The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-31

the warning signal was fired. each captain
/. making a desperate effort to get the bet
ter place. To-day Shamrock seemed to
4 have little more life and Captain Wringe
was able to get her out from beneath the
great blanketing sails Of Reliance.
At 11:44. one minute before the start
ing gun was fired. both boats We're holding
along the starboard, tack With Reliance a
trlf1e in the lead. Half minute before
the starting gun was fired, jib toptaiis
were broken out on both boats, the start
Ing gun was fired at 11:45 with both
boats to the leeward Of the line.
The Start.
They Immediately trimmed their sheets
and went across the line on the starboard
The wind at the start was blowing about
Z miles an hour and both yachts at once
headed towards the Long Island shore.
Each carried the same sails with large
club topsails and intermediate baby jib
topsails.
Immediately after crossing the line,
Shamrock went to port, Reliance following
her example thirty seconds later. For
five minutes they sailed on the port tack.
Reliance was pointing magnif1cently to
windward but smashing the seas badly.
Shamrock apparently was unable to hold
SO high a wind but she sailed rather more
easily and there was therefore little change
in their positions when they threw back
again to starboard, Reliance being the
first to break tack and Shamrock following
promptly.
During the first half hour after the start
the yachts made three tacks, but the
wind being light at 1915 they had scarcely
covered more than two miles of the course.
Reliance, usual, seemed to gain steadily
and at 1920 was apparently leading by an
eighth on a quarter of a mile. -" s5,'*
Shamrock, in all the tacks that We're
da to n
make the move, Reliance following usu-
ally inside Of a minute. The wind seemed
to have little life and at 1920 was blow
ling not more than five or six miles an
hour. AS the yachts beat slowly to wind
ward the heavy ground sWells lifted the
bows of the racers SO that their fins
could be seen. The wind seemed to suit
Shamrock better and she made easier
work of the long swell, tho Reliance was
pointing higher. The yachts were MAX
ing slow time Of it and were being great
ly retarded by the flood tide.
May Not Finish.
At ! o'clock, hope that the yachts would
finish within the time limit began to dis
appear. ..e.. 49, .-.
Soon after o'clock Reliance went on
the starboard tack, but Wringe declined to
follow and two minutes later Reliance
went back on the port tack. The yachts
was slowly eating out to windward.
Shamrock, however, was footing equally
las fast. The yachts held this tack for
nearly half an hour, Shamrock being the
first to go about when five miles from the
outer mark. At 1:50 the yachts were
both holding in shore. Reliance's posi-
tion to windward having been considerably
Increased by change In the direction OF
the wind. It was easy to see what q
great advantage Reliance had established
because of her better ability to go to
windward. When the short bitches had
been completed, Barr was over a mile to
the windward. of the Upton boat
Reliance caught aaabad slant OF wind
on her last tack and for two minutes the
challenger travelled about three points
higher. But Shamrock soon received
the same slant. The wind hauled a little
more to the north and headed off slightly
until at 1:57 Barr shot Reliance about on
the port tack, followed one minute later
by Shamrock When the yachts straight
ened out on the port tack headed for the
mark, Reliance seemed to have lead of
about mile and half.
AS the wind still further softened Re-
lance rapidly pulled away from her ad-
versary so that when the yachts were
three and a half miles from the outer
mark, Reliance had a lead Of about two
miles and was in a position to make the
turn with at least one more short hitch.
When Barr learned that Shamrock Jared
better in the heavy ground swell, he lee
his rival close to the Long Island shore
Where Reliance had better sailing. anC
continually Increased her lead Reliance
had the better of all the short bitches
inshore, where Barr pinched his boat te
windward in every puff Of wind The
wind continued to drop until 1t was blow.
ing not more than three or four miles ar
hour. Under these conditions Shamrock
rolled considerably, but Reliance's flat
broad body kept her fairly steady.