The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-17
Contest of Reliance and Sham
rock Opens Thursday.
Each Yacht Has Shown Great
Speed in Trials.
THE RESULT IN DOUBT.
British Craft Is Feared by the
Americans.
Both Boats Show Best in Light
Wind.

Shamrock III today attracted a large
crowd to the Erie Basin where they are
in dry dock. Both rudder and bow on
the Reliance had to be fixed. the former
having been strained out of alignment,
and the latter slightly dented In the last
race off Newport. In the meantime her
bronze underbody was given a thorough
polishing, while in the adjoining dock
the crew of the challenger gave that
vessels hull it's last coating of white
enamel The great mainsail of Sham
rock III was also bent TODAY under the
supervision of Captain Wringe. Tomor
row Charles D. Mower, the official
measurer of the New York Yacht club
will measure the boats to figure time al
/ lowance.
All Americans will go to sea on Thurs
day, for on that day the thirteenth con-
test for the America cup, appropriately
named the blue ribbon of the sea-" Will
begin, with Shamrock III, Sir Thomas
Lipton's third challenging yacht, pitted
against Reliance, chosen by the New
York Yacht club to defend the trophy.
The races will be over the courses
staked out in the ocean off Sandy Hook
and hundreds of craft, steam and sail.
will follow the huge racing machines,
bearing hundreds of thousands of peO-
pie, who will give up all other pursuits
| for the time being in order to see this
/ greatest OF all yacht races IN the WOEAl
/ This struggle is likely to be the closest
and most interesting of all the series
extending over 80 years. Reliance in a
score of tests this summer has demon
strated easily that 1t is the fieeteSt rae
/ ing yacht ever designed in this country
| Shamrock III has shown its superiority
! over Shamrock 1, Sir Thomas first chal-
/ lenger, in trial heats sailed on both
sides of the Atlantic. There have been
close finishes iIle many OF the former
races, but yachting experts are agreed
that the cup is decidedly in danger, and
all the seamanship of the crew of Re
lance will be needed in order to keep
it here.
In figuring out the chances of the two
boats, these same yachting experts are
compelled to admit that they are AL
at sea" For several reasons it is i'm
possible to get much of line on the
form" of the contestants. Shamrock
| was we'll beaten by Columbia four
years ago. and again in 1901 finished
ahead of Shamrock II in three consecu-
tive races, although by narrow margins.
! Shamrock II, through a peculiar COM
bination of metals in its hulls, became
weak through corrosion and has never
sailed since ID tie trials OF Shamrock
/ and has beaten It badly, except on one
occasion.
While Columbia is said to be less
speedy this year than 1t was two years
ago. R6Hance mas SHOWN q ClGdn par
of heels to the former defender in every
match that has been sailed. Not only
has Columbia been diStanced, but Con-
stitution, built two years ago and re-
jected then because of its uneven per-
formance, has been left behind in all the
trials except two, when it beat Reliance
on time allowance. Never has the
latest defender been passed, however.
Mathematically the chances seem to
favor Reliance. This season, in the t1f-
air-lxr a
where luck was not an appreciate ele-
ment, the defender defeated Columbia
on an avera ge5 ofz18S7 seconds per mile,
and Columbia in the cup races four
years ago defeated Shamrock |. on. an
leverage of 16 seconds a mile. This year
lin the eighteen trial races Shamrock
III. has beaten Shamrock l. an average
of 23.6 seconds a mile, which leaves a
margin of IL seconds in favor of the de-
fender against the challenger.
So much for bare figures. but an I'M
lportant fact remains to be considered
1T is quite certain that Shamrock l..
with an improved rig and under the ex-
lcellent handling of Col. Neill and capt
Biers, is materially raster tnan II wa
when it first met Columbia. The latter
lit is believed, is materially slower now
This double difference is all in favor OIL
Shamrock III, and undoubtedly Is
, equal to the eleven seconds mile al
vantage which goes to Reliance on the
aSSumIGlOE til<tl N7Ae. IN - :. -
llunlbfa are each in the same form now
that they were four years ago
In figuring out the dope" of the two
Yachts. however, If must be remem peree
- that the trials of the opposing boats
; were sailed at widely separated points
under UNEQUAL conditions of wind anc
tide which makes all calculations tal
different matter than speeding a horse
or train under the stop watch one
thing is certain, however. and that Is
thar both boats will face the staEtins
line thoroughly tried out and win al