The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-09-01

i "
New York, August 27.-Witn Reliance
less than a mile from the finish n
| Shamrock III, hull down on the hori-
| ION, fully two miles astern of the gal
liant defender, the fourth race Of the
present series for the Americas Cup
today was declared off, because of the
| expiration of the time limit of five and
one-half huours, as happened on Thurs
day last. Although, officially, it was no
! race, the defeat administered to the
challenger was so ignominious that
whatever lingering hope remained in
the breasts of the friends of Sir
Thomas boat, vanished into thin air.
| Reliance's victory was in every way
more decisive han that of last Satur-
day. Out-sailed, o~ut-pointed aid
: start to finish.
The Herreshoff wonder beat the
Shamrock hopelessly in the fifteen miles
I of windward work, rounding the outer
! mark II minutes and 80 seconds ahead
of her, a gain in actual time of II min
uteS and 20 seconds, n dow the wind
She steadily increased her lead. The
real race of the day was not against
Shamrock, but it vas seen in the excit-
ing truggle of Reliance in the last
half hour to reach the finish line before
the regatta committee fired the gun
which should the expiration
of the time limit. Had the wind fresh
ened twenty minutes earlier than it did
the cup series would have ended to-
day with three straight Won for the
defender, and Flies famous light
weather boa would have sailed back
to AlbionS shores, one of the most dis
astrously worsted challengers in the
history of the cup contests.
Fully as discouraging as the sailing
qualities displayed by the challenger
was the atrocious name in which she
was handled. The yankee skipper not
only out-manoeuvred his rival in the
spectacular battle for position at the
start, as he has done every time they
have met, but worst still for the down.
hearted supporters of Shamrock. Cap
tain Wringe repeated his hlunder of
Tuesday. He crossed the line in the
wake of Reliance, with a handicap of
slXty-one of the precious seconds for
which Fife a sacrificed so much in
sail spread for time allowance. Both
BOATS, 1t is true, went over after the
handicap gun, but where both are ham
the excursion fleet. Even in the light
air 1t was astonishing how the defen-
der slipped through the placid seas.
With the gentle breeze distending the
surface of her pur white sails and her
stern crowded with tars to hold her
head up, she moved along as serenely
and peacefully as if in a dreamless
sleep. Yet the gap between her and the
challenger steadily Widened until two
miles separated them. Half an hour
from home, when the spectators had
abandoned any idea that the finish line
could be reached in time, the VIM sud
denly freshened and Reliance came
hoWling down at a merry clip. But the
wind a come too late and when still
a few hundred yards from home, the
gun on the tug Navigator doomed
across the water.
The excursion boats held on until she
crossed the line to give her a rousing
welcome and then scampered for New
York. Sir Thomas who, heretofore, has
always followed his champion into the
hook, sent his steam yacht, the Erin.
ahead at full speed, as if to drown out
the memory of the inglorious licking r
got today.
The next race, which will be like the
one attempted today. Is miles to lee
ward and return, will be sailed On Sat
urday.
New York, August 27.-When the
preparatory gun sounded at 1915, the
racers were sailing parallel to the start
ing line and to windward of it, with
Reliance to windward, where Barr
wanted her. At the end of the line.
Shamrock III. luffed and tried TO force
Barr about, but the Yankee would not
yield and Wringe had to give it up and
fill away again.
They crossed TO the opposite end of
he line outside of the line, Shamrock
III, dropping back and luffing TO wind
ward of Reliance on the way. That
was the only time Barr was caught TO
eeWard. Lufiing hard he sailed a cir
Gle around the challenger, blanketing
her as the STARTING gun sounded, bore
on around under the stern Of the light
ship and luffed across the line, with
a handicap of forty-one seconds.
Shamrock III. followed, handicapped
by one minute and forty-two second,
n minute and one second of which
was lead loss. The official starting
time for both boats was Hop but their
actual start as timed by the regatta
committee was as follows:
Reliance 11:02:41.
Shamrock 11:03:42.
Captain Wringe had lost the best
part Of his time allowance. The Re-
lance was leading by about three hun
dred yards. Twenty-Five minutes after
the start, Shamrock had lost ground
n as they lay about the same course, !