The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-25

warranted and Captain Barr finding
the sea smooth and the wind compara-
lively light decided to change for
larger one. The tug therefore kept her
head up into the wind while the sail
was sent down and the bigger one sub
stituted- This work consumed about Is
minute~
At 1925 the signal was hoisted
for triangular course, the re-
gatta committee tug Navigator
coming to anchor about half
"A A mile TO the westward of the
nals were hoisted Five minutes after
the regatta committee had set the sig
mai Tor a triangular race the sets of
Hags We're broken out on the triatic
stay, denoting the direction of the three
legs AS read from shore the first leg
was south, giving the boats beat down
the Jersey shore. The next was north
east by east one-haif east which, un-
der the conditions of the wind prevailing
at the time would give the yachts
broad reach from the first to the Sec
ond mark on the starboard tack
The next leg was northwest by west
to the finish at the lightship another
broad reach on the port tack
The preliminary signal was fred at
lO:45 and Immediately after the fight for
position began. AS usual Reliance fol-
lowed Shamrock in her various maneuV-
ers about the line. either boat going
very far away from the starting point
When the warning signal was fired at
1855 Shamrock was close to the COM
mittee boat. She Immediately headed
along the line on the starboard tack and
Reliance coming down from the wind-
ward attempted to blanket her. Both
boats four minutes before the start were
holding across on the line on the star
board tack with Reliance on Sham
rocks weather quarter.
Then they were back with Shamrock
! in the lead and came for the eastern
end of the line on the port tack Reli-
ance, however, kept right after her. In
the meantime great tank boat came
plunging between the yachts and Reli-
ance was forced to hold away. She went
to the stern of the committee boat and
swinging around headed for the line on
the starboard tack. Contrary to his Gus
tom Captain Wringe kept away and
was two or three hundred yards to the
Reliance coming under the stern of the
committee boat crossed the line at
11:00:27. unofficial.
Captain Wringe held away too long
before coming about and heading for
the line, with the result that he was
under the stern of the committee boat
when the handicap gun was fired, two
minutes after the start. He ran up the
line on the starboard tack and then
came about and headed for the Jersey
shore on the port tack 1t looked as if
he had lost about 25 seconds by slow
ness in reaching the line. Both boats
broke out baby jib topsails just before
the start.
Ten minutes after the start they were
heading for the Jersey shore on the
port tack, Reliance in the lead but ap-
parently not gaining very much on
Shamrock in the light air The wind
had dropped to about five knots and a
thick haze began to set in from sea.
| The tack in shore was long one, both
shippers evidently feeling that they
could get better slant of wind along
| fHa el,D For f.a.- r.
looked as if Shamrock was making Il
better fight than ever before
On getting nearer the shore the breeze
seemed to be a trifie stronger and Re
Hance began to gain. At 11:40 she had
pulled out until she was from q to y
mile ahead of the Shamrock, being d
quarter of mile to the windward and
the same distance out ahead of the
challenger. The boats sailed very slow
ly, scarcely more than four or five miles
an hour.
At 11:42:3O Reliance being about three
miles off Sea Bright tackled to star
forty minutes. Shamrock held on until
she got well to the weather of the Re-
liance's wake, when she also tackled.
At 11:45 both boats were heading off
shore on the Starboard tack. Reliance
in the lead, but Shamrock pointed fully
as high. The wind began to shift to
west of south and it looked as though
the boats would be able to turn the first
mark without another tack.
This tack proved to be fully as long
as the first one and the race was de-
veloping into an exciting contest.
Neither boat seemed to be able to Sc
cure any decided advantage, although
the Reliance was leading. Shamrock
has held the windward position At
12:21:01 Reliance went about on the
port tack and headed in shore. Sham
rock followed at 12:23:35. At this time
the weather was thick and it was diff
cult to discern the yachts in the haze