Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-21
CUP IS SAFE.
Reliance Betters the Shamrock
: in Dreary Drifting Race.
That Had Been Supposed to Be the
Defenders Weakest Point.
A Drifting Match, With the Shamrock
Clearly Outclassed.

New York, Aug. 20.-One of the big
gest crowds of sightseers and yachts
men that ever sailed down Sandy Hook
bay to witness an attempt of a foreign
mug hunter to wrest from America the
yachting supremacy of the world re-
turned to New York, tonight disap-
pointed because the sea had refused
Il field of combat to the racers, but,
nevertheless, jubilant in the conviction
that Sir Thomas Lipton's latest chal-
lenger, like the two Shamrocks which
had preceded her, was doomed to re-
turn to England empty handed.
Reliance showed her heels to Sham
rock III in commanding style and in
weather conditions which We're sup
posed to be to the particular liking of
the challenger.
Today, with a breeze varying from
to II knots and against long ground
swell, the defender outfooted and out
pointed her. The Shamrock did not turn
the outer mark and there is therefore
no way of knowing absolutely how
badly she was beaten, but it was es-
timated that she was more than a mile
astern or about 16 minutes in the eX-
listing strength of the wind when the
Reliance rounded AS a result of the
trial the experts believe, blow high or
low, that the Reliance will win this the
18th series for the Americas cup.
y mist lay over the city and bay in
the morning and when the starting line
was reached, black threatening clouds
We're gathering over the Jersey High
lands. The breeze was not over 6
knots and the murky waves spilled no
white froth from their orests.
The course was set Is miles south
southwest straight down the Jersey
coast and return AT the very start,
Charlie Barr, the Yankee skipper,
who has twice piloted cup defenders
to victory, cleverly outgeneralled Capt.
Wringe, the boosted best English cap
tain afioat, sending the Reliance over
the line 80 seconds ahead of the chal-
lenger, but in the windward berth.
In the first 20 minutes of sailing the
defender showed her windward quail
ties, drawing up on even terms with the
challenger, besides being about 200
yards to windward Then the storm
broke, blotting out the racers and maxi
ing the excursion fleet look like a line
of phantom ships. For so minutes the
rain came down in torrents, drenching
the thousands of people on the steam
ers who We're unable to find shelter
in the crowded cabins.
While the storm lasted the wind
increased to u knots and those
occasional glimpses Of the yachts
as they smashed into the seas
saw that the Reliance with great gey-
seys gushing from her bow was foot
ing faster and pointing higher heel
ing less to the puffs than her more
tender adversary.
When the storm had passed the
eNcursionists came out on deck to
find the defender firmly established on
the weather bow of the Shamrock III.
She was never afterward headed.
During the last two hours of the race
when the wind had backed around to
the west and was blowing straight off
the land about four miles an hour,
the Reliance steadily increased her
lead. rounding the turn to the stem
torian chorus Of the excursion fleet, a
mile ahead of Shamrock. Heading
back for home close hauled, she had
just reached the Shamrock still out
ward bound when the race was Off
cially declared off.
The work of the patrol fleet was per-
feet. Moving at right angles, line ahead
and line abreast, the revenue cutters
kept the yachts in the hollow of a NOV
ing angle as free from interference
as if thew had been sailing in mid
ocean.
Under the rules the first race, Is
miles to leeward or windward and re-
turn, is now postponed until Satur-
day.