The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-23
WHY THE RELIANCE Won.
Better Scar anship Aboard and More
Power BEFORE the wind

ROVER HefOfe ehe WIND.
Tho Reliance won the race yesterday
by clever handling on the part Of Capt
Barr and because she Ia a much fast err boat
of the wind than the Shamrock. Turning
TO windward under the cordi ions that pre-
vailed vest erday. fresh wind and choppy
sea. there Is very little to choose between
the two boats.
At the start Capt. wringe had misjldged
his time little. so that in ranging down
the line he had to kill time, and had reached
the committee boat end Just rs he gun
was fred. He was four seconds ahead of
the Reliance. but Capt Barr had berihed
the Reliance little to wirdward OF the
Shamrock. and just far enough away not
to be backwinded by that boat.
Then, for more than an hour and quart er
followed one Of the prettiest fights that
h. We ever been Witnessed in a vac ht race.
The Shamrock. on account Of her easy
lines. went through the water much more
smoothly than did the Reliance. v hose fiat
bow pounded hard, so thet while she footed
fast she dropped down on the Shamrock
and each time they came together they
were so close that rhs boat having the
right OF way could have hit the Other
BY that time they had worked into
her water and little lighter air
and the Reliance improved her posi-, ion
so that she was able to weather the cha-
longing yacht. The wind then play ed
a mean trick, and by shifting two points
gave the Reliance decided gain. Had il
held true to tho outer mark IL is generally
admitted by all that there would have been
less than a minute bet ween the two boats;
and 1t Is probable that the shamrock
would have been within her time allow
ance at the end of the fifteen miles.
The Shamrock has been sailing outside
Sandy Hook for nearly two months, and
Capts. Wringe and Bevis and Mr.. Fife ought
to he thoroughly familiar with the iukiness
Of a soutnwesterly breeze, especially in
under the shore, and they ought ~ ma We
been able to put their knowledge to good
Use In yesterdays race.
In turning the outer mark, Reliance's
crew handed their boat s,nartly and in
sailorlike fashion. The balloon lib tvpsal
was up and ready 10 break out when the
yacht turned, and little more than two
minutes atterward the spinnaker WAS out
and drawing. too.
The Shamrock men were slow with their
balloon Jibttpsail, and when it was br, ken
out there was a turn in the middle Of it,
and 1t had to be lowered down, taken OF
and sent up again. All this took ten min
utes. Then they were slow with the spin
maker; but after they had got all their Kites
drawing, the Reliance fairly sailed away
from them, beating tbs shamrock bya.,oLt
a mile in the run down the wind. Tie
Reliance sailed the fifteen mics in hour
% minutes 81 seconds. This is at the rate
Of eleven knots an hour, or one knot in
five minutes and a half. The Reliance's
gain was minutes ana 80 seconds, su that
in distance the gain was little more than
a mile.
The Shamrock was handicapped by an
ill-fitting suit Of sails Her main sail hal
the draught too far aft TO be OF good service
TO her in turning to windward. The be-
hance's mainsail was a perfect piece OF
canvas, and her club topsail set well over
it. Inc Shamrock's club topsail was too
full. This sail should he PERFECTLY fiat,
The ShamrOcks canvas had stretched and
did net stand at al we'll
lie supporters OF the Shamrock have
sail that Llleir boat is at her Lest in light
NeatlIei; that is 10 say, in breeze fl ON
eight to twelve miles an hour, but tl.at in
a stronger vino size Goes Lot co as vel as
size oil gilt, to. The Reliante's 81 pporteTs
think that tLat boat is at her Lest in fresh
breeze, that Is. tw Give miles an hour or
stronger. but tnmbling sea has alw avs
been troublesome to l.er.
Yesterday, according TO the thermometer
at the point OF the Eook. the wind blew
1913 miles an hour between Il and ~ O'clock
1914 miles an hour between IL and 1: 2O2
miles an hour between / and Q, and 205
miles an Lour between 2 and 3 O'Clock.
This would seem to be Reliance's weather
II the experts are correct | their estimate
of the abilities of the two boats.
One Ti!es.ay the boats will race over a
triangular course. Tie first ten miles will
he to windward. and the rext two legs of
ten miles each will be reaches. The Sham
rock NAV he able to hold the Reliance to
the weather mark, but at reaching the
Arneri' an .,oat, on account of her extra
iilsprea , shol III sail away from tile cl.al
! niger, and almost every one looks to see
the Reliance win. Judging from the per
formances Of the two boats on THURS 'ay
and again Yesterday, it seems very prob able
that Sir Thomas Upton will have to b. lid
another toat before ne can take away tie
Ameri~e's CIR. That is the opinion of
most & ,o; judges.
The press tug Edgar Luckenba,h Ia
allowed within the line with the commit
tees boat. the Narrator. Tie Iacken-
ba h lis in 81 arDe OF George Gard Pease OF
the New York Yacht r1ub. Those on hoard
la a fire view OF the rare from start 20
f. s and the boat was >la e I so iuficio-s y
q at 1t was never in the wav OF the COM
peting va hts or near enough TO injure
either boats chances.