The Washington times., 1901-10-05
DEFEAT LAID TO ERRORS.
An Expert Declares Shamrock Lost
Through Poor Sailing.


NEW YORK, Oct. 4.-The Suns
yachting expert says bad handling lost to-
days race to Shamrock He will have
this to say tomorrow:
According to many yachtsmen the
Shamrock was really beaten by the Co
lumbia more through errors of judgment
made bv those who were in charge of
the yachts than by the superior sailing
qualities of the Columbia, and there are
many of the opinion that il the shamrock
had been sailed properly in the races be-
tween that boat and the Columbia for the
Americas Cup Instead of having been
beaten three times consecutively by the
American boat she should now have had
two victories to her credit. There were
many today who watched the race ana
who are familiar with the sport who
thought that the trouble with the Sham-
rock was that there was too much talent
aboard and that the sailing master VINO
is acknowledged to be the best man IN
his profession in England, has been nam
pered too much and did not have ffee
hand.
The first error made today was in tax
ing in the balloon jib topsail when the
Yacht was more than a mile and a quar-
ter from the turning mark. inns san
should have been carried for at least ten
minutes longer and then could have been
lowered in plenty of time to nave 1t
slowed away before the men were wanted
to lower the spinnaker and trim lts
sheets. This error was costly, and en-
abled the Columbia to pick up quite
good DEAL and her gain would have been
much more but for the accident to the
spinnaker on Columbia.
THE Shamrock turned the first mark
forty-seven seconds in the lead and went
on the starboard tack. heading toward
the west. The breeze was freshening and
the yacht was doing remarkably well
The Columbia made short tack and
then took a starboard tack and stood
after the Shamrock, and was sailing to
windward of the challenger's wake. The
Shamrock tackled, crossed the Columbia's
bow, and then, instead of tacking and
heading on the same course which Cap
tain Barr had selected, and keeping on
toward the freshening breeze, which was
coming off the Jersey shore, the Sham
rock kept on the port tack and allowed
the Columbia to sail on with her wind all
clear, and that boat, getting the freshen-
ing breeze first, improved her position
very much.
ing master learns is when he has beaten
his opponent to keep his yacht between
the beaten boat and the mark for which
he is sailing. But today, whoever was In
charge of the Shamrock seemed to have
forgotten this and was crossing tacks
from the outer mark all the way home.
The Shamrock tackled after the Columbia
when it was too late, and then. as the
Shamrock was falling down into the Co
lumbia's wake, the challenger took the
port tack again and headed toward the
northeast This costly error was repeated
on the next tack.
Twice the Shamrock appeared to have
the race won today and twice it was
thrown away, apparently. through poor
judgment shown by those in charge of
the boat. Captain Sycamore is the skip
per who sailed the Shamrock, but jamie
son is the man who directs how the boat
shall be sailed
1T was learned today from one who
had been in consultation with those on
board the Erin that 1t was Mr. Jameson
who insisted on the Shamrock luffing
across the starting line on Tuesday. when
the Columbia had gone over in the wealth
er POSITION. The Shamrock had crossed
the line too soon She had been recalled
and the yacht bore off, crossed the line
back again and then lUffed across instead
OF wearing around gibing and taking the
end of the two minutes and crossing well
to windward.
In the race sailed last Saturday-the
first sailed to a finish-the Shamrock kept
the Columbia under her lee all the way to
the weather mark and turned that mark
with fair lead. Then, instead of break
ing out her light sails at once and squar-
ing away for home, thus making the most
of her lead, she loafed along. waiting for
the Columbia, and then had luffing
match with that yacht, which proved dis
astrous- II the Shamrock today had been
handled as well on the windward leg of
the course as she had been in the race in
which she turned the weather mark first
instead of being beaten on corrected time
she would have won the race with a good
margin to spare.