Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-28
RELIANCE WON 1T.
To-Day's Race Taken By the
 New Yacht.
CONSTITUTION KNOCKED OUT

Met With an Accident Early in the
 Race and Gave Up-The Boats Got
 Away. Shortly After 12 O'clock, With
 Columbia First, Reliance Second and
 Constitution Last.
 NIatinicock Point, May 28.--It was dull and lowering when the crews of the cup yachts, the Reliance, Const1tu- tion and Columbia, came on deck this anorning to prepare for the fourth race over the Glen Cove course, but half 9 { gale was missing out of the south southwest and there was every indica- tion of some grand sport in the Sound with free sheets, smooth seas ana winds that follow fast.
 Tn fact it looked early in the morn ing as If the yachts would have anotn- CT contest over the same course as was sailed on Tuesday. It was hoped, now ever. that the breeze to-day would change more to the westward so that the yachts might have longer trial in the wind, as the narrow confines of the Sound prevent much windWard Worrk in southerly or northerly breezes.
 Before the crews of the yachts had . finished their breakfasts the clouds had seemingly shut in closer and 1t looked at that time as if q rainstorm was about to begin. But 1t held o1T, ana the men boarded the yachts about 5 o'clock, when they began to get up the big mainsails. The shippers, seeming lively work and plenty of wind, or dered on deck the small clubtopsalls and the crews made prepafa tions to ser these sails as soon as the malnsalls were up.
 After the fierce contest on Tuesday it was generally expected that there would be a great crowd of amateur sailors at the race to-day
 While the yaehtsmen were 1nspecu- ing rigging, putting sails in stops, ana making numerous other preparations, a rattling 12-knot breeze was kicking up a foam-crested sea on, the Sound, and it was very evident that the bright new sails would be wet down with spray as the big ninety-footers nosed into the sea- An early shower seemed to fiatten the wind, however, and it soon decreased to 8 knots. The first to raise the mainsail was the Re- lianee over across the Sound off Pre- nium Point. The excursion feet seemed to have been intimidated by the threatening weather, and 1t was late In the forenoon before any of the big steam craft appeared.
 When the committee boat arrived at the starting point the wind had shift ca to the southwest, and an hour bel fore the time set for the start it look ed as if the yachts would sail one of the long triangular courses, with a run or broad reach down the Sound to- Eat0n's Point, another short reach across the Sound to Green Ledge light and then long beat back to the fin-1 dsh. It was expected at this time that an eleven mile beat to the Windward would give the yachts the best course they have yet had on that point of. sailing The Reliance left her moor ing at 10:45 and stood across the Sound under three lower sails. The other boats were still at their moorings in Glen Cove when the Reliance arrived about the start.
 The preliminary signal was sounded at 12 o'clock and the boats got off as follows: Columbia 12:15:16, Reliance 12:16:3S and the Constitution 12:16:56 The Constitution by raising a balloon lib crawled up rapidly on the other two boats and the Reliance and the Consti tuition passed the Columbia one-half mile from the start, The Reliance and Constitution were luffing all the way to Lloyd's Neck, and at this point it ' looked as though the Reliance was lead ing the Constitution.
 At 12:50 a schooner came between the yachts and the observers on shore. When she moved away the Constitu- tion had down her clubtopsail and was heading for Huntington harbor She appeared to have met with an accident. The turning time for the first mark was: Reliance 1:13:28 and Columbia 1:16:10. The exact nature of the ac- cident to the Constitution could not be determined. but it appeared certain that at least her topmast had been car- ried away. She made no attempt to continue in the race.
 As the Constitution drew nearer 1t was seen that the topmast was gone, but the mainmast was still standing. The Reliance won the race crossing the winning line at 2:26:27 and the Columbia at 2:33:3S.