The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-26
RELIANCE ON TRIAL
CLIP DEFENDER WAS TAKEN ON
HER MAIDEN TRIP.
SHE BEHAVED BEAUTIFULLY.
MADE SPEED THAT LEFT THE
PRESS TUG BEHIND.

Eifteen-MiIe Beat to Windward
md n Run Back Before the Wind.
Exuerts Observed Her-Their De-
auctions From the Behavior of the
Yacht-IseIin Was Pleased With
Her.
Bristol, r. l., April 25.-In a fifteen
mile heat to windward down Narra-
gansett Bay out to sea and a long run
before the wind back to her mornings
here the Reliance. the new aspirant
for the honor of defending the Amer
teas cup, was given her first build
ers trial to-day. At its conclusion,
c. oliver Iselin, the managing member
of the syndicate of owners, said he was
much pleased with the new boat.
The weather conditions were per-
feet In a 12-knot Southwestern, wheth-
er close hauled in the beat down the
bav on a broad reach with the wind
abeam, or running free under spin
maker, she rendered a splendid ac-
count of herself, and gave abundant
promise of being formidable candi-
date in the trials for the choice of
cup defender.
Her performance demonstrated that
"a despite the apprehension that she
would be stiff because of her supposed
scow-like features, she heeled readily
and easily to her sailing lines in
very moderate breeze. Once she re-
fused to heel further, giving evidence
of the power which her broad, fiat
floored hull was designed to impart.
She was quick to come about, aVerag-
ing about q seconds in stays, made
some fuss under her bow at times and
steered with only one man at the
helm. Designer Nat Herreshoff and
Can't. Charles Barr alternated at the
wheel.
Sailed Slowly at First.
The Reliance left her moorings off
the Herreshoff shops at 9:37 o'clock
this forenoon. There was a very light
northwest air moving. For the first
hour she drifted a mile. Then the wind
freshened and hauled to the southwest,
making her course a dead beat to
windward. An intermediate jib topsail
quickly, and, heeling gently, began to
give the first suggestion of her sailing
qualities. Capt. Barr worked her ten
derby and easily down the bay, making
slow lacks, apparently aiming to dis
cover any weak points in her rigging.
During the beat down the east pas
sage the Reliance steadily increased
her speed. Long before reaching New
port she was lying over to smart puffs
and driving along at gait which
must have delighted Mr.. Herreshef.
The last leg before reaching Newport
was sailed in a splendid burst of
speed.
There was little more weight in the
wind when, at As p. M, the Reliance
filled away from her mornings and
beat out through the eastern entrance.
AS she opened out into the ocean she
encountered a small sea, and her bow
began soon to make it fly. 1t did not
have any perceptible effect ON ner
speed. Passing Beaver Tail llght she
stood out to sea about hve miles Dy
Brenton's Reef lightship sailing with
wind abeam on the starboard tack and
going like a veritable witch. Her long
beam occasionally sent squirt of foam
flying, but there was not sea enough
to determine whether that long over
hang would make sufficient fuss to
hold her back in rough water
Then Showed Her Heels.
Three miles outside of the lightship
she came about, and, with sheets free,
started on a reach back to the entrance
to the bay.
This was the fastest and most spec
of 10 EVERY
of canvas was drawing and the Reli-
ance was making a white lather of
water under her lee bow and along the
lee rail, which was just aWash. The
Sunbeam and Nomai were barely able
to hold their positions in the wake, at
though the Sunbeam appeared to be
making her best effort. The racer
rushed by the lightship at a gait which
would have taxed the speed of the aver
age steam yacht.
1t was on this point of sailing that
her long overhang forward did good
service, dipping as her stern lifted,
and giving her sailing length much IN
excess of that impaired by the ordi-
nary bow.
Approaching the entrance to the bay,
she took the wind more on the quarter
and a spinnaker was run up and
broken out for the first time. The OPP.
Grafton occupied one minute and TWEEN
ty seconds.
The new sail was of moderate size.
It added considerably to her speed. The
press tug, which was following at
rate of nine knots an hour, was unable
to maintain such a pace, and the Sun
beam and Nomai were left astern.
While running up the east passage to
her moorings the wind gradually died
away. The Reliance finished the run
under mainsail and jib and tied up off
the Herreshoff docks after a success
full trial and without mishap.
What the Experts Judge.
1t is clear from the Reliance's per-
Torrance to-day that under fair sail
ing conditions she will drive whatever
advantage there is in the added sail
ing length in her long overhang for
ward and aft. Her after overhang
quickly touched the water when she
heeled, but she seemed to carry her
boom considerably higher. Her stem
seemed to slide over the surface, rath-
er than to cut through 1t, and the
slight splashing at the bow did not
appear to retard her. So far as could
be noted without opportunity TO COM.
pare her with the Columbia or the
Constitution, she carried her larger
spread of canvas easily, standing up
well to the puffs.
1t was repeatedly remarked that she
pointed very close to the wind, and
although her main sheet was trimmed
in fat, she seemed to sail fast under
these conditions.