Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-26

"l'''i 1000 hoWcVef, was nursing
ReliS'Hce up TO Windward in mastery
fashion. Half an hour after the start,
the gap between the two boats had
Widened materially, Reliance pointing
higher and the Shamrock footing
faster
They were half mile apart when
they tackled off Highland beach at ia
The Reliance was the first to go about
When both yachts We're filled away it
was clear that the Reliance was gain
ing. shamrock III was far astern and
very little to WindWard of the Reli-
anceS course. Meantime the wind had
been increasing and was now blowing
at the rate OF seven knots. Carrying
q hard tui, shamrock III was heeling
prettily, moving through the water at
fast clip and making considerably
more fuss under her bows than the
American boat. Captain Barr was
pinching the Reliance into the wind
until her little baby jibtopsail fiuttered.
The Reliance sought to keep her gain
by outpointing the British boat, while
the latter endeavored to make up for
what she lost in pointing by footing
| faster with a rap full.
Az noon the wind had increased to 10
knots and hauled about u point 10
westward, so that both yachts could
| lay a straight course to the turning
mark, not more than two miles dis
| tant. They We're heeling hard and
! dragging their lee rails through Il
lathcr of froth and sending it squirt
! ing from under their bows in Il fashion
| that indicated that they We're making
at least II knots and that there was
| little danger that the race would not
| be finished within the time limit. With
| out making another tack both boats
made the turn of the first mark as fol-
| lows:
| Shamrock III MISUNDERSTANDING "a IS
| Though the Reliance had a lead of 3
minutes and Is seconds she still lacked
! six seconds of making up the time al
| loWance and the difference of / minute
! and "a seconds at the start. Officially
| the Shamrock III was still six seconds
ahead of the slippery Yankee craft, but
it was evident that the latter had the
race barring accidents. In n breeze
varying from to 10 knots an hour, she
had made good the time allowance in
| al lO-llltlt lIIitSl W NllluNdINl anu llltl {
| was every reason TO believe that in
reaching and running which are her
| two strongest points of sailing She
would quickly overcome that official six
| seconds.
| Both captains broke out balloon jib-
| topsais when they squirted away for
| the second turn. The wind was 50 far
| east that they quickly discovered taht
instead of being a broad reach us in
| tended, the course to the turn was q
| run. Spinnaker bOoms We're guyed out
| ana the great sails added to the tall
reaches of canvass. Staysails We're
taken in and with spinnaker booms
guyed we'll forward the yachts ran
| away for the turn.
Both We're heading off their course a
bit in order to make their spinnakers
draw we'll and they ran that way for
| half an hour, when the Reliance
! smOthered her spnnaker and began to
| set her staysais During that time she
did not appear to have gained an inch,
but immediately upon laying her true
| course she began to draw away.
| Ten minutes after the Reliance, the
| Shamrock III also took in her spinnak-
crs. set her staysaiI and headed for the
| mark. With the wind over their quar-
tiers both yachts made fast time of it,,
but it was apparent that the Reliance
was gaining. They made the second
| turn as follows:
ltell9nce .............. l. Il { OF
| Shamrock III .....................1.2 81. As
The Reliance was leading by 8 min
utes, So seconds, having gained 40 sec
| onds in the run across from the first to
| the second mark. She had overcome
the time allowance, made good the diff
| ference at the start and established n
| margin to her credit Of 81 seconds.
| With close reach still to be made
| there was faint hope for the challenger.
| The Reliance whirled about the mark,
gybed oyer, trimmed in her sheets and
Tompcd away On a close reach towards
ISandy Hook iightshp and the finish line.
She was three-quarterS of q mile away
before the Shamrock III rounded the
mark. Both yachts were hecling before
In 12-knot wind from south by west and
were sailing at least mile an hour faster
than The wind was blowing. Their sheets
were eased just enough to put them on
IHlmost the point of sailing and ore upon
which the Reliance has often demonstrate
ed that she is faster than any racing craft
lever built
She was hcclcd just enough to bring
her long oveIhaHg to bear and give her
the benefit If her best sailing length. The
| glIide~vesSel Coastwise was scurrying
Ialong ahead of her at full speed. but the
Reliance was ovcrhauling her inch by
| inch, and when the lightship hove fair in
| sight, about two miles away. was not
more than a quarter of mile astcrn Of
The guide vessel. a mile further on the
lCoastwise SACRED off and gave Reliance
a clear course to the finish.
| As the wind Spftened the Reliance first
set a baby jib toTsaI which the Shamrock
| bad been carrying since turning the sec
| ond mark and then exchanged it for
| big reaching Jill topsail in which the
| Shamrock promptly followed suit. The
two yachts held their relative positions
| for about a mile. When the Reliance
| was quarter of a mile from the finish
line the wind died away considerably. but
| the Shamrock III came booming along
| carrying a splendid breeze and fast over
| 1au1inpr fine leader looked though