The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-08-21

herself at 1880 a. m. and S1gnale0
that the race would be Is miles to
windward and return, the first leg
south-soutlwest.
The wind was then blowing about
five knots. There was a moderate sea
running in long, ground swells and
the boats were pitching rather heavily.
The conditions were unfavorable to
the Reliance, judging from her early
trials. The Shamrock III. was ex-
pected to have the advantage in the
light wind and rough weather condi-
tons prevailing.
The preparatory signal was fired at
10:45 and 10 seconds later came the
warning signal, when the start was
made. A few seconds after the warn
ing signal the Shamrock led the Amer
lean across the line by about SO yards,
but the Reliance held the windward
position. Official starting time:
Shamrock III ............. .11:O1:14
Reliance ...... ...... ......11:O1:47
Both boats sailed seward for an
hour and 20 minutes. The wind drop
ped to about four knots o after
the start. Within rs minutes after
the starting the Reliance had over
hauled the Shamrock and was 200
| yards to windward. The Reliance had
not only loated faster, but pointed
higher than the challenger, and was
showing that under conditions sup
posed to be u~nfavcrable to her she
ter the start, when the boats were
about four miles from the starting
line, rain swept across tine purse
and obscured the yachts from all OBJ
servations except those very close.
The shower brought a SHIFT Of wind
to the westward, which enabled the
mark. This robbed the Reliance OF
most of the advantage of her wind
ward position and put the boats or
almost even terms. They held that
| relative position until they had sailed
, eight miles, when the wind backed to
south by west, again making it a dead
Reliance her former advantage in be-
=, ing to windward.
When they made their first tack, at
1920, the Shamrock III. was then
leeward and astern a few hundred
yards. The shower had passed. Then
for the first time the British challen-
ger gave the admirers of the defender
a bad scare
Without apparent reason she began
to foot faster than the Reliance, pass
ed ito leeward OF her and drew away
ahead, but still to leeward. It looked
for a moment as though she was go
ing to snow ner heel TO the He11ance,
but when she came about and he
two boats met, the admirers of the
Reliance discovered that while the
!, challenger had been outfooting her,
the Reliance had been outpointing the
challenger and had even increased her
lead. The boats were nine miles from
1.-The starting line, and the Reliance
had a lead of a quarter Of a mile. In
a dropping wind the British boat
twice slipped past the Reliance to
leeward, but she was losing ground
in the windWard thresh because the
Reliance sailed closer to the wind.
When four miles from the turning
mark, at 1:25 p. m, they started on
a long leg out to sea AS they came
about it was apparent that the Re-
lance was a mile ahead of the Sham
rock. The wind had dropped to a lit
tie better than a fiat calm, and the
racers were moving very slowly. The
boats several times changed their
head sails, but the race had degen-
Grated into a drifting match, and
three and a half hours after the start
it was evident that the race could
The Reliance had steadily gained
aud was two miles ahead or her rival,
when the Shamrock III. caught a lit.
tie wind from the west and began
cutting down the lead. The Reliance
went about when a mile away from
the turn and, catching a westerly
wind, scurried away for the mark
with almost racing pace. The wind
continued to freshen until she swept
around tho mark at 3:37:2O, heeling
a smart northwest breeze.
The defender hauled in wind for a
close reach back to the finish line,
saluted by the whistles OF the big
fleet. The Shamrock Ill WAS coming