Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-09-03
The Reliance Was within a Third
of a Mile of Finish When
Time Expired.
SHAMROCK III FAR BEHIND.
10 Daddy Defeated That up. q
Lifting the Cup Is Gonc--Victory
Tor American Bont Most Decisive
of the Scries-Thc Challenger
Poorly Handled AEnin.

New York, Aug. 27.-With Reliance less
than a third of "A mile from the finish and
Shamrock Ill fully two miles astern of
the gallant defender, the fourth race,
like the first of the present series. for the
Americas cup, to-day. was declared of
because of the expiration of the time
hiatt of five and onc-half hours Al
though officially, it was no race, the de-
feat administered to the challenger was
so signal that wha teVcr lingering hope re-
mdined in the breast of the friends of
Shamrock III vanished into thin air. Re
lidnCe's victory was in every way more
decisive than that of last Saturday. out
sailed. outpointed, and outfooted, 1t was
procession from start to finish
The Herreshoff wonder beat the sham
rock hopelessly in the L. miles of wind
ward work. rounding the outer mark T.
minutes and 80 seconds ahead of her a
gain in actual time of II minutes and -
seconds. and down the wind she steadily
Increased her lead. The real race of the
DAY was not against Shamrock but the
exciting struggle of Reliance in tho last
half hour to 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 it did, tho cup series
would have ended to-day with three
straight wins for the defender and Fife s
famous light weather boat would have
sailed back to Albion shores one OF the
most disastrously worsted chalengers in
the history of the cup contests.
Fully as discouraeing as the sailing
qualities displayed by the challenger
was the manner in which she was
handled. The Yankee skipper again
not only out-ma nouVred his rival in
the spectacular battle for position at
the start, as he has done every time
they have met. but worse still for tho
n boa ri cd IF 10 m .
rock Capt Wringe repeated his blum
der of Tuesday. He crossed the line
81 seconds behind the Reliance. Both
boats. it is true. went over after the
smoke of the handicap gun. but where
both are handicapped. it is only the
sternmost craft which actually S9{s
fers
1t was not a pleasant day on the
water and the observation fleet, which
put out to sea to win the race. was
hardly more than half as large as on
the preceding day There was a
chill in the atmosphere and low. wet
clouds shut out the sky. The sea was
smooth and a light breeze of about
four knots blew out of the southwest
The course was laid Is miles dead into
the wind and return from Sandy Hook
liGhtship.
At the end Of the first hour Shamrock
III was beaten and the interest died
away.
The Reliance was good bit up to wind
ward after the start, while Shamrock III
tried to make up for it by footing the
faster. At the next tack. - minutes after
the start, Shamrock III had lost ground
and as they lay about the same course
was quarter of n mile astern OF the
American craft. Reliance steadily gained
on each tack thereafter, Barr declining
all invitations to split lacks as he had
NO ba pl
III was a mile astern. After rounding the
float for the run home and setting big
ballooners the wind which had strength
ened to six knots on the beat died down
and the towering clouds Of canvas drifted
lazily own an ocean lane a mile wide be-
tween the two divisions of the excursion
feet. Even in the light air it was
astonishing how the defender slipped
along. With the gentle breeze distending
the surface of her pure white sails and
her stern crowded with tars to hold her
head up, she moved along as sercnelY and
peacefully as if in dreamless sleep. Yet
the gap between her and tho challenger
steadily widened until two miles sepcrat-
ed them
Half an hour from home, when the
spectators had abandoned any idea
that the finish line could be reached
In time the wind suddenly freshcned
and the Reliance came bowling down
Vt a merry fnp. l1ut lNP Wlnd ld1
come too late and when still few
hundred yards from home the gun on
the Navigator doomed across the water
The excursion boats held on until the
Reliance crossed to give her rousing
welcome and then scampered for New
York. Sir Thomas Upton. who hereto
fore. has always followed his champion
Into the hook, sent his steam yacht
Erin ahead at full speed as If to drown
out the memory II the beating he got
to-day. Summary:
Start. Turn. Finish
Reliance Ill 02 1:II:l0 43S &.
'hamrock ....ll:02 2:01 4odid not inisl
The official starting time for both boats
vas l:02. but their actual start as timet
by the regatta committee was as fol
lows:
Reliance, 1l;O2f; Shamrock III
II ;03:42.
The next race will he sailed Saturda,
over wndward leeward course.