New-York tribune., 1903-06-12

After three days OF veXatiOus delays and conten-
ton with fogs and Gains. the yachts Reliance.
Constitution and Columbia found clear weather yes
terday off Sandy Hook. and wind enough In which
sail their first. and probably their only, race
over of the Americas Cup courses.
It resulted in victory for the Reliance by mar
gin OF minutes % seconds over the Constitution
and of Il minutes "a seconds over the Columbia.
The course was from Sandy Hook Lghtship ff-
teen miles windward and return. making the dis
tance. they sailed. about thirty-three miles by
allowing extra three miles for the tacks they
made in the windward work. -
The wind. which was from southeast to south
southeast. varied in strength from three to eight
miles hour. and the water. save for an occasional
easterly swell. smooth as any that theSe
yachts have sailed in on Long Island Sound While
they raced course. therefore, there
was sea or wind enough to determine the merits
of the Reliance under the conditions most desired
1t is likely that they will have TO wait until
their off Newport to guage her ability in this
direction.
1t was distinctly light weather day. for at no
time was there wind enough put the lee rail of
either of the sloops down to the water NO fault
could found with the sails of any of the yachts
in fact, there great Improvement IN the set
of all of them In the wfndward work the Reh-
made three tacks to fetch the outer mark;
the Constitution made five. and the Columbia four
In this crucial test OF sailing the Reliance beat the
Constitution minutes Il seconds and the Column
bia 10 minutes A seconds. The latter. however,
the mark, losing several minutes by this. and the
fact that she vas not favored as the
others by the wind canting the southwark
The actual time of the Reliance over the course.
hours 49 minutes 43 seconds. shows that her aver
age speed was Sc miles hour. In the wndward
work IT 83 miles and on the run home it
averaged sc miles. Half of the distance sailed
with spinnakers set and half reach with a
quartering wind and balloon jibtopsails set
Before 10 O'Clock the Reliance in tow OF the
6fr7cvG IoF%
and proceeded through Gedney's Channel TO the
lightship. She had arrived there before the Colu-
bia in tow Of the Union. left her moorings. at
1870 o'clock The Constitution started at 1910
o'clock.
The committee boat Prfvateer reached the start
ing point and anchored north of the Hghtship at
R:45 p m All three sloops were ready when the
preparatory signal given u o'clock The
course previously had been sgna1ed as southeast
and the tug Unique had been sent to log off the
Captain Nat Herreshor was not on board the
Reliance in the Those on board besides c.
Oliver Iselin. her manager. were Woodbury. Kane
Newberry Thorne. Herbert c. Leeds, DR. Monahan
and William Butler Duncan, jr. August Belmont
had with him board the Constitution r P
Doremus John F. Lovejoy and Edmund Fish. On
board the Columbia, with Edwin D. Morgan.
several friends number OF New-York Yacht
Club members followed the yachts IN the steamer
J. S. Warden
three big single stickers have been racing. There
was only three knot breeze blowing but it
enough to show good manoeuvring by the
shippers Captain Barr. Of the Reliance. and Cap
tain Rhodes of the Constitution. held their boats
close together TO wtndward OF the line. while Mr.
Morgan kept the Columbia circling to leeward Of
It. but close enough to be ready at gunre to slip
into the berth ne had chosen.
When II lacked two minutes Of the signal to start
the Reliance and the Constitution were running
he light pyhfc rkedt
weather end Of the line Booms were TO port
and checked we'll IN. the Reliance having the wind
ward berth. When about half dozen lengths
away there a premature discharge Of the gun
board the committee boat 1t went of just
minute 20 seconds too soon The starting ball was
hoisted but quickly dropped. and the preparatory
signal UP again.
Not deceived by the mixed signals. the shippers
watched for the right one. When it given the
Reliance and the Constitution had just passed the
bow Of the Hghtship. the former yacht being about
half length in the lead. Luf1ng sharply, Barr
pointed the Reliance for the line. but Rhodes. be-
lieviug he had sufficient room to swing the Con
stitutons bowsprit Of the others stern. shot
her into windward of the new boat, and captured
the always coveted weather berth. and a moment
later overlap. It neat bit Of jockeying.
and would have scored valuable point for Rhodes
but that his boat did not quite clear the
Reliance. it is said At any rate. there were pro-
tests from both yachts filed with the committee and
until the decision is made known the ofcial result
OF the race may be in doubt Mr.. Morgan brought
Columbia close up under the lee of the Reliance,
and all three yachts crossed the line abeam Of each
other So close to each other were they that to an
observer the three clubtopsails appeared as one.
except that the ts, of that of the Reliance lowered
several feet above the CONSTITUTIONS. There seemed
scarcely any difference however. between the Co
Iumbfas and the boats The Columbia was
carrying, the largest sail she has yet had alott
Slowly but steadily the Columbia walked out
from the lee OF the Reliance. while the latter pc
ing in the worst berth @ 81 @ all IN da 5ae tbe Ice 6f the
Constitution. BY giving her good hard fG ana ana
TO Bars subtle touch. and she worked out clear
OF the others w1nd in hye minutes 49,. z..-+
was fun of interest for the spectators on board
the vessels Of the accompanying meet. ana I InsS
were extremely anxious ones for those on oosEu
WIFI precision born of constant practice the
until the great booms almost in a line Win
the deGk 0i fi6to5sai sheets We're trimmed Just
right and the crews distributed where they "ouud
Two-thirds of the Columba's men lay fat on the
weather side Of her deck face down llls ,5I t
her almost an even keel, and she sIed1I1y , Uee
footed both the others in the next three minutes
tba sfarboard or weather side of the decks OF the
Reliance and Constitution AL Names "eiS Ssel
eq ibt m tue minutes after the start Mr. Morgan put
the Columbia about The others gdicAy f.14 9yu
on fbs mort tack the Reliance still IN the middle
seemed to be outfooting but not outpolntlng the
otbars lust then a French line steamer La
Bretaene saluted the yachts as she passed theni'
The wind freshened from the southeast at rs
O'Clock. The Columbia hga aer pal biI the 81 COR
stftution dropped back on her lee quarter; AT
going % off for a long board the starboard tack;
which lasted hour IS minutes. s me % fetce +i % anu
ferring to fight together rather than follow
tHs sea9IT the Reliance opened the gap between
herself and the constit utiqn & until at D m when
hat he dropped