New-York tribune., 1903-09-01

It vas the same tiresome Yachting story eff
Sandy Hook yesterday. After outsaing Sham
rock III from the puff Of smoke from the start
ing gun TO the expiration of the time limit the
Reliance was unable TO finish because the wind
would not blow. It was the worst defeat that
the defender has yet inflicted on the challenger
despite the fact that the winner is not for
maly credited with victory. At the end Of
the five hours and a half allowed by the rules
for the fifteen miles TO windward and return
the Herreshoff sloop was about mile from the
finish line, and at least three miles ahead Of the
Shamrock The beautiful Yacht Of which Sir
Thomas Upton had such high hopes before she
met the Reliance. was SO far behind when the
race was declared off that she was practically
hull down and in the gray Of the cold late
afternoon. she was not much more than duh
blur against the skyline
The race was sailed from the very first in a
light breeze. which slowly faded away 70 not
more than three or four knots an hour, but
which may have averaged six or seven. II was
not in the least exciting or spectacular. for
after the first half hours sailing the defender
simply ran away from her rival and IT was only
2 question Of how much she would win by and
whether the wind would let her finish
The defeat sustained by Sir Thornas's boat in
the fifteen mile beat 30 windward was the most
overwhelming ever inflicted on challenger for
the Americas Cup. The Reliance got around
the mark thirty-fve seconds after o'clock and
the Irish sloop did not follow her until % min
utes % seconds later. II was hard TO estimate
the difference in distance but the experts agreed
that IL was at least mile and a half.
1t was not in the least an exhilarating or in
spring day. The fleet of observation vessels
was shrunken to mere ghost of its former
self and only the faithful were in attendance
The falling of may have been expected. i'm view
Of the fact that tine RelianCe's victory was re-
garded. even by Sir Thomas himself. as 4 fore
gone conclusion. All the same. the contrast be
tween the thirty steam craft assembled yester-
day and the splendid feet that saw the first
race striking. Doubtless the weather had
something TO do with it. The heavy gale Of the
last few days expected to make things I'M
pleasant for the landlubbers. and, To a certain
extent. it did. There was long swell on from
the southeast that played havoc with the bad
sailors. Of whom there were not many. how
ever. hut the sea. though considerable. was not
enough 10 threaten To injure the racers seriously.
though they pounded good deal and threw up
clouds OF spray that completely enshrouded their
bows. while they poked their noses so high that
at times one could see their underbodies almost
to the step Of the mast.
When the comparatively few vessels i'm the
fleet. headed by the revenue cutters arrived
AT SANDY HOOK LlgntShlp, there was plenty or
room aboard most Of them. The Taurus. which
was chartered by the New York Yacht Club.
had only about cns hundred and fifty people
aboard. and the hand sounded lonesome Sir
Thomas Upton. expecting bad weather. had
cancelled the invita- tions issued for the Erin nd
the big Yacht looked deserted. while the reve-
nue. cutters appeared almost depOpulated.
Captain WriuEe handled his boat with better
judgment and nerve than in any Of the pre-
vious starts Of the series. The shamrock too
seemed TO move more promptly and TO answer
her helm more speedily than usual. The result
was that the British skipper got rather the bet
ter OF the start.
The yachts VIII sail again this morning over
a fifteen mile WindWard and leevrard course