The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-28
OUR FRIENDS, THE ENEMY.
REyNG THE TRUE REPORT OF A
SPORTSNEN'S CONVERSATION,
which started Tale That Sir Tnomas
Is, Protesting Against WiserS-
ence From English Race PractAce-
The meal spirit the Visitors SHOW.

This in the story OF how three British
gentlemen disposed of matter that
troubled them. -,
Tbere were three of them, II. M, Mcoli-
downey, the representative OF the hoyai
ITlster Yacht Club on the Reliance; william
Fife the G.s'g ner of the Shamrock, ana
Charles Rrss Ill. They were at breaKtis 81
on Sir Thom az hot saboat Nirodha, down
in the Hors 8 zoe.
Said Mr.. McGildowney in effect: Il am
wondering whether have done the right
thing about a matter that has been puzZllng
me bit. Every day, Just before the start,
the Reliance has been putting oVeroodfa
an extra spar and lot OF sails ana s'ui
into whaleboat to be sent back' IL
wouldn't be thought right on our side'
But they have no rule about 1t here at all
The English rule is that nothing may be
taken from or added to a boat within twelve
hours before the start Of a race II skip
per wants to take two spars to the start,
in order to make a choice between them
according to the wind. he must carry them
through the race.
There is not any question, continued
the Royal Ulster club man, about re-
measurement. The spars are on board
when she lis measured. And there is no
question about the thing affecting the
result Of the race appreciably. because 1t
wouldn't. 1t doesn't make the slightest
bit of difference, in these races. and that's
certain. So 1 merely asked Mr. Iselin
about 1t and he seemed to think that it
was the ordinary procedure in races over
here and seemed TO know no reason why
it wasn't right. I made no protest and
/ think we ought not to make any"
Thank heaven you didn't" said Mr..
Fife at would have looked like a COM
plant made when we were losing and it
would be very ungraceYul. 1t will not
affect the result Of the races In the least
and, inasmuch as we are losing, let us say
not word about the difference between
our rules on tho matter and theirs
Right said Mr.. Russell. But with a
difference. 1t Is happily true that the
Issue Is not affected by the thing in this
race and that our opponents in this race
are people who are painstakingy and
scrupulously honorable, and are above all
suspicion Of sharp practice. Nevertheless,
there might come race in some year to
come when the matter would be material
and when a very unhappy dispute might
arise about IL. would suggest this: That
when these races are over and the talk OF
them has died out of the clubs and the
newspapers, we go to their committed
and suggest that they make a rigid rule
covering the whole matter SO that there
can never by any chance be any difference
about 1t hereafter"
They ali agreed.
The conversation was overheard by
some Of the more laxative Of Sir Thomas
Lipton's other guests and consequently
a rumor got around the boat that Sir Thomas
had protested against the setting aside
Of the extra spar and sails Of Reliance be-
fore each race. This report OF the con-
versation was made in order that the utter
baselessness of such a report might be
coIiclusively proved.