The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-24
HOW YACHT RACES ARE SAILED.
TechnicaIitics of the Sports Made
Plain TO Uninitiated.
From the New York Sur

From the New York Sun.
Yacht racing is a sport full of tech
nicalities, and although thousands will
tests between the Shamrock III and
the Columbia, only a small number
will fully understand the fine points of
the contest.
All will see the two yachts cross the
line with perhaps one yacht first across
but the other in the windward posi-
ton. Many will think that the yacht
first over will have the advantage, not
understanding that to get to windward
of his rival is the ambition of every
skipper when maneuvering before the
start. According to the conditions
governing these international races
a preparatory signal is made, and ten
minutes later the signal to start is
holsted. During the interval between
the two signals each skipper is trying
to place his yacht so that when the
start is made he is in the windward
position. To many this "jockeying'
before the start is the most interesting
and exciting part of the contest, and
very often in races between yachts
that are closely matched the race is
the starting signal is made two min
utes are allowed in which the yachts
may cross the line and If they start
during that interval the actual time
of their crossing the line is taken by
the Racing Committee. If either yacht
should be late at the start and not get
over the line. the time of that yachts
starting is taken from the expiration
of the two minutes and all time after
that it may take the yacht to get over
the line is lost and 1t is handicapped
so much.
At the finish Of the race the Regatta
Committee again takes the time OF
each yacht as it crosses the line and
then by figuring from the time the
yacht crossed the line at the start, the
actual time 1t took to cover the course
is made out. BY a set of rules based
on scientific calculation each yacht is
measured and its racing length obtain
ed and the larger yacht has to allow
certain time allowance to the small
err one in order TO make them race on
even terms as nearly as II is possible
to calculate such differences. This
amount of allowance is subtracted from
the actual time that the smaller yacht
has made over the course and this
gives what is called the corrected
time and the yacht that has the short
est corrected time is declared the win
ner.
In the match for the Americas Cup
the yacht winning three out of tlve
races is to be declared the winner.
The first race will be sailed next
Thursday, and according to the agree
ment between the New York Yacht
Club and the Royal Ulster Yacht Club
this race will be fifteen miles to wind
ward or Ieeward and return. The start
is to be made as near l o'clock as pos
sible, and the race must be sailed in
five hours and a half or 1t will be no
race. If for any reason IL Is impos
sible to start the yachts on time the
Regatta Committee will postpone the
start, but the race must not be started
after 1 o'clock and If by that time
there is no wind then another attempt
to race will be made on the following
race day. The races are to be sailed
on Tuesdays. Thursdays and Saturdays
of each week until the series is COM
pIeted. II the windward or leeward
race is not finished on the first race
day, that course is 10 be selected the
next trial and is to be completed before
the other course Is attempted. After
the windward or leeward race Is sail
ed to a finish, the yachts are to be
sent over a triangular course, each leg
of which is to be ten miles in length.
The first leg. II possible. is TO be 10
windward. In the series OF five races
the first. third and Nth races are TO
be to windward or leeward and return
and the second and fourth races are
To be over triangular courses.