The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-25
America Won
CC4Shtinued from First Page.)

committee was obliged to set the mark
seven miles farther out. This DELAYED
the start about three-quarters Of an
hoEr and prevented the massing of the
excursion fleet as usual in the form of
a great marine amphitheatre back of
the starting Fine. Instead of being
Kept back by TIE revenu cutters theg
formed a column of bull and stacks eX-
tending three miles toward the Jersey
shore. the yachts around the line COM
pleting the shape of a fish hook. The
l'course. southwest. carried the yachts
directly into the V OF the wind. to q
point off AShury Park.
! The hOnorS OF the start as on Thurs
dayl. were captured by the American
shippers. Captain Wringe timed his
/ approach TO the line with the Sham
rock badly and in ar effort TO keep off
until the gun boOmea he almost lost
his bOwsTrit as he luffed VI to cross.
Barr. as usual wen over in the wind
ward berth. four seconds behind her
rival. Both were close hauled on the
S~tarbOaTd tack. 1t was a magnificent
sight e. they plunged in the
| twelve knot breeze ~~"1ding fountains
Of spray from their bows ard leading
to it until the waters whirled n
dubbed along their lee rails. The
crews wer piled up along the weather
side to hold the great racing machines
UP.
The first few minutes OF the thresh
to ~nindward were watched with in
tense interest. Roth were floating like
mad. They showed yards of their I'M
deTbOdies and shipped IL good deal of
spray and some solid water forward.
But after fifteen minutes of sailing
the1r positions had not varied percepti-
bis and there was alarm among the
experts. Thos who had expected to
4 --1 49, Dol;a-11 u-all- 81 u-o u f-1p, how
adversary. as a result of las Thurs
days showing. were disappointed. The
Shamrock hung on With bull dog ten
acity. and ack after tack she seemed
y be holding her OwE.
For fifteen miles challenger and chal-
hinged fought out the magnificent duel.
sailing between two lanes of excur-
sion boats as free from interference as
If they had been in the middle of the
Atlantic. All the time the wind was
increasing and the white caps We're
Whitening the waves in tumbled ar
i'uor.
The critical poiur II the race cams
at l2:4O p. m. a little less than two
hours after the start The mark was
less than two miles away and the rela-
tive positions of the boats We're about
the same. Both Were on the ~StarbOard
tack, Reliance ahead but to coward
Suddenly the wind dropped and hauled
a tritle to the west. The shift enabled
the yachts to head up for the marx
with Reliance in the lead by about 200
yards. This was tine only thing which
married an otherwise truly sailed race.
J But from that time on. the Reliance
; steadily increased her lead in the
windward work until she was three
quarters of Il Tni4v ahead. AS she
rounded the outer mark. the whistles,
SireneS. bands and the voices of the
unnumbered thousands on the excur-
sion fleet swelled mo a vast chorus.
Turning for home her s]pinnaker
boom. poised along the mast like d
lance in rest. feil to port and the big
sail burst outlke Z. cloud. while al
the same IN her m bal
loon iib tODsail bellied out forward.
The smart work OF the yankee cheered
the crowds. but Il moment afterward
there was diSmay When the guy which
held the ~spinnaktr pole parted or was
carried away. The enormous sails
scared aIoft and tumbled over the iib
tOpsail stay. c~OTlaDsing like an empty
meal sack. But the spar was hauled
pack into place ana then. with her
three balloon sail setting like plaster.
the stately Yacht sped homeWard be-
fore the following VIM liz a scared
dear.
The fleet remained to salute the
Shamrock as she rounded and then
with q Jingle of bells in the engine
rooms. scampered away for the finish
iIne to be in at the death. In setting
ner balloon jib. the Shamrock en-
cOuntered another piece of Il luck.
One of the stops would not break
ont and the sail hung for some minutes
ike a limp rag on the stay. When
both had been squared away for home
il was seen that Reliance was making
a runaway race of 1t. With her crew
afl to keep her head up. L skinned
aItng the surface of the water like
gull with outstretched pinions leaving
the Shamrock farther and farther
astern. The ace was so fast that
many of the tugs and not a few Of
the steam yacht were left behnd.
Tha scene at the finish Wa~SrSOul-stir-
ring Under her towering cloud OF
! y the Reliance bounded across
| the giewIess finish line like q queen.
The excursion boats gathered there
/ fairly awakened the echoes with the
terrific din which they let loose. Such
pandonOnium can only be heard when
an American yacht is victorious in n
cup raepe.
Then the immense c~UncourSe of YES
| sells waited until the Shamrock. ma
| ieStic even in defeat. swept by between
the stake boats. The reception she
received was. if ANYTHING more hearty
than thai accorded to btr successful
| rival
STORY OF THE RACE.
| Reliance leading the way and Sham
rock III hanging to her lee quarter.
n two racSrs slipped across the line.
took 4 whirl arOund the UNIQUE at ths
further end eff ii. and Shamrock nov
taking the lead. ran close hauled along
/ the lee side of the starting line. AT
| the flash OF the n~avigator's SuGl at 11:45
both luffed across the line. Reliance
! was four seconds behind her on wind
! ward quarter. The official starting
| time was:
Shamrock III. J1:45:11.
Reliance. 11:45-@1.
Both got away on the starboard tack.
carrying three lower sails and club
topsailS. the Reliance a badly lib top
sail. NEat followed vas the prertiest.
closest and most hard fought fifteen
thresh 10 ~windward that has been wit
messed in these historic waters for
! many a day.