New-York tribune., 1903-07-24
RELIANCE WINS AGAIN.
COLUMBIA FAR BEHIND.
EImina and Isolde First for Astor
Cups-ConStitution Not Out.
fBE TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE }

of a fog which set in about an hour before the
finish. shutting the yachts from view for half an
hour the race for the Astor Cup to-day was
success. The contest sailed in fresh breeze
from the southwest varying in strength from
eight to fifteen knots and IN a sea that was quite
rough enough to satisfy the most ardent yachts
man. The small sloofs made plucky hght In the
steep seas.
starters for the Astor cups. The schooner prize,
which was won by F. F. BTewster's Elnina, is five
pieces Of silver plate The sloop trophy won by
the cutter Isolde, steered by her owner, Frederick
NJ Hoyt, is a gold bronze cup.
The extreme draught of the 9O-footers barred
them from sailing for the Astor cups. under the
new racing rules Of the club the Reliance and
the Columbia sailed a special race for cup Of
fered by the club The Reliance won easily, beat
ing her opponent by IS minutes 49 seconds. The
Constitution unable to get a new topmast In
time. she did not start
There hope almost up to the time OF the
start that the Constitution would put IN ap-
pearance and there was great disappointment
when she did not do so Some good racing be-
tween the smaller sloops and the schooners
assured however, and SO the great throng Of spec
tators settled down to watch the start, and very
exciting ana picturesque one it proved
STRONG WIND AT START.
The wind was blowing with a strength Of about
ten knots, from the southwest. when the commit
tee yacht Riviera anchored cables length TO the
southeast of Brentons Reef hghtship, establishing
the starting line The course signals TX "" mean
ing that the Block Island course had been chosen,
hoisted. This course made 1t beat to the
windward of thirteen and a half miles mark
anchored mile east of the north point OF Block
Island. thence eighteen miles northeast by
east three-fourths east course TO mark two miles
southwest by west from West Island Light, thence
west by north one-eighth north six and a half
miles to the finish line
Promptly at II a. the preparatory signal
given for the sloop classes and minutes later
they started First away after the gun Henry
f. Lippits Weetamoe. steered by her owner. She
crossed on the starboard tack F. Lothrop Amess
yawl Vigant, George NJ Pynchon's Nicola, F. NJ.
Smiths Effort. Thomas NJ McKees Senta, the
Homan brothers Aspirant and F. NJ Hoyt's Isolde
followed in that order. all the port tack. the
Effort being to windward.
Then came the schooners at lis, led by the FL
nina, which crossed the line on the port tack
close under the committee boats stern and IN the
weather berth with Morton +. Plants schooner
Ingomar close IN her wake and pointing for the
Elmina's weather quarter The Ariel crossed next
and last with Hank" Han at the wheel and then
attention was turned to the ''nineties." They were
to start at II so
1t was the queerest start the nineties made.
1t was battle royal between Edwin D. Morgan
and Captain Barr for the best position. Mr.. Nor
gan won out, for Barr sent the Reliance across
the line too soon. He was recalled. and lost all
the advantage he had fought for by mscalculat-
ing his position.
MR. MoRGANS CLEVER SAILING.
Neither yacht was near the line when the start
ing signal was given. They had been mannuvring
TO the southwest Of it and were then standing away
from it on the port tack each waiting for the
other to keep off Barr did first. He brought
the Reliance around on her heel to the starboard
tack and. with the wind aft, headed for the line
in the opposite direction from which he should
cross it-that is, from the southwark. The Colum-
bia executed exactly the same manoeuvre hanging
-TCe ellis
They had not only used up the five minutes al
lowed them for starting. but also the handicap
time of two minutes and the final gun had been
fred for two minutes and six seconds when the
Reliance went about the line from the star
board to the port tack and stood on. Barr be-
ueving he had crossed the line. The Columbia
went to the northeast few seconds longer before
tackng, and actually crossed the line at u;49I0,
while the Reliance was recalled by the committee
Tackng across the bow Of the committee boat, she
made a complete circuit OF her in thiTty-nine
seconds, and crossed the line two minutes and
forty-ntne seconds after the handicap gun.
Such playing for places in marine battle was
revelation to many who had watched II with
breathIess interest and now every the
amateur skipper made against the professional was
noted, the other sloops and the schooners then
being miles away over toward the Narragansett
shore Mr. Morgan made a couple Of quick tacks
with the Columbia after crossing the line TO get
we'll to windward before the Reliance caught him.
Barr tackled at u:50 to starboard. and five minutes
later to port
THE COLUMBIA HAS RIGHT OF WAY.
The Reliance was then close under the lee of the
other boats. Each made three tacks in the next
i've minutes, and when they met on opposite tacks
at l2:01:4O the Reliance had to keep off under the
Columbias stern, she having the right of way.
The Columbia then went about on the weather
bow of the Reliance When they next met on op-
posite tacks the Reliance crossed the others bow
and tackled as she had done.
1t had taken the new soop Just Is minutes II
seconds to overtake and weather the Columbia,
and after that it steady gain for her, in the
The Columbia made a brave fight however. Mr.
Morgan taking advantage Of every favorable slant
to edge her to windward. At 1870 the Reliance
had a commanding lead of an eighth OF a mile
and when they passed Point Judith fifteen min
utes later she had increased her lead to a quarter
of mile Some idea OF the work done in beating
thirteen and one-half miles to wndward may be
gathered when IL IS stated that each of these
sOops made nineteen tacks from the start TO the
from full to tull' in tacEiug s minutes 25 sec
ouds used up In tackng.
The time at the Block Island mark was:
HMs; HMs.
KS1a4s Naaisoo i82 81 Is aS colaab 5sIas 1872 q
The crew of the Reliance set her sp!nnaker 10
starboard at l minute SO seconds after rounding
SefoTe the 'V WIND 10 the Vest isa56 a4 SS aPd %
Colum bias spinnaker got foul and it took seven
minutes TO set II The schooner Elmina had made
larger antagonist, the lngomar, but she was only
eleven minutes astern al the weather mark.
chase. which ended in victory for her on time al
lowance, began. The little siXty-fCoter Nicola did
miles in the run before the wind The Old Gun nm
defender Ni5ilaEt also did we'll She started thirty