New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-26
SHAMROCK'S BEST RACE
Gained on Last Leg-ResuIt IN
Doubt Up to Finish.

Score two straight for Reliance! When the
big white Herreshof sloop swept across the fin
ish line, close to the old red lightship off Sandy
Hook. yesterday afternoon. the Fife sloop Sham
rock III that has come all the way from the
Clyde TO lift the Cup was half a mile in dis
lance and nearly five minutes in time astern
Of her successful rival
The actual time made by the Reliance yester-
day. three hours fourteen minutes and ffty-four
seconds is only one min lite and thirty-six sec
onds slower than that made by the Columbia in
her race against Shamrock II on October g. 1901,
which is the record time for a triangular race
over Cup course.
Although she had started I minute "a seconds
after the Reliance, and had an allowance Of
minute 81 seconds, she was still beaten min
utes 16 seconds elapsed time and minute 10
seconds corrected time
And yet it had been a very close race-one
Of the closest ever sailed over a triangular
course for the Americas Cup. Shamrock III
at last Showed that under certain conditions
smooth water and a moderate breeze-she is
fast There had been little doubt, after the first
hour in the other races, as to the ultimate re-
suit There was doubt yesterday up to the
very moment Of the finish to which yacht
would win The challenger, through what
seemed an inexcusable error in the calculation
OF time the part Of some one on board,
crossed the line with a handicap Of 10 seconds.
which in start where the first leg was TO wind
ward was a serious drawback, TO say the least.
Subtracting that time from her corrected time,
we find that she was only beaten one minute.
In the ten miles of Windward work only three
tacks were made by reason of slight shift Of
wind favorng both yachts Notwithstanding
her poor start, the challenger pointed we'll and
footed fast making the pace a hot one for the
Reliance when it breezed up bit the latter
beating only 40 seconds in actual time TO the
first mark.
SHAMROCK FAST AT REACHING.
It is mistake to say that Shamrock III is
not fast at reaching, for on the next leg of ten
miles she sailed very fast, considering the extra
sail spread Of the Reliance, and she only
beaten 1 minute % seconds. on the third and
final ten mile leg-a close reach-where both
yachts were just able to carry baby tibtopsails
Shamrock III gained the Reliance that
boat for boat she only beaten As seconds
on that leg Many yachtsmen expressed the
opinion that if the course had been five miles
longer the challenger would have won easily.
Both yachts reached the starting point, Sandy
Hook Lightship, before 10 o'clock. Captains
Barr and Wringe measured the strength of the
breeze for half an hour and at 1920 o'clock
Barr decided that the biggest club topsail in the
sail locker Of the Reliance was not too big for
the light breeze then prevailing, down came
No , and up went No. I club in about ten min
utes. It a whopper and mistake. Its
spirit lowered twenty-five or thirty feet above
the topmast truck, and its yard extended more
than half that distance beyond the gaff end.
Captain Wringe had sent aloft the biggest
club topsail he had. and both IL and the main
sail fitted better than those used in Saturdays
race. The party was on board the chal-
lenger as at the former races.
Captain Nat Herreshof stood beside C.
Oliver Iseln and Captain Barr on the deck Of
the Reliance. W. Butler Duncan, jr, Woodbury.
Kane Newbury Thorne DR.. Nonahan and Hugh
McGildowney were also on board.
Promptly at 1870 o'clock the course signals
were set from the committee tug Navigator,
| anchored east of the lightship. They told the
waiting thousands with marine glasses in range
of them that the first leg of the course was TO
be due south, beat TO windward, the next north
| east by east one-half east-a broad reach-and
the final one northwest by west one-half west
also reach but owing to a shift OF wind dur
ing the last hour to the southwest this leg was
made a close reach.
wRINGE's COSTLY MISTAKE.
When the preparatory gun was fired the
yachts were all ready and their shippers eager
for the fray. One minute before the warning
| signal both yachts lying in the wind
beam and beam, within couple Of lengths OF
| each other and near the starboard side of the
! committee boat Shamrock III kept off first
! filing away 10 starboard. wringe sent her
clear around her heel, gybing and coming up
| on the starboard tack
It looked then as If there going 10 be an
| interesting fight at the start. for Barr swung
the Reliance around in a shorter space than the
other and came I'D on his weather. Both