Evening journal., 1903-08-28
DID NOT FINISH
IN TIME LIMIT
Yesterdays Race Declared
Oh-Shamrock Badly
Handled
NEXT RACE SAILED TOMORROW


The preliminary jockeying and start
was the prettiast exhibition of skill
anu seamanship In the series. Il was
a contest for the windward position.
Only once did Captain Barr lose It,
and then he promptly regained It. For
10 minutes preceding the start he held
the British boat tucked neatly under
the lee wind of the defender, despite
Captain Wringe's best efforts to clear
his boat. and when It was over and
the boats slipped across the line Barr
had a splendid victory to his credit.
With Reliance less than third of
a mile from the finish and Shamrock
lIrs hun down on the horizon, fully
two miles asten of the gallant de-
fender, the fourth race OF the present
series for the Americas cup was de-
clared of because of the expiration Of
the time limit of five and one-half
hours. az happened in the first race.
Although. officially It was no race, the
defeat administered to the challenger
was so ignominious that whatever lin
gering hope remained in the breasts
Of the friends OF Sir Thomas boat
vanished into thin air. Reliance's' vic
tory was in every way more decisive
than that of last Saturday. Outsailed,
outpointed and outfooted, It was a pro-
cession from start to finish.
The Herreschoff wonder beat the
Shamrock hopelessly in the 10 miles
OF windward work, rounding the outer
mark - minutes and 30 seconds ahead
OF her, gain in actual time OF IL min
utes and 20 seconds. and down the
wind she steadily increased her lead.
The real race Of the day was not
against Shamrock. but It was seen In
the exciting struggle of Reliance in
the last half hour 10 reach the finish
line before the regatta committee fired
the gun which should announce the
expiration of the time limit, Had the
wind freshened 20 minutes earlier than
II did the cup series would have ended
with three straight wins for the de-
fender, and Flies famous light-weath-
er boat would have sailed back to AL
bian shores one of the most disas-
trously worsted challengers in the his
tory of the America cup contests.
Fully as discouraglng as the sailing
qualities displayed by the challenger
was the atrocious manner I'm which she
was handled. The Yankee skipper not
only out manoeuvred his rival in the
spectacular battle for position at the
start, as he has done every time they
have met but, worse still for the down
hearted supporters of Shamrock. Cap
tain Wringe repeated his blunder OF
Tuesday. He crossed the line in the
wake of Reliance with handicap OF
CT of the precious seconds for which
Fife had sacrificed so much in sail
spread for time allowance. Both boats,
It is true. went over after the smoke
Of the handicap gun, but where both
are handicapped II is only the stern,
most craft which actually suffers.
It was not a pleasant day on the
water and the observation fleet which
had put out to sea to witness the
race was hardly more than half as
large as on the preceding days. There
was a chill In the atmosphere. Low
wet clouds shut out the sky, and the
mist wreaths on the sea made every
thing look ghostAilke and indistinct
The dark water of the ocean was as
smooth as a floor. and light breeze
OF about four knots blew out of the
southwest The course was laid IL
miles dead into the wind and return
At the end of the first hour Shamrock
was beaten and the interest waned
After rounding the float for the run
1 homo and setting big ballooners the
} wind. which had strengthened 20 six
or seven knots on the beat, died dowr
1 and the towering clouds OF canva.
. drifted lazily down an ocean lane g
J mile wide between the two divisions
!. OF the excursion feet
I Even in the light air It was aston
( ishing how the defender slipped
Z through the placid seas. With III,
gentle breeze distending the surfac,
OF her pure white sails and her sterI
crowded with tars to hold her heat
up. she moved along as serenely an,
peacefully as II In a dreamless sleep
Yet the gap between her and the chal
lenger steadily widened until two mile
p separated them. Half an hour from
home. when the spectators had aban
doned any idea that the finish lin
conld be reached IN time. the wind sud
denly freshened and Reliance cam
bowling down at a merry clip. Blu
a the wind had come too late, and whe
stll a few hundred yards from hom
the gun on the tug Navigator boone
across the water. The excursion boat
I held on until she crossed the line {
Q give her a rousing welcome. and the
! scampered for New York. Sir Thon
v rs. who heretofore has always follow
8 cd his champion into the hook. ser
e his steam yacht the Erin. ahead 9
e full speed. as if to drown out the men
! orr Of the inglorious licking he ha
received.
y Both boats came up quickly to th
. Hook after the failure to finish an
!. took up their anchorages Sir Thor
1. as. speaking of the affair. said: L al
willing 90 repeat what I said IN
morning. I still have hope. sligh
- though IL g. Let us hope for a span
2, ing good breeze tomorrow. call,