The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-02

New York, Oct. 1-Today's attempt to
international yacht races for the blue
ribbon of the sea proved a dismal fail
ure. Between $4,000 and 10000 people
who crowded the pleasure fleet off San
dy Hook Lightship in the hope of see
ing a repetition of the thrilling sport
of last Saturday witnessed, instead,
more of a drifting match than race.
The wind was exceedingly light and
variable, at times falling so low that
the gossamer pennants, which are as
light as thistledown, hung limp against
the masts of the big single stickers.
The wind with the yachts crews lined
up on the lee rails, was not sufficient
at any time to make the racing ma
chimes heel to their lines. At the end
of four and a half hours the two yachts
had covered less than one-holf the
prescribed course of 80 miles and as
there was no possibility of their finish
ing within the time limit the regatta
committee declared the race Off
When the gun was fired announcing
this decision the challenger was about
half a mile ahead of the defender and
to that extent today's trial was vic
tory for Shamrock II. But the fluke
today demonstrated little as to the
question of supremacy between the two
boats except, perhaps, that ST. mo
mas new champion is more dangerous
in light airs than was supposed after
her two former meetings with the
white flyer to which the patriots are
Cot In AI1lxu xuindG of
variable strength shifting as they did
today, through six points of the COM
pass, luck cuts as much figure as model
and seamanship and today fortune was
Enthusiastically with the foreigner.
The course was an equilateral
triangle 10 miles to the leg, the first
| leg being a beat due east into the
wind The Yankee skipper at the start
| outgeneraled his adversary in q
| splendid piece of jockeying, crossing
the line in the windward berth u sec
onds ahead of the Englishman. This
advantage Columbia held for two
hours. while both yachts steered far
off their course to the southwark
looking for a streak of wind that
would profit them. Finally Barr de-
clined longer to continue the vainless
quest. He put his helm down and
headed inshore on the starboard tack.
Inc shamrock at tnlS Time dIIeI
both had been sailing in the same airs,
was a beaten boat and her skipper
could afford to take gamblers
chance with fortune. He held dog
gedly on. And fortune smiled upon
him. Within five minutes he got
breeze out of the south which ruffied
the crestless seas and waited him
like a ghost through the Columbia's
weather
But this was not his best piece of
good fotune. After this reverse, the
Columbia, slipping through the seas
at an astonishing pace, considering
the lightness of the breeze had worked
out ahead of the Shamrock, but to
leeward. When the two yachts were
in this position about two miles from
the first turn, slant Of the wind
threatened to blanket Columbia and
to avoid such a possibility Barr went
under Shamrock's stern. Just as he
did so the wind hauled around more
to the south, knocking the Columbia's
head off until, to the astonished
spectators, she seemed headed almost
back for the lightship at the starting
| line. The golden boat, favored by the
same breeze, was headed in exactly
the opposite direction When the