The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-04


loose her tug and a moment later her
head sails We're broken out from their
stops and she made a clean run for the
iightship. The Colum bia, which had been
husging the easterIy end of the line,
,eased off sheets and stood for the mark.
Gsnals already were hoisted from the
committee boat that the course would be
triangular: that there would be two close
reaches and one dead beat to windward
for home.
SCUPPER BREEZE.
Ike yachts heeled to a. scupper breeze
when the preparatory gun was fred at
1G:45. The Columbia far to the eastward
stood down before the wind for the line.
Meanwhile the Shamrock was circling
round the lightshp. Before the warning
gun was fired. ten minutes after the prep
Sratory signal. Columbia. was ahead anG
not wanting to cross the line too early
iuffed up with her head sails shaking
until she almost stood still. This put
the Shamrock in the better position. and.
wearing close round. she crossed the line
almost with the gun, while the. Columbia
elected to cross considerably more than
one minute behind
Many experts thought that the Colunl-
ba would be handicapped. but Barr
on the alert and sent her across in time
to save himself With the wind forward
on the port beam and with a tiny jfb
topsail set on the Shamrock and a much
larger and better pulling sail on he Co
.Imbia, the yachts started ont on the
first leg of the triangle. During the first
few minutes is was impossible to say
whether the Columbia was gaining or
not. In the gusts of wind she seemed to
keel over less than the challenger and
also appeared to steer q slightly higher
course.
WIND VARIED.
The wind. though holding true from
rcrth-northweSt. varied III violence. Oc-
casionally a heavy squaEl would strike
one OF the racers. causing her to heel.
but taking the mean Of the puffs neither
could be said to have been more IA
vored. 1t soon became apparent that the
race was to be sailed in very quick time
The gain of the Columbia. which the
turn of the first mark proved she haG
made. was almost imperceptible. To-
ward the mark the wind freshened. The
Columbia. with a lesser sail spread
seemed to stand SITTER than her rival,
but there was tie to choose between,
them They smotheref, along toward the
mark. and when they rounded it the
Columbia had gained only twenty-five
seconds.
The gybe on both craft was we'll done.
Ui4uer the same sail as they started they
both stood for the second mark. The
of the puffs the Shamrock had to huff
a little to ease her to the fore of the
breeze. The Columbia. on the contrary,
was allowed to feel the full power of
every squall, never being easeG, and it
was this that helped her ahead. In spite
of the larger sail spread Of her rival she
was never left behind, but kept UP with
the challenger.
CLOSER SAILING
1t became apparent at this time that
the Columbia had sailed over one-half
of the second leg. that she had saved.
her time. and was, barring accidents.
winning. Her skipper. instead of nurs-
ing her through the squalls. let her feel
the strength of them, while the Sham
rocks larger spread Of sail caused her
to make imperative tufts or else carry
away something. In a reaching breeze
closer and finer sailing perhaps was
never seen. There were frequent occa-
sions when the collapse of a topmast
seemed almost due. But everything hung
| on.
, Now the second mark was in sight.
| and at 12:45 iib-topsais were dowsed on
| both yachts and they luffed round it.
! Shamrock in the lead. but the watches
| showing Columbia's gain on this leg to
! be thirty seconds. It was now a dead.
| beat to windward to the finish line. The
| Columbia was now the leading craft from
| the mathematical point of view. She had
| gained on both legs and also had her
time allowance of 43 seconds to help her.
! Thus, if she could hold her own to the
| finish, the race was hers. In rounding
| the mark the boats split tacks. Shamrock
| standing on the starhoard tack for a few
! hundred yards. Columbia went on the,
| port tack for a while and then at Loo
both We're on the starboard tack Then
! began splendid thresh to windward.
OUT-POINTIsD5 SHAMROCK.
The Columbia out-pointed the Sham
| rock. but the challenger seemed to be
| going little faster. At lis, the Colum
! bia ran like a streak of lightning through
! the lee Of the Shamrock. luffed out across
/ her bow and for the first time in the
race she was leading and the windward
boat.
AT 1870 both boats went on the por,
tack standing toward the Long Island
shore. There was little CT no difference
between them on this board At i Al both
the boats went on the starboa-d tack
for the finish line. Then came the big
gest pun of all. The Shamrock had three
or four strakes of the deck under water.
and ran risks, hoping to diminish her
defeat or even to win But 1t was In
vain. She made.up little OF her leewav.
and the Columbia crossed the line a