captain and officers, he was taken with his party to the Shamrock. They were received at the starboard gangway by Captain Syca- more. The crew saluted as Sir Thomas
 walked aft and he nodded pleasantly
 to them in acknowledgement After a
 thorough inspection of the yacht on deck and below, he held a brief con-
 sultation with Captain Sycamore and
 Navigator Hamilton, then going over
 to the Associated Press tug Unique, he
 greeted all the newspaper men most cordially, and told them that the Sham-
 rock would take her first spin, starting from her anchorage at half past two.
 Then he and his party went on board the Erin to lunch.
 Al 2:O3 D. m the cover was taken oft the Shamrocks mainsail and in fifteen minutes that wonderfully handsome
 Patsev creation was hoisted, except the
 peak which was left slack until all
 hands had hauled out the foot Of the sail with an ingenious wire purchase,
 which stretched every wrinkle out Of that part of the sail
 Sir Thomas boarded the Shamrock from his launch at 2:25. He was &C., companied by Designer Watson, Hon. Charles Russell and J. B. Hillard.
 After a jib-headed gaff topsail was set a tail block with whip rove in 1t was bent on to the cable and all hands, including Sir Thomas tailed on' the rope and hove the anchor up It was away at 3:03, the iib was broken out from it's stops and the Shamrock filled away on the starboard tack, heading across the bay for the Bay Ridge shore.
 As she came in stays two minutes later the fore staysail was set and she was then fairly under way for her trial spin. Every passing steamer saluted the handsome yacht as she slipped away to the southward at pace that set the spectators wondering.
 Four short tacks brought the yacht well out into the Narrows As she nassed out by the forts she caught the freshening breeze from seaward and
 beelng down, tnaveled still faster, giv- ing the tugs some trouble to keep up with her. At BPS she spun about to the l starboard tack in sixteen seconds and stood into Gravesend Bay for six min- utes Coming back then she stood across the main ship channel to Craven shoal buoy, and on the next tack she fetched Coney Island point, passing it at 3:4O and going at an eleyen-knot | o1i