The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-28
Splitting the Foam With Prov
of Lightning.
GlDDY BURSTS OF SPEED
The New Cup Defend r is Given a Trial by her
Builders, and the Results are Partic-
uIsrly Gratifying TO all Co..
csrned.
(By the Associated Press.)

Bristol, II. L., April 25.-In a fifteen
mile beat to windward down Narragan
sett Bay out to sea and a long run be-
fore the wind back to her moorngs here,
the Reliance. the new aspirant for the
honor Of defending the Americas cup
was given her first builders trial today.
At its conclusion, C. oliver Iselin, the
managing member of the syndicate of
owners, said he was much pleased with
the new boat.
The weather conditions were perfect.
In a IL knot Southwestern whether close
hauled in the beat down the bay on
broad reach with the wind abeam or run
ming free under spinnaker, sne rendered
n splendid account of herself, and gave
abundant promise of being a formida-
bic candidate in the trials for the choice
of a cup defender.
Her performance demonstrated that,
despite the apprehension that she would
be stiff because of her super line feat
ures she heeled readily and easily to her
sailing lines in a very moderate breeze.
Once she refused to heel further. giving
whence Of the power which her broad fiat
ficored hull was deigned to impart. She
was q,:ick to come about, Averaging
about % seconds in stays, made some
fuss under her bow at times and steered
with only one man at the helm. De-
signer Nat Herreshoff and Captain Chas
Barr altcrnated at the wheel.
The Baltimore left her mornings off
the Herreshoff shops at 9:97 o'clock this
forenoon. There was very light north
west air moving. For the first hour she
drifted a mile. Then the wind freshened
and hauled to the southwest, making her
course a dead beat to windward. An
Intermediate jibtopsail was run up. The
yacht responded quickly and heeling gen
erously began to give the first sugges-
ton of her sailing qualities Captain
Barr worked her tenderly and easily
dew nthe bay, making slow tacks, appa-
iently aiming to discover any weak points
in her rigging During the beat down
the cast passage the Reliance steadily
increased her speed. Long before reach
ing Newport she was lying over to smart
puffs and driving along at gait which
must have delighted Mr., Herreshoff. The
last leg before reaching Newport was
sailed in q splendid burst of speed.
There was a little more weight in the
filled away from her moorings and beat
out through the entrance. AS she
opened out into the ocean she encount-
cred small sea and her bow began
soon to make 1t fly. 1t did not have any
perceptible effect on her speed. Passing
Beaver Tail Light she stood out to sea
about five miles by Brenton's Reef Light
ship sailing with wind abeam on the
starboard tack and going like a veritable
witch. Her long beam occasionally sent
a squirt of foam flying, but there was
not sea enough to determine whether
that long overhang would make sufficient
fuss to hold her back in rough water.
Three miles outside of the lightship
she came about. and with sheets free
started on a reach back to the entrance
to the bay.
This was the fastest and most spectacle
lar event of the day. Every inch Of
canvas was drawing and the Reliance
was making a white lather of water
under her lee bow and along the lee rail,
which was just awash. The Sunbeam and
Namai were barely able to hold their
positions in the wake. although the Sun
beam appeared to be making her best
effort. The racer rushed by the lightship
at a gait which would have taxed the
speed OF the average steam yacht.
1t was on this point of sailing that
her long overhang forward did good SER
vice shipping as her stern lifted, and
giving her sailing length much in excess
of that impaired b. the ordinary bow.
Approaching the entrance to the bay
she took the wind more on the quarter
and a spinnaker was run up and broken
out for the first time. The operation
occupied one minute and twenty seconds.
The new sail was of moderate size It
added considerably to her speed. The
press tug which was following at rate
of nine knots an hour was unable to
maintain such pace and the Sunbeam
and Nomai were left astern. While run
ming up TIE east passage to her moorings
the wind gradually died away. The Re-
lance finished tho run under mainsail
and lib and tied up off the Herreshcf.
docks after a successful trial and without
mishap.