New-York tribune., 1903-06-28
SHAMROCK'S FIRST SPIN.
THE INITIAL TRIAL HERE.
A Fine Burst of Speed-Format
Race To-morro7c.

Driven by the freshening puffs Of southerly
breeze Sir Thomas Lipton's challenging yacht
Shamrock III. with her lee rail almost awash'
came sweeping proudly in from the sea. through
Gedrey's hsn2el hour before sunset yes
terday at a speed of nearly if not quite. twelve
knots an hou.. Although it only lasted few
minutes il was a fine burst Of speed. the best
she had shown her first trial spin in Ameri-
can waters.
In marked contrast the yacht that was
tovved in from sea through this same channel
thirteen davs ago with her short mast and stub
bowsprit was this graceful racing craft with
her great mainsaf and her skyreaching cluo-
topsail. She passed Sandy Hook at steamboat
speed led by her owners steam yacht Erin,
and followed closely by Commodore f u
Bourne's Delaware, the flagship of the New
York Yacht Club. r. A C Smiths PT1Vateer
and the Josephine owned by the Wideners. Of
Philadelphia, the latter being dressed with a
rainbow OF flags in honor of the occasion
Taking Shamrock 1 out with her for trial
horse so to speak the newest Fife 90-footer,
after sailing some thirty miles in a steady breeze
from the south which never exceeded eight
knots in strength, and which averaged hVe
knots defeated the older boat by ten minutes,
much OF this gain being made in spinnaker run
Of about fifteen miles. An analysis Of the spin
shows that the Shamrocks were hours and
30 minutes doing windward work; 10 minutes
on q close reach, and hours anG 10 minutes on
the spinnaker run. The estimated distance beat
ing TO windward was ten miles. reaching five
miles and running fifteen miles. Tea minutes
may be subtracted for the time used in ma
noeuyring between the end of the windward
work and the beginning of the close reach. and
for the time lost in lufilng while changing top
sails so that the yacht could easily have COW
cred the thirty-rnie course within the time limit
Of five and half hours, prescribed by the rules
Of the international cup races.
GOOD LIGHT W GATHER EXHIBITION
The spin may be considered a good light
weather exhibition of the yachts speed, for she
Is undoubtedly fast in a light breeze. She makes
less fuss In travelling through the water than
either Of her predecessors. Her bow wave is
small, and her quarter wave, at a speed Of eight
knots when close hauled, is scarcely percep-
tible. With her main boom nearly amidships
she points remarkably well. lying within four
points of the wind She tacks in twenty-five
seconds from full to full" She
doubtedly do better than that, but Captain
wringe made no effort yesterday TO swing her
any faster Judging from her performance the
yacht has plenty of stability.
II is difficult under yesterdays conditions 10
make any decisive comparisons between Sham
rock III and the Reliance. but there is reason
to believe that the challenger will be very close
TO the American boat in spinnaker run in such
a breeze There were also indications that the
Reliance would have beaten the Columbia more
in the windward work of yesterday than Sham
rock III defeated her sister ship, Shamrock L
assuming. of course, that the latter and the
Columbia are now about equally matched The
challenger moves so easily in light breezes with
her present rig that it is fair to suppose she will
f. all oiprS Of fling N
breezes when she wears her largest sails.
Shamrock III is unquestionably the ablest yacht
that Sir Thomas Upton has brought over, and
she may be regarded a formidable opponent
By 10 a m everything was ready for a start
from the anchorage off Tompkinsville. Covers
off the mainsais. and jbs were up in stops
the stays of both yachts. The crews, in clean
white working suits were standing by for the
order to heave up anchors. 1t was given
st 1880. when the Erin had passed a towline
to Shamrock III and the tug Cruizer one TO
Shamrock L The press tug De Witt c. WINS
followed the yachts through the Narrows and
out toward Sandy Hook.
AS they passed down the main ship channel
the Shamrocks saluted by the steamships
vaderland and Lahn bound out. and by many
other vessels that PASSED
At 1875 o'clock. when nearly down to the
point Of Sandy Hook the crew of Shamrock III
heEan setting her nlalnSall- IL was nOlSleO III
five minutes. The mainsaiI Of Shamrock was
also set in the same time. At 12:15 o'clock. off
the whistlfng buoy. Sir Thomas Upton and Mr..
Fife were put on board Shamrock III. and
Colonel D. F Neil or the older boat, by the
Erin's launch and at 1920 o'clock the towlines
were let go.
START OF THE TRIAL.
Both yachts cast 10 starboard. filling away on
--oSl
as she did SC Working topsais set above
the nainsails II was noted that the challenger
moved off easily and with great speed Her
position when they both filled away quite
an eighth Of mile the lee bow Of Sham
rock ] The wind was light and from about
south. and the water was as smooth as in Long
Island Sound. save for long, easterly swell not
sufficient tc bother either yacht.
With sheets trimmed fat they started for
long beat to windward. Small jibtopsails were
sent up on both and all hands sent 70
windward lying close up under the port rail
Sir Thomas Upton sat in the companionWay Of
Shamrock III. while Mr. Fife stood near Cap
tain Wringe al the wheel.
Sixteen minutes after the start both yachts
tackled TO starboard. The one had in this
brief period, worked out from position
eighth of q mile TO leeward TO one the same
distance TO windward of the older boat. A few
minutes later the crew Of the challenger passed
up a club topsail from below and quickly bent
II on the yard. AT 1:03 o'clock Shamrock I
went about TO port The new boat followed
suit a minute later. There a little more
wind now, and she swung around from full to
full" in twenty-five seconds.
Up went the club topssil smartly the port
side. the men wa liking IL up along the lee
side OF the deck. They had some trouble in
sheeting out the sail but IL was in six min