Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-24

Reliance Proves in Test Race TO Be Leader
of Defenders
LEAVES TWO OLD ONES FAR IN REAR
Shows Clean Pair Of Heels Whenever Equal
Conditions Prevail.
TWICE LEADS THEM BY OVER TWO MILES
Thousands Eagerly Watch Flight of Three
Swift Vessels
Upton RECEIVES REPORT OF RESULT
TWICE LEADS THEM BY OVER TWO MILES
Upton RECEIVES REPORT OF RESULT
Expresses Surprise at Achievement Of
New Racing Boat and says He
Wants Some SDOrt In secur-
ing America's Cup.

NEW YORK, May 23--In a wind that
ranged from d mere zephyr to an eight-knot
breeze, Reliance clearly proved It's SUI
periority over Columbia and Constitution
on the Long Island sound this evening.
Though officially the race was no con-
test, owing to the failure Of the boats to
finish before $3.50 o'clock, enough was re-
vealed to prove that in his latest creation
Designer Herreshof has wrought his mas
terpiece. In all points of sailing. as they
we're brought out in the triangular course,
the new BOAT clearly outclassed it's rivals.
Whenever conditions we're at all equal it
scurried away from the other yachts with
ease.
The tests to which the boats we're sub
jected were mainly confined to measuring
their respective merits over reaches, close
and broad. little opportunity being afforded
of showing what they may be capable OF
In working to windward or running to lee
ward. IA what little chance. there was to
form an estimate of the boats in these two
| latter respects, the new boat demonstrated
its superiority.
So much for Reliance. AS for Columbia
and Constitution, the contest was indie
cisive, though when the time limit had ex-
pired Columbia had a slight advantage
over the Belmont boat.
Al Ison III AuC PBNCA WIS
the boats made for the starting line. In
the preliminary jockeying for position Cap
| tain Barr of Reliance had the best OF IT.,
pokinR the long bowsprit of the new boat
over the line nine seconds in advance OF
Constitution and one minute and forty sec
onds before Columbia.
OhaciaI starting Time.
The official time OF the start was as fol-
lows:
Reliance, l:5o:2o; Constitution, 1:5o:2s;
Columbia, 1:52:00.
Reliance began to pull away at once
from Constitution with almost incredible
swiftness, considering that the vino was
barely SUFFICIENT to bulge the other big
headsails. Columbia, too, was In a bad
way. owing to its failure to get over the
line within the time limit, thereby suffering
a handicap of ~twenty-four seconds.
Both Constitution and Columbia went of
to leeward. looking to find favoring winds
and tide currents. Here Columbia gained
rapidly on the Belmont boat and about
midway in the leg o~verhauled 1t. Then
Reliance became becalmed and the other
two boats began to lessen the distance that
separated them from the leader.
With scarcely a pun to help him, Cap
tain Barr set his spinnaker. but this did
| not avail NH dnylIluBs al ~ ShdN Oh
whatever little wind the balloon had been
drawing. and in short order its lead OF
more than two miles was cut down TO less
than a quarter OF a mile.
Reliance In Yet Ahead.
As he could not get his spinnaker to
pull. Captain Barr took It in. only to reset
it again a few minutes later as he drew
near the first mark. They turned the buoy
that marked the end of the irst leg as
follows:
Reliance, 6:23 :50; Columbia, B:25 80; Con.
stitution, S:29:1o.
Just as the boats were finishing the first
leg the wind freshened, and as Reliance
came about and spread its sails for the
second mark 1t sped away with a fine
burst of speed. Gradually 1t crept away
from Columbia. which was being over.
hauled by Constitution. Steadily the vino
increased and steadily Reliance increased
its lead. The second leg. a close reach. wa.
! negotiated in about sixteen minutes bv Re
lance, the turns being made as follows:
Reliance. 5:Ss:5o; Columbia, 1894 Con
stitution, 5:46:10.
Proves HerBelf a Great Racer.
r 1t was after Reliance had started 70
home with its lee rail awash that It proves
to the thousands who were watching 4
ashore and afoat what a racer II is. I
simply flew away from Columbia ana Con
= stitutlon, and In about ten minutes ha,
opened up a lead of over two miles. whieI
was being rapidly increased when the com
mittee signed a proclamation for the race
In the meantime Constitution had very ma
terlally cut down Columbia's lead, and a
the finish was nearly abeam Of the old de
[ fender.
Upton Is Much Surprised.
q GLASGOW, May 2.-sir Thomas Liptor
a in an interview with an Associated Pres
: correspondent regarding the excellent forr
> shown by Reliance. admitted that he wa
somewhat surprised that Reliance was .
: much better than Columbia, but ne pointe
> out that Columbia was never fast at drift
! ing. He said he reserved Judgment regard
ing Reliance until he should hear Of its pel
u Torrance at top racing speed. He was nc
sorry TO think that America had a good boa
in Reliance. He wanted the cup, but h
. also wanted some sport in getting II.
: believed that he had an exceptionally goo
. vessel, better than had yet ben shown, b.
: he wanted no runaway victory,
"The closer the races the better II wi
please me- remarked Sir Thomas. cpr,
, vided Shamrock III finishes on the riRl
side" He saw nothing in Reliance's vi,
- tory to shL.ys his belief in Shamrock III.