The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-08-26
SHAMROCK BADLY BEATEN
BY CUP DEFENDER
RELIANCE.
American Yacht Has Seven Min
u.es and Three Seconds to Spare
Contest for the First
Hour Is Clio se-Teet Re-
garded as Conclu-
sive.

New York. Aug. 22.-In splend
i'd IL to Is knot breeze, over a
windward and leeward course of sc
miles, the gal eht sloop Reliance to.
day beat Shamrock III in command.
ing style, by exactly nine minutes
actual time. or seven minutes and
three seconds, after deducting the
one minute 81 seconds, which the
defender comedies to Sir Thomas
Lipton's third challenger on account
of Reliance's largest sailing plan as
at present measured.
It was a royal water fight for the
ancient trophy, which carries with
it the yachting supremacy Of the
world, and by strange coincidence
the first victory in the cup seri.s Of
1903 occurred on the SD annivers-
ary of the day on which the old
schooner America captured it in
her famous race around the Isle oi
Wight. The Reliance beat the Brit.
ish boat three minutes "a seconds
in the thresh to windward, and five
minutes 36 seconds In The run down
the wind.
The nautical sharps who had 81
ready made up their minds on
Thursday that the Reliance could
take the measure of the challenger
in any kind Of weather regard to-
days test as conclusive, although
they hardly anticipated SO over
wheiming a victory. The race ev-
en- dampened the ardor of Sir Thom-
as, who insisted after Thursday ;s
huke that his confidence in the
beautiful craft designed by Fife was
i greater than ever. Still like true
sportsman, he does not acknowledge
d-teat and hopes for better luck
next time.
The single criticism he and his
friends make of todays race is thai
the only shift of the wind which oc-
CURED was to the advantage of the
defender. AS this shift of the wind
occurred on the windward beat, ev'
en- granting that it accounted fol
the Reliance lead at the turn, the
time the defender gained 90 the
home run was more than ample tc
| give her the race.
It must be. conceded, however,
that the Shamrock showed herself a
wonderful boat in beating to the
windward, perhaps the ablest craft
in this respect ever sent across the
Western ocean on a cnp-hunting
expedition. For twelve miles the
great single-stickers raced like a
team of horses and during that por-
ton of the duel the patriots made
no attempt to conceal their nerv-
business.
The size of the enormous excur-
eiun fleet and the number of sight
seers aboard, in the estimation of
those who have Witnessed many
contests, made record for an in
ternational cup race. The concourss
of palatial steam yachts was the
largest ever seen off Sandy Hook.
The honors of the start as on
Thursday, were captured by the
American skipper. Captain Wringe
timed his approach 10 the line with
the Shamrock badly, and in an ef-
fort to keep off until the gun BOOM
ed, he almost lost his bowsprit as
he Iutfed up to cross. Barr, as usn-
al, went over in the windward
berth, four seconds behind his rive
al. Both were close-hauled on the
starboard tack. 1t was a magnif-
cent sight as they plunged seaward
in the 12-knot breeze, pounding
fountains of spray from their bows
and leaning to it until the water
swirled and bubbled under the lee
rails. The crews were piled up
along the weather side to hold the
great racing ma hines up.
The first few minutes Of the
thresh to windward were, watched
with intense interest. Both were
footing like mad. They showed
yards of their under-b bodies and
shipped a good deal Of spray and
some solid water forward. But af-
ter Is minutes of sailing their posi-
tions had not varied perceptibly,
and there was alarm among the ex-
perts. Those who had expected to
see the Reliance walk away from
her adversary as result of last
Thursdays showing were disap-