The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-21


a small balloon jlb topsail In its place, and
! then ran down the jib and fore staysail.
! The big sail filed well. but the yacht was
| headed away of her course in order to keep
| her drawing, and while she was footing
| better with this canvas she was not sailing
J nearly 80 high as the Reliance. At 2:l0A0
the Reliance took in her Jlb t0psail, ana
! four minutes later broke ont a balloon which
had been sent up in stops, and she, too, was
headed of her course.
| CURIOUS SPECTACLE.
| The two boats were trying to sail to wind
| ward with balloons, and the spectacle was
a curious one. Reliance had improved
! her lead, so that she was nearly mile
ahead of the Shamrock, and she was slowly
! drifting along toward the turning mark,
carrying one little puff after another, while
! the tickle zephyrs were carefully avoid
! ing the challenger, leaving her to bob and
courtesy on the swell Then the wind went
: more to the south again, and Reliance was
| headed off, and then they got in the dol
drums, and just drifted with the current
| that sets along the Jersey shore.
The fleet of following steamers had COL
| lected around the turning mark and
were rolling in the sea, much to the dis
| comfort of many who were not accustomed
to sailing outside Sandy Hook. Al they
neared the mark the Reliance picked up
! drawing. while that Of the Shamrock was
| constantly hanging limp without any air
in it at all Then a little later the Reliance
, would find soft spot, and the Shamrock,
picking up little air, would head up and
begin to crawl after the defending yacht.
The Reliance took the port tack at 2:o4,
and she held on that tack, heading in to-
ward the Jersey shore. until 800. when
she went about again on the starboard
tack. Shamrock in the meantime held on
10 the starboard tack, taking the wind
as il came and making the best OF it.
At $50 o'clock the Reliance got nice
little breeze from the northwest, which
enabled her to head UP toward the mark
and begin to foot fast. There was no
chance of the boats finishing within the
time limit, but the Regatta Committee
waited patiently for the yachts TO come
along. evidently wanting to see how far
they could get under the conditions.
The Reliance SET her fore staysail, and
aa she approached the mark she luffed 80
that her balloon was aS2ck in an enort
TO pinch up as closely IA possible to 1t,
AROUND THE MARX.
When abeam of the mark the balloon
lib topsail was run down and she hauled
the wind and passed the mark at $3.50.
Taking the port tack. she set her jib and
started to reach back toward the Sandy
Hook light ship, fifteen miles away.
H. had taken her hours IS minutes 49
seconds to sail fifteen miles to windward
This time gives some idea OF the flukiness
Of the weather outside Sandy Hook yester-
day.
The Shamrock as this time was about
mile astern and il was some minutes before
she got the breeze that had favored the
Reliance When she did, she began TO
reach along quite fast, and the two boats
passed each other. Shamrock reaching for
the outer mark and Reliance heading for
home at 9:44.
SHAMROCK OUT OF THE RACE.
. The Shamrock a minute later hauled on
the wind lowered her balloon iib topsail
tackled and gave up the race. There were
only forty-five minutes left before the time
limit expired, and it was useless to try and
continue the race. For a minute OF two 1t
looked az though Capt Wringe was going
10 trv what the Shamrock could do with the
Reliance on a reach, but as soon as the bal
loon had been slowed a man was sent aloft
and the club topsail was lowered TO the
deck
Al $50 the Reliance signalled for her tug,
the Guiding Star, her club topsail was low
cred, and the race was of for the day.
The fleet Of steam yachts, excursion
steamers and tugs headed for Sandy Hook.
Big clouds of black smoke belching from
the stacks Of the different vessels showed
that no time was to be lost in getting home.
Kanawha went after the Mona. and after
short t,lssle with that boat took the lead
and then sailed for the Corsair, which was
heading for the harbor and going as fast
as possible.
went over to the Erin. In order that those
on board might have look at Sir Thomas
Linton. The crowds on these steamers
cheered and the whistles footed, and Sir
Thomas raised his hat to those who had
gone out to see his yacht try TO win the
Americas Cup.
NOT MUCH TO JUDGE FROM.
The trial yesterday showed very little.
In the early part OF the race when both
boats had about the same wind. although
il was very light. there was very little TO
choose hetwesn them. The Reliance APP
peared to point bit higher than the British
boat. bu. Shamrock footed very fast under
the conditions. There was rarely sufficient
wind. even il it had held steady, to have
sent the yachts over the course within the
time limit
Admirers Of the Shamrock can get some
consolation out OF races that have been
sailed in former years for the Americas
Cup. In 1893 the Vigilant and Valkyrie III.
tried to make a race over windward and
leeward course down the Jersey coast under
weather conditions very similar to those
that prevailed yesterday. They failed to
make a race. but at the turning mark the
Valkyrie II. was nearly three miles in the
lead The vigilant won the Cup. In 1899
the Columbia and Shamrock l. made sew
eral attempts at races, and in the majority
of the fiukes the Shamrock was in the lead,
but the Columbia won the Cup Two years
ago, in the frat race, the Columbia was
several minutes ahead at the first mark.
and in another fuke the Shamrock was
lust az far ahead at the same point. The
Columbia won the Cup that year, but only
seconds separated the yachts at the
finish in two Of tho contests.
The yachts will start again tomorrow
morning from the Sandy Hook lightshp
to try to sail the first race of the series.
It was tantalizing yesterday that after
the Yachts had given up the contest the
bree2e freshened up and held true for tho
remainder OF the evening.