The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-08
The CUP STAYS WITH US
THE COLUMBIA WINS BY PART OF HER
TIME ALLOWANCE.
HER THIRD STAIGHT VICTORY

Seconds, Corrected 1ime-shamrock
Sails the Course In n Seconds
Less Time Than Her Rival-Coiumbia
Given Fifteen Seconds at Start Be-
cause Both Are Handicapped - Sir
Thomas Takes His Defeat Well and
Cheers the Victor.
New York, October With victory
flags flying from her towering mast
heads and the ends OF her spreaders in
honor or her concluding triumph in the
cup races of 1901, h gallant sloop CO.
lumbia returned to her anchorage to-
night under the escort OF the entire ex-
cursion fleet. She today completed her
defence of the honored trophy in anoth-
er stirring race with the Shamrock II.
over a leeward and windward race of
thirty miles. crossing the finish line
two seconds behind her antagonist, but
winning on the time allowance conced-
ed by Lipton's boat, by IL seconds.
For the second time she has now sue
cessfully foiled the attempt Of the Irish
knight to wrest from her possession the
cup that means the yachting supremacy
of the world.
Plucky Sir Thomas Upton, standing
On the bridge of the Erin led his guests
in three hearty hurrahs for the success
full defender. She is the better boat"
he said. and she deserves to be
cheered."
The series OF races just closed will
always be memorable as the closest
ever sailed for the cup and Sir Thomas
although defeated, VIII go home with
the satisfaction of knowing tina 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 Americas
trophy.
The racers were sent away before the
wind, each carrying a penalty for cross
ing the line after the handicap gun. No
official record is kept of the time after
that gun is fired. but the experts with
stop watches estimated the Columbia's
handicap at 10 seconds and the Sham
rocks at 80 seconds. The contest of the
yachts fleeing before the wind was pic
turesque, 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
a question of holding on to all the an
vas and letting the wind to the rest.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Co
lumbia beat the Shamrock before the
wind last Saturday the challenger to-
day gained slowly, but steadily all the
way out and rounded 40 seconds before
the defender. having ctually gained
1 minute and 4 seconds
} Immediately after the yachts turned
4 their noSaS into tho wind for the heat
home, the breeze moderated and turned
fuky. The shippers split tacks, each
searching for wind with the result that
first one would get a lift and then the
other. At one time the Columb
| 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 a mile. The
! talent began to feel nervous but as he
yachts approached the finish the Yam
kee shipper by some miraculous leger-
| demain, showed his boat into the hgn
air like a phantom ship and 100 YARDS
from home the two racers were almost
on even terms. 1t was a pretty sight
and one seldom witnessed, when they
crossed rail to rail, the white yachts
bowsprit just laping the golden boats
mast.
The usual pandemonium that attends
| the Qnal 1dnkee Victory III d Cup SoH-
test followed. Whistles, sirens, bells.
bands and cheers united in a grand
chorus Of jubilation and j. 2. Morgans
steam yacht Corsair added to the ter
rife din by firing a national salute or
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 eth
er Upton or his gallant craft. In turn
the crowded steamers ran alongside the
Shamrock and the Erin and the van
quished received almost as much honor
as the victor; and thus with fellclta-
tions all round the twelfth series OF
races for the old cup which the schoon-
er America brought over fifty years ago
ended with the best Of feeling.
HOW THE RACE WAS
At the preparatory signal at 1O:4s a.
m. both boats were far up to the WIND
ward and came down toward the ngnt-
ship and just before the warming gun
again headed up into the wind imulta
neously and worked back to their form
er positions. Both were on the port
tack and close hauled with the Column
bia on the weather quarter of the chal-
lenger. The American boat was hrs-
to come about after the warning gun
at 1855. The Shamrock Immediately
followed and planted herself directly
astern of the defender, at the same
time breaking out her tremendous bal
loon iib and letting fall to starboaro
her spinnaker pole.
BOTH BOATS HANDICAPPED.
1t was ~Sycamore's game to cross last,
if possible. This he was able to do,
but. while he had the pride of position
in a leeward start, he found himself
thirty seconds behind the handicap
, gun. Barr also handicapped his boat
in crossing. but no so much as his
rival. for it is estimated that he was
only fifteen seconds behind the n
cap gun.
Both boats being handicapped the Of
fetal time of start was posted on tht
bulletin board Of the committee boat
as follows: Shamrock 11:02:O0; Co
} lumbia 11:02:00.
Il SHAMROCK GAINS 1:04 TO THE
TURN.