The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-20
FIRST RACE FOR CUP
WILL BE SAILED OVER SANDY
HOOK COURSE TODAY.
MORE TIME GIVEN SHAMROCK
NEW MEASUREMENTS ALLOW HER
ANOTHER IL SECONDS.

eminent VIII Police Course.
Yachts Took Final Spin Yester-
day-BacI<ers of Reliance Offering
odd of Two to One-Sir Thomas
May Sail on ChalIenger-Is Conf
dent She will Win-Weather Pre-
dicted VIII Not BE Suitable for
Racing.
New York, Aug. LIT was an
nounced at the New York Yacht Club
late tonight that C. D. Mower, the
official measurer, had remeasured Sir
Thomas Liptons cup challenger,
Shamrock III off Sandy Hook to-day,
and that as a consequence the chal-
lenger will be in receipts of and addi-
tional allowance of Il seconds in the
races, making a total allowance of one
minute and fifty-seven seconds against
the previous estimate of one minute
forty-five seconds.
The new measurement revealed the
fact that a mistake had been made in
measuring the length of the topmast.
When Mr.. Mower ran his measure
over the mast to-day he found that
the throat halyard block was three feet
lower down than his figure of yester-
day showed. This made the length of
the topmast greater by three feet, re-
ducing the size of the mainsail and
thus decreasing the sail area. The
new measurement brings the racing
length of the Shamrock III down to
1O4.4 instead of 10477, equal to time
allowance of twelve seconds.
The re-measurement was made at
the request of Sir Thomas Upton. The
difference in the measurement was
caused by the lowering of the throat
halyard block three feet, thus adding
TO the length of the topmast and de-
creasing the sail area.
Crowds to See Races.
Over the ocean race course outside
of Sandy Hook, Sir Thomas Lipton's
third challenger, Shamrock III, will
tomorrow try conclusions with the
new defender of the Americas cup, the
Reliance. 1t is expected that one of
the largest crowds which ever wit
messed an international cup race will
go out to see the initial contest for
the blue ribbon of the sea.
Again this year, as in the two pre-
ceding series, the government will po-
lice the course with revenue cutters
and the most stringent rules have been
laid down to prevent interference by
the excursion fleet with the big single
stickers.
Both Sides Confident.
Like greyhounds in leash, the big,
clean-limbed racers are moored to-
night inside Sandy Hook ready for the
fray Tomorrow Both yachts We're
given their final trial spins to-day.
Despite the big time allowance which
the defender must concede to the chal-
lenger. the friends of the Reliance are
extremely confident that Sir Thomas
is again doomed to defeat, and the
confidence in the American boat is
reflected in the betting, where the odds
are 2 to 1 on the Reliance. The friends
of the British boat, on the other hand,
profess the greatest faith in the ability
of Flies latest creation to lift che
cup
In neither of his previous attempts
to carry off the mug did Sir Thomas
sail in a challenger. Tonight he was
in doubt whether to sail in the chal-
lenger tomorrow. His friends on the
Erin urged him not to do so for fear OF
an accident.
Wind VIII Be Wanting.
The weather prediction for to-mor-
row is not alluring, the forecaster
promising a breeze of from three 10
nine knots. A seven knot breeze VIII
be necessary to carry the boats over
the course in the allotted time.
The local weather bureau to-day IS
sued the following special Weatner
forecast for to-morroW's yacht race
The weather over the course OF the IN
ternational yacht race Thursday will
be partly cloudy, with light to fresh
winds west to north.
The wind at Sandy Hook at mid
night was south-southeast eight
miles an hour: weather cloudy. A
moderate sea was running.
FOR the nrSL time Ln6 CudlSlASSA eeAiu
defender to-day sailed in company on
Sandy Hook when both boats were
taken out for final trial spins. EX-
cept when passing, going in opposite
directions, the two yachts were never
nearer than three miles to each other,
so that there was no opportunity to
compare them, although some observers
thought that Shamrock III. heeled a
little more and seemed to carry a
larger stern
Shamrock III. proceeded as far as
The lightship, hove to and awaited the
arrival of the Oceanic, bound in, and
Then followed the big liner in under
mainsail and jib.
ShamrocIx's sponsor Here.
The Earl and Countess of Shaftes-
curry, the latter of whom was sponsor
Ior Shamrock III at her launching,
We're on board the Oceanic, and as the
9lg steamer passed, the crew of the
shamrock cheered the Countess. Both
Oh the yachts returned to their moor
inss AT Sandy Hook after having
Deen absent an hour and a quarter.
heir crews overhauled their sails and
race
During the afternoon and evening
sne steam yachts gathered in the
TOT eshoe to follow the racers when
eney leave for the starting line to-
morrow and late tonight there was a
good sized ileet at anchor there.
DIT Thomas Lipton's steam yacht