Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-08-27
ONE MIN. 10 SEC.
The Narrow Margin by Which
Reliance Defeated Shan
rock Tuesday.
NEARLY A RECORD RACE.
A American Boat Would Have Made New
Figure for the Course If Wind Had
Held Out-Capt. Barr Again
Displays Superior Seaman
ship-WireIcss Failure.

New York, Aug. 25.-In a glorious whole
sail breeze over q triangular course, ten
| miles to a leg the fieet-footed cup de
fender Reliance again to-day showed
her heels to Sir Thomas Lipton's chal-
| longer, taking the second race of the cup
series by the narrow margin of one min
ute and 10 seconds. 1t was as pretty
| and as hard a fought contest as has ever
been sailed off Sandy Hook and, had the
wind not fallen during the last ten min
utes, the record for the course, three
hours, IL minutes and 10 seconds, made
by Columbia two years ago. in race
aaSinst Shamrock IT,, would have been
broken. As it was Reliance sailed the
thirty miles within two minutes and 80
seconds of the record which speaks
wonders for her speed in the wind that
was blowing. Reiance's victory, mar
row as it was would have been even
smaller had not Captain Wrnge, the
skipper of the British ship. bungled the
start sending his craft over the line 10
| seconds after the last gun and handicap
ping her to that extent. At every point
of sailing the defenders superiority was
demonstrated. She gained one minute
and 81 seconds in the windward work to
the first mark, 4n seconds on tho run to
the second mark and as seconds on the
close reach for home.
An assemhlage of excursion vessels al
most as large as that Of last Saturday,
poured down through the Narrows and
out into the Atlantic to-day to witness
the vanishing glory of the challenger,
| The early morning had held out but lit
tie hope of a race A smoky haze hung
over the sea and the wind was very light
from the south. AS the day wore on.
however, the curtain lifted slightly, the
! wind blew stronger and clear out of the
south and the dancing swell sparkled un-
der the radiance of an August sun.
/ The course was n beat due south, then
a broad reach run as the might
be. off toward the Cholera Banks and
thence home again to the light ship. each
leg ten miles.
The spectators watched the iockeyinG
for the start with eager interest. 1t Seem
ed momentarily as if the spars and hulls
of the yachts would clash, but they
wheeled and circled like gulls, tackng,
gibbinG and putting about 'ith wonder
full ease and grace. At last, when the
starting gun had been fired and they
bounded across the lire, close hauled for
the thresh to windward it was seen that
tho American skipper by his extremely
clever work had again outGeneraled his
rival and secured the weather gal &c. Not
only was the challenger's captain defeat
ed in his effort to secure the windward
berth, but he actually failed to cross in
time to save a handicap of 10 seconds.
this time being a dead loss to him. Barr
never relinquished his advantage after
his lee all the way to the first mark.
AS the racers got farther out the
weight of the wind steadily increased.
Both boats with every stitch of canva IS
set. smashed into the seas. heeling down
in the puffs under the press of thousands
of yards of light canvass until their lee
rails were awash. Wringe had given his
boat good rap full and sailed through
the Reliance's lee, until satisfied he could
not be blanketed. when he fattened his
sheets and began to point closer. Barr,
however, was working his boat to wind
ward in mastery fashion and gained con-
tinually to the first mark. Here the en-
tire excursion fleet was forced to lie
until the yachts, bowling along at ter
rifle pace, turned the second mark BY
this time the wind had increased from
seven to ten knots The time of turning
first mark was: Reliance 12:2 80 Sham
rock 12:2+:45.
Because of time allowance and differ
Vncc in the start the Shamrock was still
six seconds ahead officially.
| 1t was evident that the Yankee boat
had won the race, barring accidents. Both
captains broke out balloon jib topsails
when they squared for the second turn.
The wind was so far aft that they quick
ly discovered that instead of being a
broad reach. as intended the course to the
turn was a run. The wind varied from
four to ten knots. Staysails were taken
in and spinnakers set. Both were heading
) off their course a bit in order to make
their spnnakers draw well and they ran
: that way for half an hour, when the Re
lance smothered her spinnaker and set
, her staysails. During that time she did
not appear to have gained an inch, but
: Immediately upon laying her true course
r she began to draw away Ten minutes
after Reliance the Shamrock also took
: in her spinnaker and set her staysal.
: With the wind over their quarters, both
, yachts made fast time by it but ii was
, apparent that Reliance was gaining They
t made the second turn as follows:
Reliance, 1:l7:5O: Shamrock III, 1:2l:45.
, Reliance had overcome the time allow
ance, made good the difference at the
start and established a margin to her
, credit of 3i seconds
Tho Reliance whirled about the mark,
Gybed over, trimmed in her sheets, and
romped on a close reach towards the fin
sh line. She was three-quarters of a
mile away before the Shamrock rounded
the mark. Both yachts were heelng be-
: fore "A II knot wind.
Reliance. on this last leg. demonstrated
that she Is faster than any racing craft
ever built. The guide vessel Coastwse,
was scurrying along ahead of her at full
speed. but the Reliance overhauled and
passed her. When the Reliance was n
' quarter of a mile from the finish line the
= wind died away considerably, but the
Shamrock came booming along carrying
a splendid breeze and fast overhauling
the leader. 1t looked as though the Brit
ish boat was going to get within her time
allowance. but the finish line was too near
4 and the Reliance slipped across it with
: one minute and 10 seconds to spare. The
I official time
Start Finish
S Reliance. ...... ......ll :oO:36 22:l5:SC
: Shamrock lll..... Ill :o2:o0 2:9OIC
Elapsed Corrected
time. time.
|
| shamrock lll..,,,.., ..-,,,S'lS'lO 3:l61i
The great observation fleet headed
back TO New York after the race at tor
| speed. but before half the fleet mad
reached the upper bay green gray
squall out of the northwest, raising a
curtain of spray as ii came struck the
v fleet bringing grief to many oXcursionists
: | and carrying away yacht and steamer
| awnings and top hamper generally. Had
: the squall found the racers and the at
I tendant fleet out on the ocean the race
: course to-day might have ctronicled a
o great marine disaster,
s WIRELESS TI.LEGRAPHY FAILED
1t was hard day for the overworked