Evening star., 1901-10-04

he line as IL IL were a reef or a sand bar.
Two minutes before the starting gun was
ired the boats continued to hold away, and
L seemed impossible that they could cross
he line before the firing OF the handlcap
gun Both shippers held stubDorniy TO
heir determination not to cross first, but at
ast Captain Barr sent the Columbia for
ward, Shamrock coming right behind MIN
md breaking out her spinnaker to star
BOARD An instant later the Columbia s
zreat spinnaker doomed out to starboard,
md as they crossed each broke out bal
ioon jibtOpsails. 1t was now evident that
he handicap gun had fired before Column
1fa few seconds in the lead. went over
he line She was probably fifty yards
head of the Shamrock at this time, and
10Th yachts were on the starboard tack
The Columbia crossed the line nfteen
.:econds ahead but the official starting
-lme. the handicap gun having been fired,
vas 1a2 for both boats
Jockeying for the Start.
Jockeying for the start was a pretty piece
II work At the warning signal. 10:55, the
-achts had not yet come together Inc
Shamrock made a complete circuit Of the
committee boat and the lightship. The
Columbia met her to the northwest or the
Inc. both being close-hauled on the port
lack and luffed into the wind shamrock
followed suit
When the Shamrock came about to go for
he line. Columbia also came about on her
-iVaFs starboard BEAM
When the starting gun was fired both
rachts were sailing parallel to the line,
heading to the southwark. They were so
-ar to the westward of it that 1t was I'M
possible to cross before the handicap gun,
unless one or the other gave way
The Shamrock held under the Columbia's
-ee beam. They were almost on even terms,
Dut Shamrock forced Columbia nearly over
o the committee boat before she gave away.
Just as the gun sounded the handicap sig
lal the Shamrock's balloon jib topsafl was
broken out from Its stops. Her spinnaker
b4d a few moments
'ore and now the great sail was smartly set
Tne' Columbia's balloon jib topsan was
broken out while she was crossing the line
md her spinnaker was set just as she
..leared.
After they had crossed the line the Brit
.sh boat seemed to cut the Columbia's s
wind to some extent and there ensued
little luffing match. Captain Barr trying
. get his wind clear. The yachts were
3aiIing very rapidly, their huge spinnakers
oellying out in the fresh breeze and their
nainsailS drawing beautifully. The for
cigHer began to inch up on the Columbia
and after few minutes of sailing she had
pulled up considerably. At this point, how
ever, Columbia seemed to catch her wind
and maintained, II she did not increase, her
cad for the next two minutes.
Neek-and-Neck Contest.
Then again the Shamrock, her greater
sail area beginning to tell. drew up and
It was a magnificent neck-and-neck race
until at IL II the bronze boat drew ahead,
and in a few moments she had placed
good stretch of water between her flying
tern and the Columbia's nose In ten min
utes more, fairly skimnling over the white
rested waves, she had reeled off a good
zen lengths of lead and at that time SEEM
ID to be able to hold it. After thirty-five
minutes of sailing, both going at terrific
ace. the yachts had sailed about a half of
ne first leg and try as the American skip
per would. he did not seem to be able to
essen his flying rivals good lead.
The splendid wind sent the great white
clouded racers fairly spinning along to-
ward the outer mark. Every square inch
Of their canvas from their ballooners down
20 the very bottom of the mainsails
seemed to draw perfectly. They were sail
ing wing-a-wing, the huge spinnakers out
20 starboard and mainsails to port, the en-
ormous cloud of canvas hiding the hull.
But the English yacht was not to be over
taken. She had more square feet of sail
and every one of these feet telling in
the beautiful run before the wind.
1t looked as if the Shamrock meant to
make up the forty-three seconds which she
had to give her rival, so that when the
outer mark had once been turned it would
be a beat home on even terms. When two
thirds of the first leg had been covered 1t
seemed certain that she would be able to
hold her lead under the weather condi-
tions prevailing and the hopes of the pat
riots were centered on the Coumbia's
ability to outpoint the golden boat.
Wind Favorable to Shamrock.
About quarter past 12, when the boats
were nearing the outer mark, the wind be-
gan to flatten a little. which was instantly
shown in the decreased speed of the sloops-
But they were eating up the fifteen miles
which lay between them and the stake boat
1t a splendid gait and still going like the
wind.
Drawing near the outer mark. the weather
was becoming more and more Shamrock
like With the f1attening wind the sea was
comparatively smooth and all conditions
were absolutely ideal for before-the-wind
race. At times it seemed If the Column
bia was about to pick up. but hopes raised
by an occasional favoring slant of wind
were soon dashed when 1t was seen the fly
ing yacht of Ulster was still showing the
American q clean pair Of heels. At 12:45,
with the outer mark almost upon her, the
ShamrockS white-coated sailors swarmed
forward nimbly and in came the great spin
maker preparatory for the turn. An instant
later the Columbia's men had also gotten in
her great sail, and before 1t had been haul
ed to the deck the Shamrock was luffing
around the stake boat. Right in her wake
came the American and right behind her
she turned. Unofficial timing put the Sham
rock around the mark forty-eight seconds
ahead After rounding the Shamrock held
OF toward the Jersey shore on the star
board tack, while the Columbia went off
shore on the port tack. But Barr only held
this for an instant before he swung the Co
lumbia around on the starboard tack and
the racers began the thresh to windward
which was to decide the contest. The for
eigner had evidently made up her time al
Iowance on the run before the wind and 1t
remained to be seen if she could hold 1t In
the beat home
Crossed CoIEmbia's Bows.
At 1:O5 Sycamore put the Shamrock on
the port tack and crossed the Columbia's
bow She he'd this tack for about two
minutes then again swung about on the
starboard tack, and both boats were head
ID dead inshore toward Long Branch. For
i've minutes more they had 1t nip and tuck,
and then Sycamore again laid the Sham
rock on the port tack. followed closely by
mis- rival 1t was then that the patriots
took new hope, for the white flyer seemed
TO be pointing higher and footing faster
than her opponent When they had been
on the port tack long enough to draw com
parison it was evident that this was fact
and the Anne lean boat was slowly forging
% the front.
By this time the official turning times had
been worked out and posted, showing that
IT the turning the foreigner was forty-nine
seconds ahead, which left the Columbia
only six seconds to make up to get within
the time she was allowed. If she could do
IL. and it looked then as If she could, the