The San Francisco call., 1901-10-04

N whole-sail breeze, which heeled
NJ the big cup contestants down un-
4 y til their lee rails were awash in
the foaming seas, Herreshoff' S
white wonder, the Columbia, to-day beat
Watson'S British creation, the Shamrock
II, over a triangular course Of thirty
miles by two minutes and fifty-two sec
onds, actual time. With the forty-three
seconds which the Irish sloop must allow
the American boat on account of her
larger sail plan the Columbia won the
second race of the series by three min
utes and thirty-five seconds.
The fastest race ever sailed in a cup
contest, it was not only a royal struggle
from a spectacular point of view, but it
was absolutely decisive as to the merits
Of the two racing machines. There is not
yachting sharp who witnessed the race
to-day who is not firmly convinced that
the defender is the abler boat blow high
or blow low, beating, reaching or running,
and that Sir Thomas and his merry Brit
ish tars are doomed to return home emp
ty-han6ed.
Again the ancient piece of silver, which
was brought across the western ocean
fifty years ago, is safe. Again American
supremacy in marine architecture has
wishing for breeze that would bury the
Shamrock lee rail, and to-day he had it,
just as he hal a similar breeze in the
concluding race two years ago, when the
Shamrock over six minutes.
Wind Is Strong and True.
The wind to-day was strong and true,
blowing about eighteen knots from the
northwest and at every point of sailing,
except perhaps running before the wind,
in which the defender has already taken
the measure of the challenger, the YAM
kee sloop proved herself ADLER than the
Watson model From the time she, crossed
the starting line, one minute and thirty
four seconds behind the mug-hunter, until
she picked up and passed the Irish boat,
three miles after rounding the second
mark, the Columbia S pace was faster and
she behaved better than her rival.
Reaching for the first mark, ten miles
down the Long Island shore, with the
wind abaft the beam, she gained twenty
second stake she gained thirty seconds,
and in the thrash to windward on the leg
home she gained exactly two minutes.
Not perhaps as thrilling as the remark
able contest Of last Saturday, to-day's
race was, nevertheless, stirring from start
to finish, and as marine spectacle it
could hardly have been surpassed. 1t was
an ideal October day at sea. There was
just enough frostiness to clear the atmos-
phere and make the whole course visible
from shore. The breeze from the land
piled up little swells, but it was strong
enough to whip the frOth out of the rae
ing waves until it whitened the face of
the sea. Its claws caught the black
smoke from the stacks of the excursion
fleet and the white steam from their eX-
haust pipes and tore them into fragments.
The ensigns and flags with which the YES
sells were dressed stood out like painted
boards. The tall, canvaS-clouded racers
heeled as the wind smote them until their
crews could with difficulty keep their
footing Oh the slippery, sloping decks, and
the squirting spray was tossed thirty feet
high they shook their lean noses free
from the foaru1rg crests- On the thrash
20 windWard their decks were a smother
Of white and fountains of foam circled
AWAY from their graceful bows