The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-23
RELIANCE OUTSA|LS
BRITISH CHALLENGER
1icnnt,,,,oa from First Page.)

starboard tack. 1t was u mngnificee mt
sight as tfoy plunged sea"ara ~ ING
twelve Knot zrecze, pounding fountains OF
spray from their bows and leaning to 1t
until the water swirled and dubbed along
their lee rails Thc crews were pileu up
along the weather side to hold the great
racing machines up.
y The few minutes of the tiresh! to wind
ward were watched with intense interest,".
Both were footing like mad. Ihey sno~ea
yards Of their underbodes, ana snlppeu'
~ good deal of spray and some soild WAFER
forward.
But after fifteen minutes Of sailing their
positions had not varied perceptibly, and
there was, alarm among the eApeT!S'
Those who had expected to see the Hell-5
ar &c walk away from her adversary, as
a result Of last Thursdays showing, We're
disappointed. The Shamrock huns on
with bulldog tenacty, ana tack al.ci
tack she seemed to be holding her own.
e For thirteen miles challenger and chal-
lenged fought out the magnificent duel,
sailing between two lanes of excursion
boats, as free from interference as II
they had been in the middle OF the Al
5lantic. All the time tho wind was In
screasing, and the white caps were whiten-
ing the waves In tunbled ardor.
Critical Point.
The critical point In tho race came at
1910 P. NJ, little less than Two hourS
after the start The mark was less than
two miles away. and the relative posi-
lions OF the boats were about tas same.
Both were on the starboard tack. the re
lance ahead, but to eeward. Suddenly
the wind dropped and hauled trlhe to
the west. The shift enabled the yachts to
head UP for tho mark. with the reliance
In the lead by about 200 yards. This was
the only thing which married an otherwise
truly sailed race. But from that time on
the Reliance steadily increased her lead
in the windward work until she was
tllree-quarters Of mile ahead. AS she
rounded the outer mark the whistles
sirens. bands and the voices Of the I'M
numbered thousands on the excursion
fleet swelled into a vast chorus
~ Turning for home, her splnnaker boom
noised along tho mast like lance at rest
fell to port, and the big sail burst out
like a cloud, while at the same moment
her enormous balloon lib topsail bellied
out forward. The smart work OF the
Yankees cheered the crowd; but mo-
'ment afterwards there was dlsmay, when
tho guy which held the spinnaker polo
parted or was carried away. The enor-
nous sail scared aloft and tumbled over
the lib topsail stay, collapsing like an
empty meal sack. But the spar was soon
hauled back Into place, and then, Win ner
three balloon sails setting like plaster,
the stately yacht sped homeward before
the following wind like scared deer.
The fleet remained to salute the Sham
rock as she rounded, and then, with a
Jingle OF bells in the engine-rooms,
scampered away for the finish line to be
In at the death.
Bad Luck.
In setting her balloon lib the Sham
rock encountered another piece of bad
luck One Of the stops would not break
out and the sail hung for some minutes
like limp rag on the stay When both
had been squared away for home 1t was
seen that the Reliance was making a
runa way race OF it.ssNVith! her crew ait
to keep her head up, she SKINNED along
the surface of the water like q gull with
outstretched pinions. leaving the Sham-
rock farther and farther astern. Tho
pace was SO fast that many Of the tugs
and not a few Of the steam yachts were
| left behind
The scene at the finish was soul stir
ring. Under her towering cloud Of can
vas, rolling rythmically In the swell, the
| Reliance bounded across the vlewless
| finish line like a queen. The excursion
boats gathered there fairly awakened
| the echoes with the terrific; din which
they let loose Such pendemonium car
only be heard when an American yacht
is victorious in a cup race
l Then the immense concourse OF vessels
waited Until the Shamrock majestic ever
In defeat, swept by between the STAKE
boats. The reception she received was
II anything, moro hearty than that ac'
corded TO her successful rival.