The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1901-10-04
COLUMBIA WON FIRST RACE
BEST YACHT RACE YET RUN
Shamrock IL. Was Ahead over Hnif
the Course-EngIish Were Jub. liant
-COIumhia Took II sDurt and won
Out-Lipton Steam Yacht i'm Col
lision-Was Slightly Injured.

New York. Sept 29.-In the closest
and most soul stirring race ever sailed
FOR the Americas cup, the white flyer
Columbia Saturday beat the British
challenger over a windward and lee
ward course of 80 nautical miles by
the narrow, heart breaking margin
of 80 seconds. AS LiptOn's latest aspi-
rant for cup honors must allow the
defender AZ seconds on account of the
extra 1913 50. TT. of canvas in her sail
area, the official record, under the
rules, gives her the victory by min
ute and % seconds.
AS a spectacle the contest was SUI
perb. From the time the two sky
scraping racers crossed the starting
line until they fed across the finish
line. four and a half hours later, the
result was in doubt and the excitement
aboard the excursion fleet increased
until men became frenzied and women
almost hysterical.
So evenly matched were these two
scientific racing machines that never
after they started were the rival skip
pers out of each others hail and more
than three quarters of the time they
were so close that Charlie Barr, who
had the tiller aboard the Columbia,
could have tossed a biscuit to Captain
Sycamore on the Shamrock. For miles
as they beat their way to the outed
mark the black shadow of Shamrocks
huge topsail was painted on the big
mainsail of the Columbia and for an
hour on the run home, with the yachts
flying like scared deer before the wind,
they ran almost beam to beam. as If
they had been harnessed together.
The memory of the races between the
Genesta and the Puritan in 1885 and
Lord Dunraven's first Valkyrie and
the Vigilant in 1898, which have been
treasured by yachtsmen up to this
time. will be forgotten after this mag
nificent duel. 1t will live forever in
the memory of those who witnessed
it. In the years to come yachtsmen of
two nations will recount the thrilling
story of the celebrated first race be
tween the Columbia and the Sham
rock H.. sailed off New York harbor
in the first year of the new century.
AS result Of the race, though faith
in the Columbia still remains in the
hearts of the patriots all the experts
admit that the British boat is the
ablest sloop sent to these waters tC
life the 100 guinea cup which the old
schooner America brought across the
Atlantic so years ago, and the superb
ority Of American seamanship and
American naval architecture as repre-
scented by the defender remains to be
established The quality of a sailing
ship is measured by her ability tC
carve her way into an adverse wine
and in the Is miles thresh to wind
ward today the golden challenger
gained 80 seconds while on the ruI
home her lead was eaten up and the
Columbia crossed the finish line eX
actly 81 seconds before Shamrock. l
must be remembered that the chal
lenger had the weather gauge in thu
beat to windward. no mean advantage
and the nautical experts said afte
the race that during the outward jour
ney she had been sailed to absolute
perfection, while before the wind tn
American not only showed a ieete
pair of heels, but, in the opinion o
the sharps. was better handled
The start was thrilling. The yacht
bounded away across the line like
couple of runaway horses. the cha
lenger half length ahead and to tn
windward In the maneOuvering be
fore the start Captain Sycamore ha
given the willy Yankee skipper a gent
inc surprise, returning a Roland 70
the Oliver he received on Thursday
Just when Barr thought he had hir
under his lee the Englishman deaC
ened his Roadway and then luffed III
der the Columbia's stern into tn
weather berth. This victory for tn
Shamrock at the very first of the rae
the Columbia could not overcome
the long beat to windward.
The two big yachts were an inspi
ing sight to the spectators as the
plunged seward, pounding gres
fountains Of spray from their bow
and drenching the crews lined u
along the weather rail. They heele
tc the wind until their lee rails wei
awash in the swirlng. bubbling sea
and from the windward side the
showed yards Of their bronze undo
bodies Neck and neck, tack an
tack. they raced like a team of horse
Dismay began to be written on II
faces of the patriots as Barr trie
once twice and finally a third time