The Washington times., 1903-08-28
Reliance OntfootS Shamrock
III From Start to Finish.
But Is SIX and a Half Min
0teS Short of the Prescribed
Foe and a Half Hours.
Barr Again. ProVeS That He
Is Wringe'S Master at the
Sailing Gan1e-Led His
RibaL a Merry Chase All
the Way.

Abandoned by the tickle, falling phan-
tom Of a breeze, the Reliance just
missed getting home yesterday in time
TO have her third decisive victory over
Shamrock III recorded and accepted as
race. There was no doubt whatever
from end to end of the slow, laborious
contest of the superiority of the Amer
lean yacht under the prevailing condi-
tions. An hour after the two sloops
crossed the starting line it was APP
parent that the Reliance must win. Tt
was only question of the margin of
triumph.
Up to the time the racers rounded the
outer mark. fifteen miles 10 windward OF
the start, there seemed every reason TO
expect that the light breeze would carry
the winning boat over the course in time
TO settle the Americas Cup series until
the next challenger comes over the seas;
but soon after the Reliance, smothered
in billowy waves of snow-white canvas
turned the flashing buoy and set her face
toward Sandy Hook Lightship, the way
ward airs began 10 faint and droop, and
from that time on all hands we're alter
nately consulting watches and anxiously
stralning their eyes through the haze in
an effort 10 make out the ugly craft
which marked the end of the thirty emile
race.
Shamrock Trails.
Shamrock III was about a mile and a
half behind the Reliance when the latter
w dal IN,
finish mark. Indeed, in the gathering
haze and against the dull gray of the
afternoon horizon, the challenger seemed
but vague sloop of dreamland. sailing
sleepily through impalpable airs to some
destination marked only on the charts
OF fancy.
There were some errors of judgment
made by the saiIormen who handled the
two flyers. but none that had any bear
ing on the comparative victory OF the
Reliance or on her failure to finish with
in the prescribed time limit of five and
a half hours. A few minutes of ten or
twelve knot breeze would have been
enough 10 drive the Herreshof sloop
home In time TO finish the series and
hold the Cup. for as it was she was only
minutes 81 seconds too late.
A Stern Chase.
1t was stern chase for Sir Thomas
boat from the go-on. for her skipper got
her across the line one minute and one
second after the Reliance. and as neither
boat crossed until after the handicap
gun. this time was so much clear loss.
and went far 10 neutralize her time al
lowance. AS on Thursday OF last week
when the wind was even lighter than
yesterdays wretched zephyr, the chaI-
lenger showed herself no match for the
defender at drifting. She would not
point so fast. and, starting behind her
rival. she steadily fell behind and TO
leeward. At the outer mark. which
signalized the end Of the windward half
OF the thirty-mile journey, the Sham
rock was u minutes and 80 seconds
behind the Reliance. and, though the
second boat invariably gets the best of
the wind when the breeze is light and
variable, she lost still further distance
on the run home.
Expected Happens.
The race. therefore. revealed only the
expected. 1t told only what was well
known before regarding the respective
merits OF the boats. After the start the
only excitement of any account enjoyed
by the spectators was the speculation
as TO whether Captain Barr could pos
sibly squeeze enough speed out of the
empty air 10 finish the thirty miles in
five hours and a half. and end the series.
This he could not DO. nor could any
other skipper have accomplished It. and
Sir Thomas viii have another chance
tomorrow