Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-21
CUP is SAFE.
continued from page ~


time was:
shamrock Ill ....................11.0 Oh. IA
r.eiiaice Observation-Disclosures. .11.0l. Al
both boats sailed seward for
nouf and 20 minutes. The wind
cropped to about four knots soon after
the start
Within 25 minutes after starting, the
Romance had overhauled the Shamrock
III ana was abeam of her and 200 yards
10 Wlndward The Reliance had not
only rooted faster, but pointed higher
imam the challenger and was showing
that under conditions supposed to be
the most unfavorable she was a better
boat
Hair an hour after the start, when
the Doats were about four miles from
the starting line, a rain shower swept
ACROSS the course and obscured the
yachts from all observers except those
very close. The shower brought a shift
or wind to the westward which enabled
the racers to lay a course direct to the
mark. This robbed the Reliance of the
advantage of her windward position
ana put the boats on almost even
terms. They held that relative posi-
tlon until they had sailed eight miles,
when the wind backed to south by west
again, making it a dead beat to the
mark and restoring to the Reliance
hef former advantage in being to the
Windward of Shamrock III.
when they made their first tack, at
1880, Shamrock III was to leeward and
astern a few hundred yards. The
shower had passed. Then for the first
time the British challenger gave the
admirers of the defender a bad scare.
without apparent 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 if she was going to show
her heels to the slick craft which was
carrying the hopes of all Americans,
but when she came about and the two
boats met, the admirers of the Reliance
discovered that, while the challenger
had been out footing her, the American
craft had been outpointing the chal-
lenger and had even increased her lead.
The boats We're nine miles from the
starting line and the Reliance had a
ping wind the British boat twice re-
peated her performance of slipping past
the Reliance to leeward, but she was
losing ground in the windward thrash
by reason of the Reliance sailing closer
to the wind.
When foWr miles from the turning
buoy, at 1.25 p. NJ, they started on q
long leg out to sea. AS they came
about it was apparent that the Re-
lance was about Il mile ahead. The
wind had dropped to a little better than
a fiat calm and the racers We're NOV
ing very slowly. In a vain effort TO
WOO the tickle airs, the yachts changed
their head sails, but the race had de-
generated into a drifting match. Fluky
streaks of gentle air drifted across the
course. One of these flukes, 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 point
ed two points further off the actual
course than did the Reliance.
Three and Il 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 was
then good two miles dead ahead of
her rival when observers noted that
Shamrock III caught Il little slant of
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
tinued to freshen until she swept
around the mark at 1920, heeling to a
smart northwest breeze and giving the
first real exhibition of her speed.
The defender hauled on the wind
for close reach back to the finish
line, saluted by the whistles of the big
fleet. Shamrock III was coming at ii
fast clip to meet the returning defen-
der, but she had been so far astern
that some eight minutes elapsed after
the Reliance turned the mark before the
racers met going in opposite directions,
indicating that the Reliances actual
lead was 16 minutes.
Just at that moment the regatta tug
displayed the signal The race is OFF,
and the Shamrock III came about and
followed the Reliance a short distance
Shamrock LII never turned the mark
They We're taken in tow by tugs and
the fleet hurrying homeward quickly
dropped Them
The admirers of the Reliance are
jubilaut because the American yacht
demonstrated that in extremely light
air and unusually rough water she
could show her heels to the British
challenger. and those We're the con-
ditions believed to be the severest test
of the Herreshoff boat.