The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-25
WAS MORE like A ONTEST

blowing at a five or six knot gait at
! dawn this morning -Four hours before
creased to about seven or eight knots
| and there was every indication that it
would hold throughout the day. giving
the yachts, and especially the Sham
rock. every opportunity TO prove their
| worth over the thirty mile Triangular
course which according 10 the pro-
gramme must be sailed in the second
1 contest between the boats.
With the wind from the south south
east it looked some hours before the
time set for the start as if the COM
mttee would send the boats on a ten
mile beat to Windward from Sandy
| Hook followed by reach of another
ten miles about northeast and another
reach of ter miles a little north of
west to the lightship.
| There was plenty of sea room under
| these conditions to start the boats at
| the lightship, and no preparations We're
made therefore for shifting the starting
place, as was the case on Saturday AS
/ the morning progressed numerous little
| fishing boats came sailing up the coast
| from the south at a fairly good gait
| They rolled and dipped trif1e. bur the
sea was much smoother than last
I week. In fact there was counara-
| lively little surf along the shore The
air was wonderfully clear. and some of
the incoming European vessels could be
sighted 25 or 80 miles off shore
/ Although the wind was nearer to the
I
/ at sea nearer the lightship it looked to
| be three or four points nearer to the
southwark. as several pilot boat seemed
aols 70 holc course very nearly par
allel to the shore.
The crews of the two contestants
were out early and before breakfast
ing had taken the covers off theirmain-
sails and raised their jibs and stay
sails in stops. After breakfasting at Z
o'clock Shamrocks crew started at
once to work on the new mainsail. ap-
preciating that it would take more time
to get a proper set to it than if using
the old one. AT 7:45 they had it well
underway, while Reliance at the same
hour began to raise hers.
The breeze was increasing and the
| flags at headquarters and on the yachts
began to stand out from the masts,
against which they had idly tapped
since sunrise
The Shamrock got her new mainsaiI
! in place, and to those ashore it looked
very much of an Improvement over the
old one. 1t did not lap the boom and
set up well to meet the club topsail.
| There was only one pucker in II and
that about 80 feet from the boom. AS
the wind caught 1t it bellied close to
the mast and there was broad curve
on the leach. This should prove of
great advantage on the reach, SO the
yachtsmen said.
Reliance was only using one new
sail. and that a jib which set little
fiatter than her old jib and this, too, is
/ considered of advantage to that boat
on the reach. Mr.. Iselin went aboard
Reliance while his crew was at break
fast on the tender. Sir Thomas on the
deck of the Erin was inclined to be less
communicative than usual. He finally
said:
Il think we will get good race NO
day and I hope our new sail may be
a success"
Mr.. Iselin was in excellent good
h41,,o nd fn
1T looks like good racing weather,
and it looks like Reliance weather
also"
Reliance began to raise her mainsail
at 500 and by that time Captain
Wringe had got Shamrock's sail to his
liking after having sent two men to
pull it taut at the boom end, so as 10
draw out the wrinkles from along the
gaff 1t wrinkled then only where IL
was liable to catch the full force of
, the wind on the reach and hold it.
Reliance's mainsail showed hardly
wrinkle and looked half as big again as
that of Shamrocks.
Cantain Wringe was evidently in
good spirits after his sail was fitted.
He paced the deck with the New York
Yacht clubs representative, smiling
and joking.
Reliance's sail was got up quickly
and at $50 both boats were taking
aboard the days provisions for the
crew. Reliance raised her club topsa1i
at S:32, and after the trimming of yes
terday it fitted perfectly.
Mr. Herreshoff. builder of the Re
lance who passed the night on his
yacht Roamer. which was anchored IN
Sandy Hook bay, went aboard Reh-
ance after taking aboard an extra top
sail. Reliance dropped her mOorings
Just before o'clock and under main
sail and club toDsail was ready to go
to the start
She started on the port tack. broke
Ior- e-tes oil nd nd
the breeze beautifully. rounding the
Hook like a great white bird. AS she
went out the passengers on the Kaiser
Wilhelm der Crosse which was coming
in from Cherbourg. gave her cheer
Shamrock at o'clock took a line
from the Cruiser her tender, and was
towed out with her mainsail set. At
this time the wind was blowing seven
very steady. 1t was not, however, in
creasing in velocity as much as the
yachtsmen would wish.
The American yacht left under sail
for the first time. on Thursday and
Saturday of last week she had the
services of a tug. Before going ont a
No. club topsail, one of the largest
of the boat, was sent aloft, and break
ing out two lower head sails, she
slipped away from her moorings and
easily rounding the point of the Hook
stood to the eastward through the main
ship channel. Two or three miles of
the E1DOk l0e 1NendHte LOOK d llilC AioiA
her tender, dropping her fore staysail
as she picked up the tow line.
About this time the regatta commit
tee. on board the tug Navigator. and
accompanied by the other tugs of the
club fleet. the Coastwise and the John
Scully, came down from New York and
passed out by the Hook.
Far up the bay the vanguard of the
excursion fleet could be seen coming
down through the swash channel with
four or five revenue cutters in the lead
An hour and a quarter before the time
set for the start the sky, although par
TALLY cloudy. did not threaten disagree
able weather.
The wind. which had been about
south-southeast during the early morn
ing. hauled a bit to the southwark,
blowing a point or two east of south
It still continued, however, at about a
seven knot gait, and these conditions
seemed to prevail over a wide stretch