Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-08-27

down into position on the leeward side of the line, and both boats, when .the starting gun was fired, were on the windward side, heading over toward the hghtship. Reliance then pulled by Shamrock and rounding the lightship, headed for the line on the port tack. In the meantime the handicap signal had been fired and Reliance, coming slowly for the line, finally crossed it nearly a minute later. Shamrock was more than a minute astern of the American boat and had handicap of two minutes and five seconds.
 For boat that needed all the possi- ble time she could get, Shamrock was badly handled at the start. It was the worst start an English boat has made in an Americas cup contest for many years.
 Both yachts crossed the line on the port tack, but a few minutes after Shamrock tackled to starboard, fol lowed immediately after by Reliance. At :15 both yachts were headed a little north of east, sailing very slowly on the starboard tack. Reliance was well in the lead. and seemed to have gained some little distance in the first fifteen minutes of the race. The wind at that time was bloiwng about i've knots.
 The wind as the yachts sailed further away from the lightship seemed very tickle and at 1:20 Shamrock was head ing four or five points off the course sailed by Reliance. Tn fact, Reliance, twenty minutes after the start, had an apparent lead of nearly half mile.
 The conditions of the start gave Re liance a very decided advantage, for though both yachts are officially timed as crossing at n :O2, Shamrock actually crossed one minute and seven seconds behind her competitor, thereby reduc- ing the time which Reliance must over come in her time allowance one mln- ute and seven seconds Thus the Hell aIlce in actual sailing only has to over come in time allowance fifty seconds.
 At 11:55 the yachts had sailed three miles and the Reliance was at this time one-half mile in the lead.
 At 12:15 the wind which had not been very strong, freshened and began to blow at the rate of seven miles an hour. When the boats were four miles from the outer mark at 1 o'clock the Reliance had a commanding lead.
 At 1:1S the Reliance had gained con siderably and was leading by about eight minutes and was dead to wind ward. From that time until a quarter CT 2 the Reliance seemed to gradually draw away from Shamrock and soon had a lead of a mile. The unofficial time for turning the outer mark was Reliance 1:42; Shamrock 1:48.
 About half-past the yachts ran into haze which almost obscured them, but one could be seen making slowly for the finish line x,s>
 A dispatch by the Marconi system says the Reliance turned the outer mark twelve minutes and thirty sec- onds ahead of the Shamrock.
 At 2:3S one yacht was still 1istin- guishab1e making for home under spin maker, and accompanied by the excur- sion feet. At this time she had sailed but three miles from the outer turn
 At 2:43 the Reliance was observed making for the lightship very slowly. but it was expected she would finish within the time limit
 At 2:5O both boats were in view and apparently Reliance was leading by over mile. The yachts sailed the first four or five miles of the home ward course very slowly. The Reli- ance with her great sail spread contin- ued to gain and at 2;5O was over mile in the lead. Unless the wind de- creased the Reliance was a certain winner and Sir Thomas's third effort to win the Americas cup was doomed to failure.
 The wind began to break a little from the south and most of the excursion fleet kept to the left, but others hur- ried forward for good position near the finishing line At 3 o'clock the Re liance was still eight miles from the lightship and looked to be leading the Shamrock by mile and one-haIf.
 At 3:20 the contest had developed into a race between Reliance and time. The Reliance at this time had six miles of the course to go to reach the hghtshfp. To do that she will have to sail the six miles in one hour. and ten minutes and this looks like a hopeless task unless the wind fresh ems.
 The Shamrock was hopelessly astern. On passing an imaginary line the Re liance was leading by fifteen minutes. which would make the Shamrock aboyt two miles in the rear.