The age-herald., 1901-09-29
*COLUMBIA, THE GEM OF THE OCEANl'
AMERICAN EAGLE SCREAMS AS
 THE SHAMROCK DROPS BEHIND

hoisted on the committee tug denoting that the course would be east by south, fifteen miles to windward and return. The preparatory gun was fired at lO:4o. The Columbia had secured meanwhile berth to windward of the line, while the Shamrock was curvetting about at con- siderable distance to leeward.
 Baby jibs were hoisted in stops on both boats and the Britisher was first to break out hers to the breeze. Captain Syca- more was at her tiller down on the lee ward side. as usual. On the Columbia Skipper Barr was at the wheel. The force of the wind was now fully fifteen knots an hour. It was sometimes puffy and occasionally reached the dimensions of scupper breeze, when the yachts heeled to It's strength. The warning gun was fired at 10:55 and at that time both yachts had worked to windward of the line, with the Shamrock now in the weather position. At the warning signal both yachts bore down and came to lee ward. There the Columbia luffed sharply on the port tack, with the Shamrock close on her heels. At 1o:5S the Columbia went on the starboard tack, this maneuver be- ing repeated by her rival. The Shamrock luffed up to windward of the Columbia, and when the starting gun came had splendid position and went over the line two seconds ahead of her rival and well
 
 the doughty Charlie Barr met his equal in the starting trick. Columbia tried in vain to work out through the lee of her opponent Several short tackS were talk en, but in spite of all efforts she could not get clear. She was damned under the lee of the challenger, a position not often occupied by the old defender. The Co., lumbia on the port tack tried to cross the bows of the Shamrock, but in vain.
 
 At 1:40 Shamrock had good lead of nearly 300 yards When the vessels were on the port tack they encountered a pret- ty hard sea. While on the starboard tack the sea smote them abeam. The Shamrock appeared to splash more against the nose enders than the Colum-
 bia, but the splashing did not retard her speed in the least. Not tremor could be detected in the luffs of the sails of each racer. Both were handled to per lection and given a good clean fill, not the least quiver being allowed to make itself manifested in a single cloth. By several sharp tacks the Columbia again tried to work herself out of the leeward position. All efforts, however. were futile. At 12:54 both boats pn the port tack were heading for the outer mark. which on this occasion was the tug Ed gar F. Luckenbach, the raft which she carried having failed to right Itself when put overheard The wind now was the freshest of the day The Shamrock had a lead of at least 400 yards. and as she approached the mark it was seen that she had beaten the old defender in the wind ward work. She turned in style and with mainboom square off to port. the spin maker boom was lowered to starboard. The Columbia made an equally good turn. The official time at the mark was as fol- lows:
 Shamrock 1:25:12.
 Columbia 1:26:53.
 The Shamrock in the beat to windward had thus gained thirty nine seconds. She had beaten the Columbia boat for boat, but had not overcome the handicap of forty-three seconds time allowance which under the rules of the New York Yacht Club, she was compelled to con cede. There was considerable delay in setting spinnakers, the Shamrock wait ing apparently for the Columbia and luffing out in order to prevent a blan- ket. Finally at :32 the Columbia broke out her spinnaker and at the same time tremendous balloon jib. Shamrock smartly followed suit. III the heavy
 roll of the sea, which was now on the port quarter of the two boats, the main booms trailed in the water as they lurched forward. These were tauted clear of the sea, thereby spelling some what the set of main sail.
 "A stern chase Is a long chase" but slowly the old Columbia crawled up on the new Shamrock At 2:10 she was abeam and half minute later was the leading boat. Slowly she crept, and at 2:14 was half a length ahead. The wind
 was now dropping light, but in spite of her much larger sail plan, the Sham rock could not prevent the steady, though slow gain of the Columbia. For nearly an hour the race continued without further event. Then at 3:15 the wind freshened
 slightly, filling out the immense sails of the Shamrock Slowly she crept up and lessened the gap between her and the de- fender. Now she was only a half length behind. Now she was very nearly on even terms and 1t became a matter of doubt as to which boat would first cross the line, less than a mile away.
 Tt was the last of the many exciting moments of the cont est for very soon the
 Columbia, getting her wind free again, pulled out lead that left the result no longer in doubt. She crossed the line a winner. not only on time allowance, but boat for boat
 The official time for the race follows: Shamrock-Start, 11:00:14; outer mark, 1:25:12; finish, 3:8l 5S; elapsed time, 43l A; corrected time 4:31:44. ..... .. Columbia-Start, 11:00:16; outer mark, :25:53; finish 3:81 :23; elapsed time, 4:st :07: corrected time 4:9O:22 ...... The next race will be over a triangular
 course ten miles to a leg, and will be aailad naYf Tt1ac