Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-09-29

/ coming more southerly as the day pro-
/ crossed. The long grassy swell. al
ways forerunner OF a storm. came in
7 with considerable force and the roll o,
/ the sea from southwark caused by the
+ disturbance down the coast made 1t I'M
pleasant for those not accustomed TO
/ ocean waves. The Columbia hoisted
/ her white sails, sweated them up till
/ they showed not the slightest wrinkle
! or soft spot in their whole surface.
/ When once Her canvas was up and
sheeted home, the Columbia cast loose
from her tug and took a spin seward,
steering away to the southeast in order
to test the strength of the wind and
sea The Shamrock when she let go
her tow stood to the eastward and in
series of preliminary lacks got her
canvas in trim for the serious business
of the day. The wind had freshened a
bit when the tug Navigator, with the
regatta committee aboard, anchored at
/ the southeasterly end of the line with
/ Sandy Hook lightship forming the
/ other extremity. Soon afterwards sig
nails were hoisted on the committee
I tug denoting that the course would be
east by south fifteen miles to wind
| ward and return. The preparatory
I gun Was uIeu DIT ~ ~ nC SOiuhiSiN
had secured meanwhile
Berth to windward of the Line,
while the Shamrock was eurvettin'
about to a considerable distance TO lee
ward. Baby jibs were hoisted in stops
on both boats and the Britisher was
j first to break out her sails to the
/ breeze. Captain Sycamore was at her
/ tiller down on the leeward side as
n. 4, l. Do.
was at the wheel The force of the
wind was now fully nine knots an
| hour Ii was sometimes puffy and oc-
| casionally reached the dimensions of
seupper breeze, when the yachts
heeled to its length. The warning
gun was fired at 10: SO and at that time
both yachts had worked to windward
of the line with the Shamrock near the
weather position. At the warning sig
nal both yachts bore down and came
to leeward Then the Columbia luffed
sharp on the port tack with Shamrock
close on her heels. At 1888 the CO.
lumbia went on the starboard tack.
this manoeuvre being repeated by her
rival. The Shamrock IuGed to wind
| ward of the Columbia and when the
starting gun came had splendid po-
sition and went over the line two sec
| onds ahead of her rival and well placed
in the wndward berth. For once the
doughty Barr had met his equal in the
starting trick. Columbia tried in vain
to work out through the lee of her op-
| ponent Several short lacks were
taken, but in spite of all efforts she
could not get clear She was jammed
under
The Lee of the Challenger,
position not often occupied by the
old defender. The Columbia on the
port tack tried to cross the bows of
the Shamrock, but in vain. The chal-
lenger having the right of way forced
her about instead of going under her
rivals stern, the Columbia preferred
the position under her lee bow SO long
as she could get the wind free. At
11:40 Shamrock had a good lead of
nearly three hundred yards. When the
vessels were on the port tack they en-
countered pretty hard sea. While on
the starboard tack, the sea smote them
abeam. The Shamrock appeared to
splash more against the nose enders
than the Columbia, but the splashing
did not retard her speed in the least.
Not tremor could be detected in the
luffs of the sails of either racer. Both
were handled to perfection and were
given a good clean full, not the least
culver being allowed to make itself
manifested in a single cloth. By sew
eral sharp tacks the Columbia again
tried to work herself out of the lee
ward position-all efforts, however,
were futile. At 1854 both boats on
the port tack were heading for the
outer mark, which on this occasion
was the tug Edgar 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 lead of at least
400 yards, and as she approached the
mark it was seen that she had handlly
beaten the old defender in the wind
ward work She turned in excellent
style and with main boom square OF
to port, the spinnaker boom was low
cred to starboard. The Columbia made
an equally good turn. The official
Time mt the Mark was as FOl1ows'
Shamrock, 1:25:12.
Columbia, 1853.
The Shamrock in her beat to wind
ward had thus gained 80 seconds. She
had beaten the Columbia, but had not
overcome the handicap of AZ SECONDS
time allowance which under the rules
of the New York Yacht club she was
compelled to coneede. There was con-
siderable delay in setting spinnakers'
The Shamrock waiting apparently Tor
the Columbia and luffing out in order
to prevent a blanket Finally at 81
the Columbia broke out her splnnaKer
and at the same time tremendous
balloon lib. Shamrock smartly FOL
lowed suit. In the heavy roll or the
sea which was not on the port quarter,
of the two boats, the main booms trail
ed in the water as they lurched to lee
ward These were tauted Up clear OF
the sea. thereby spelling somwhat the
set of the main sails. The stern chase
is a long chase but slowly the old Co
lumbia crawled up on the new Sham