The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-21

the advantage of her windward posi-
ton, and put the boats on 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 dead beat to the
mark and restoring to the Reliance her
former advantage in being to the wind
ward of Shamrock III.
When they made their first tack at
1920 Shamrock III was to leeward and
astern a few hundred yards. The
shower had passed.
Gave Americans a Scare.
Then for the first time the British
challenger gave the admirers of the
defender a bad scare. Without appar-
ent reason, she began to foot faster
than the Reliance, passed to leeward
OF her and drew away ahead, but still
to leeward.
1t looked for a moment as though
she was going to show her heels to
the craft which was carrying the hopes
OF all Americans, but when she came
about and the two boats met, the adj
mirers of the Reliance discovered that
While the challenger had been outfoOt-
ing her, the American craft had been
outpointing the challenger, and had
even increased her lead.
The boats were nine miles from the
starting line and the Reliance had a
lead of quarter of a mile. In a drop
ping wind the British boat twice re-
peated Bhe performance of slipping
past the Reliance to leeward, but she
was losing ground to the winward
thresh by reason of the Reliance sail
ing closer to the wind.
Reliance "a Mile Ahead.
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 Reli-
ance was mile ahead. The wind
dropped to little better than fiat
calm and the racers were moving very
slowly.
In vain effort to WOO the tickle airs
the yachts changed their head sails,
but the race had degenerated into a
drifting match. Flukey streaks of
gentle air drifted across the course.
One of these fiukes when the Reliance
was more than two miles from the
mark, sent her off at a good gait,
while the Shamrock III was headed off
by an unfavorable slant until she
pointed two points further off the &C
tual course than did the Reliance.
No Finish Possible.
Three and a half hours after the start
it was evident that the race could not
be finished within the time limit The
Reliance had steadily gained and then
was a good two miles ahead of her
rival, when observers noted that Sham
rock III had caught little wind from
the west and was cutting down the
lead.
The Reliance promptly went about
when a mile away from the turn, and
catching the westerly wind, scurried
away for the mark at almost a racing
pace. The wind continued to freshen
until she swept around the mark at
3:37:20, heeling TO a smart northwest
breeze, and giving the first real exhi-
bition of her speed.
Re1innce's Lead 10 Minutes.
The defender hauled on the wind for
a close reach back to the finish line
saluted by the whistles of the big
fleet. Shamrock Ill. was coming at q
fast clip to meet the returning de-
fender, but she had been so fan
astern that it was eight minutes after
the Reliance turned the racers met
going in opposite directions indicating
that the Reliance's actual lead was
sixteen minutes.
Just at that moment the Regatta
Committees tug displayed the signal
THE race is off, and the Shamrock
III. came about and followed the Re-
lance short distance. Shamrock
III. never turned the mark. They were
taken in tow of tugs and the fleet
hurrying horneward, quickly dropped
them.