The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-20
MORE time FOR
SHAMROCK III.
Gains II Seconds by Shifting
Throat RaIyard Block.
RACING LENGTH REDUCED
Remessurlrg Showed Actual Allowance Now
TO Be ! Minute, ST Seconds.
RACING LENGTH REDUCED

New York, Aug. 0.-It was announced
at the New York Yacht club late last
night that c. ID. Mower. the official
measurer. had remeasured Sir Thomas
Lipton's cup challenger. Shamrock III.
off Sandy Hook yesterday and that as a
consequence the challenger will be in re-
ceipt OF an additional allowance OF II sec
onds in the races. making total time al
lowance one l minute and 81 seconds.
against the previous estimate OF minutes
20 seconds.
After the Shamrock had been measured
on Tuesday afternoon Designer Fife in
looking over the measurements and
studying the rules found that by chang
ing the position OF the throat halyard
of the Shamrock which would entitle
the yacht TO more allowance and at the
same time make no difference In the ac-
tual sail spread.
The length OF the topmast Is taken from
the throat halyard block 10 the topmast
halyard block then so per cent Of this
length is figured, and the difference be-
tween the 10 per cent and the length
OF the gam Is added TO the base line In
calculating the measurement. BY lower
ing the throat halyard three feet the
length OF the measurement OF the top
mast was increased. and naturally the
80 per cent measurement was increased.
so that the difference between the 50
per cent OF the topmast and the length of
the gafr was reduced.
NOW 1o4.S7 FEET LONG
Under the original measuring the rae
ing length OF the Shamrock was l04. Il.
but with the three feet difference In
the topmast length. the racing length
is now i04.37. and the Shamrock's allow
ance Is increased from / minute. 45 sec
onds 10 ] minute. 81 seconds. In a race
that is sailed about four hours. this
means that Shamrock will have about a
quarter OF a mile the better Of IL. In a
race that IL sailed near record time
she Will have still more advantage.
Measurer Charles ID. Mower went down
10 the Horseshoe yesterday afternoon
and made the new measurements. and
| the figures were given out at the New
| York Yacht club last night.
| The Shamrock III, representing the
Royal Ulster Yacht club. and the Re
lance. representing the New York Yacht
| club. meet today in the first race OF the
series for the Americas cup. IL VIII be
the 18th time that the OWNERSHIP OF that
| celebrated trophy has been In dispute.
| and in all the former races the American
| boat has won.
FAIR TEST OF BOTH BOATS.
| Today's race Is to be 15 miles 10 WIND
ward or leeward and return. IL the vino
holds true II will be fair test OF the
| two boats, and as Il Is conceded that
! Shamrock HIS best point OF sailing is
turning TO windward, II is fair TO as
sumo that as today's race will go. so the
series will go.
The preparatory signal will be made AZ
II O'Clock. tugboat Navigator. on which
| will be the regatta committee. will be an
1 chored at the starting point. making a
| line az right angles TO the course The
preparatory signal will be the hoisting OF
| the blue peter cone, and a gun will be
| fred to call attention 10 IL. From that
| moment they will manoeuvre for the IA
| vorable position.
! They will he amenable TO all the rules
from the time OF the preparatory gun
Ten minutes after the preparatory sigma
a warning gun will be fired and red bal
| will he hoisted.
Five minutes after the warning the blue
peter cone will be run down, a second rec
ball hoisted and gun fired. This is thu
starting signal and the yachts then have
two minutes in which TO cross the line.
Each yacht must cross after the start
ing gun Is fred and before the expira