New-York tribune., 1901-09-11
AN TNALARMING TRIAL SPIN.
THE SHAMROCK MUST TRAVEL FASTER
THAN SHE DID YESTERDAY TO OUT
FOOT THE COLUMBIA.

Not very alarming were the performances OF the
Shamrock yesterday. The yacht went out uhder
working gaffopsail. and sailed about fifteen miles
off Sandy Hook. She took number Of tacks IN
beating out toward the Sandy Hook Lightship but
at no time of the spin did she work inside OF
eight points. There no part Of her sailing
which could not have been duplicated or bettered
by the Columbia. The fact that the boat did not
carry her cubtopsaiI had to be allowed for in the
estimates. but the with which the tug Unity
held her in the windward work, when she had
good breeze was not capable of creating very
much enthusiasm in regard to the chances of the
challenger
Before O'Clock southwest breeze came in from
the ocean. This moving at about five or six
miles hour. and then the crew of the Shamrock
were seen taking off the of the mainsail.
After the big driving had climbed the mast.
the small three cornered gafftopsail was sheeted
out as fiat a drumhead, and Sir Thomas Upton
and his party came from the Erin TO the launch
be swiftly ferried 20 the green boat. with
spring line port the swung the challenger
wide from the moorings as the jib and jibtopsail
broken at o'clock and the stately racer
paid away the port tack and circed slowly
10 the westward, that one of the other launches
from the Erin might put aboard a telegram which
| had Just arrived for the owner. The yacht then
| completed her gybe and passed the Gedney
Channel, getting aft her main sheet as she went
| There were twenty-eight men the sheet the
| boat came closer to the wind. and they put the
| boom right amidships before they made fast
| Thomas Ratsey up in the bows watching the
sit of his beautiful sails the boat TO a
| close pinch. Mr.. and Mrs. Jameson were sitting
the spinnaker boom to leeward. and Watson.
Commodore HillIard and Sir Thomas were talking
to John G. Carlisle. former Secretary of the Treas
ury, and to two members of Parliament who
now guests the Erin.
The yacht was heading half south as she
went toward the ocean the starboard tack. and
at the end OF half hour from the start she
went about into the port tack and headed south
by west half west, thus showing that she
working in no better than nine points.
Then she to the starboard tack and headed
east by south, and in the next port tack at 248
she pointed at south-southwest. For the
ond time this showed a sailing nine points for
the two tacks
After going to the starboard tack she headed
at east-southeast which. taken with the last tack
showed a working in exactly eight points but in
all the sailing the sails were rap fun, without a
shiver IN them anywhere. and 1t is quite certain
that she could have sailed considerably closer
pecialy if the jibtopsail had been She
would have made better windward work with the
big clubtopsail and no jibtopsai but it clear
that the boat not out to show her speed or
how she could point. She can. however. work in
points. She lies up to three and half points
from the winds eye.
On this point probably hangs the cup. II she
can travel at a really good pace while working in
seven points she can do better than the Columbia
the Constitution OF any other boat known But
TO DO a whole lot better than in her yesterdays
performance to equal the PAGES and pointing of
the Columbia
The WING improved IN strength at O'Clock and
soon the Shamrock had eight mile wind
hustle her Sycamore gave her good full. as she
went out seaWard, heading east by south. She
left the Unity at the rate OF about a mile hour
when the tug travelling about ten knots. AS
the wind veered she afterward came up high
southeast by east and then went to the port
tack at 3:G. when she Stacked off her mainsheet
and travelled back for the Hook.
She now had the wind two points abaft abeam
and as judged BY the way she left the ten knot
but very easily, and with appearance of effort
In this course she met the 90-foot yaWl Vigilant
which coming out through the channel with
The yawl tackled after passing and followed the
emerald flyer toward her moorings. but she
snaked out away from her if she anchored
When seen on the Erin later Sir Thomas said
that a,, his progranme was to sal, every day this
| on Monday and Tuesday. for the purpose of hav-
ing the paint cleaned and polished for the chal-
lenge races which begin on Saturday, September
York Yacht Club This Will probably y' be -" done at
F, the same time as the Columbia is measured at
the Erie Basin On Friday. September 90 the
boat Will go for trial spin over the Americas
Cup course, and the following day she Will sail
| her first for the Cup.
she worked out yesterday the Shamrock
| travelled dead to windward a rate less than
six miles hour. but there a strong flood
| tide sitting her back very perceptibIy The first
! Shanrocks best record in her trials off SANDY
I Hook when she did fifteen miles to dead
windward at the rate of six miles and seventytwo-
miles an hour-into the winds eye.
Captain Wripge is now on the Erin I'm ad-
/ vsory capacity He did not sail yesterday on the
! Shamrock His present business is TO criticise
! range, as 1t were.