The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-26
TRIAL OF RELIANCE
PLEASES HER
BUILDERS
New Yacht Renders Splendid
Account of Herself in
First y-out and Prom
Uses to Be a Formidable
Candidate in Trials for
Selection of Cup Defender.

BRISTOL. r. l.. April 25.-In a fif-
teen mile beat to windward down Mar
ragansett bay, out to sea. and a long
run before the wind back to her moor
ings here. the Reliance. the new as
pirant for the honor of defending the
Americas cup, was given her first
builders trial today.
At it's conclusion, c. Oliver Iselin. the
managing member of the syndicate of
owners. said he was much pleased
with the new boat.
The weather conditions We're perfect.
In a tWelVe-knQt southwestern. Wheth-
er close hauled in the boat down the
way on a broad reach with the wind
abeam. or running free under spinna-
ker, she rendered a splendid account or
herself and gave abundant promise Of
being a formidable candidate in the
trials for the choice of cup defender.
Her performance demonstrated that.
despite the apprehension that she
would be stiff because of her supposed
ScoW-like features, she heeled readily
and easily to her sailing lines in a
very moderate breeze. Once down to
these lines she refused to heel further,
giving evidence of the power which
her broad fiat-flooored hull was de-
signed to impart. She was quick to
come about averaging about twenty
seven seconds in stays, made some
fuss under her bow at times and
steered with only one man at the helm.
Designer Herreshoff and Capt. Csarles
Barr alternated at the wheel
The party on board included c. OIL
Yer Iselin, William Butler Duncan Jr.,
NeWberry D. Thorne. E.. D. Morgan,
Lewis Cass Ledyard. William B. Leeds.
Woodbury. Kane, j. Frederick Tams
and Fleet Captain G. L. p. Robinson.
She was followed throughout the trial
by her tender, the Sunbeam. and Will
liam b. Leeds steam yacht Naomi. the
latter carrying a party
The Reliance left her mornings off
the Herreshoff shops at $50 o'clock
this morning. There was a very light
northwest air moving. She carried a
mainSail, small club topsail and work.
ing staysail and iib. For new sails,
they set well. The only notable fea-
ture about them was in the mainsail,
the leach of which was rounded out
ward in faint curve. adding a little
canvas so that it hung loosely to lee
ward for the length of the battens.
Later. in a heavier breeze the bellying
of the sail took UP this slack and the
sail set nearly perfectly. Comparison
with the Columbia showed that the
Reliance's mainsail is longer on the
leach and higher in the peak.
Drifts at the Start.
For the first hour she drifted a mile.
Then the wind freshened and hauled
to the southwest. making her course a
dead beat to the WindWard. An inter-
mediate jib topsail was run up. The
yacht responded quickly. and heeling
gently began to give the first sugges-
ton of her sailing qualities. Capt
Barr worked her tenderly and easily
down the bay, making slow tacks, ap-
parently aiming to discover any weak
points in her rigging. During the Iaat
down the east passage the Reliance
steadily increased her speed. Long be-
fore reaching Newport she was lying
over to smart puffs and driving along
at a gait which must have delighted
Mr.. Herreshoff. AS the wind grew
heavier the working jib topsail was
taken in and baby jib topsaiI hofsted
in its place. The last leg before reach
ing Newport was sailed in a splendid
burst of speed. She arrived at hGa
moorings off Goat Island at 12:40 D.
m. She lay there two hours. while
dinner was served to the party and
the crew. Just as signs of activity
began to be manifested. the Columbia
arrived and passed by. coming to an
Choir in the harbor. 1t was then seen
that the bow of the Reliance is lonsHr
and more slender than that of Column
bia, and her stern longer. wider and
thinner.
There was a little more weight in the
wind when at 2:45 p. m. the Reliance
filled away from her mornings and beat
out through the eastern entrance Her
long DOW occasionally sent a squirt of
foam flying, but there was not sea enough
TO determine whether that long oyerhang
would make sufficient fuss to hold ner
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
spectacular run of the day Every inc51
OF canvas was drawing and the Reliance
was making white lather of water I'M
der her lee bow and along the lee rail
which was just awash. The racers rushed
by the lghtShip at a gait which would
nave taxed the speed of the average
steam yacht. 1t was on this point of Sail
ing that her long overhang forward did
gGd service dipping as her stern lifted
and giving her a sailing length mucn in
excess of that impaired by the ordinary
bow.
Runs Away From Tugs.
Approaching the entrance to the bay
and Spinnaker was run up and broken
out for the first time. The operation oc-
Gupled one minute and twenty seconds
The new sail was of moderate size II
added considerably to her speed The
press tug which was following at a rate
OF nine Knots an hour was unable to main
uiliSIeLl pace ana the sunbeam and
Naomi were left astern The Reliance fin
1shed the run under mainsail and lib and
tied up off the Herreshoff docks after a
successful trial and without mishap.
Mr.. Iselin announced that the Reliance
would be taken out for another trial to-
morrow afternoon. 1t is clear from the
Rel1anceS performance today that under
fair sailing conditions she will derive
whatever advantage there is in the added
sailing length in her long overhang for
ward and aft
Her after overhang quickly touched the
water when she heeled, but she seemed
TO carry her bow considerably higher.
nather tnan to cut through it and the
slight splashing at the bow did not ap-
pear to retard her. So. far as could be.
noted without opportunity to compare
her with the Columbia or the Constitu-
ton she carried her larger spread of can
vas easily standing up we'll to the puffs
Although the two steering wheels indi-
cate that the designer, Herreshoff, an
t1cipated trouble in steering her nothing
W.