Evening star., 1901-10-04
NECK k-AND-NECK RACE
Yachts Coming in on Home Stretch
Nearly Even
MAY BE kNYB0DY'S VICTORY
The Wind Throughout Was Fa-
vorabIe to Shamrock.
HAD ON A NEW MAINSAIL

NEW YORK. October 4.-The same strong
northwester which yesterday blew the Co
iumbia to victory prevailed this morning.
A smashing wind scurried across lower
New York bay, kicking up whitecaps IN
! every direction. II blew out the flags aud
pennants on board the feet anchored inside
the Hook as straight as boards. and out to
sea sent a lot Of coasters down the Jersey
coast at lively rate. AS was the case yes
terday. 1t increased steadily after sunrise.
| and at o'clock was blowing from eighteen
to twenty knots. In fact, IL seemed to
have more power than at the same time
yesterday, due. perhaps. to a reported
storm near the Bermudas. Nearly all the
pilot boats on the station off Sandy Hook
were well reefed down. and only the heavy
laden coasting sehooners were able to carry
all sail
There was an added touch OF frost In the
air, but overhead a brilliant sun shone from
a clear autumn sky, and wind and weather
were absolutely perfect for today's contest.
Under the rules, today's race was fifteen
miles to windward or leeward and return.
and 1t was foregone conclusion that the
course would he dead run before the wind
to the first mark and IL the wind held true
a long beat back to the finish. II was in
the Columbia gave the Shamrock / a de-
cisve beating Of over six minutes.
Ii Was Shamrock weather.
It was again Shamrock weather, or at
least what the golden yacht people have
been asking for.
The yachting experts looked forward
with keen interest to the splendid run be-
fore the wind today promising a fair
test of the Shamrocks ability in that d.
rection. Yesterday the American boat
demonstrated her superiority on the
close reach, the broad reach and the wind
ward work, but as yet the two racers have
not met under good conditions in a run
square before the wind. While Saturdays
race was of this description the wind was
so light and uncertain that none OF the
sharps considered It as decisive.
The crews of both yachts spent the early
morning hours in a final and thorough in
spection of rigging and sails to make sure
that nothing had been sprained or weak
ened in yesterdays strong wind.
Both yachts got away from their moor
ings earlier than usual this morning. the
Shamrock instead Of waiting until she got
outside, hoisting her mainsail inside the
Hook. The Columbia however, went out
under tow. with bare poles and before
o'clock both the flyers had passed outside
Sandy Hook. The splendid breeze still he'd
true and strong and way out beyond the
lightship was kicking the blue water into
whitecaps.
New Sail ON Shamrock.
The mainsail run up on the Shamrock IL
one not before used In her races here II
wrinkled badly at first, but by the time
the lightship was reached it was setting
spendidly.
The Navigator, the committee boat,
passed out at 9:25 O'clock followed shortly
by the guard boats. and the first boats of
the excursion fleet soon after passed
through the Narrows. Shortly before 10
O'Clock the Columbia hoisted her mainsal
and soon after dropped her tow
By 10:15 O'Clock both boats were standing
off and on and around the lIghtship with
mainsails and club topsails up. The wind
was still going merrily when the commit
tee boat took up her position to the south
of the lightship and hoisted a signal tho
letter &C. indicating that the course
would be fifteen miles seuth-southeast TO
leeward and return.
Neither Captain Barr nor Captain Syca-
more seemed to fear the wind for both set
their No. 1 or largest club topsails, though
yesterday Captain Sycamore, in a wind OF
the same strength, had invited some crit
icism because he did not apparently make
the best use of the cloth at his disposal.
He used a No. jib topsail. while Barr
was using his No. L. and distinctly lost
ground in the second leg.
The excursion feet had by this time be-
gan to gather back of the line. and 1t was
fully as large as any of the preceding days.
Preparatory Gun Fired.
When the preparatory gun was fired at
10:45 both boats were to the windward OF
the line and holding away from It, as
neither skipper nted to cross first. The
windward position was the coveted one. as
IL gave the stern boat an opportunity OF
bIanketing the other. There was some
pretty tockeying for this berth, and ten