New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-16

Resolute Gets Away to
Fine Start and at Once
Piles Up Big Lead; Chal-
lenger Appears Slow
First Race Lost
Since Early '7Os
Shamrock's Time of 4
Hrs, "a Minis. and 48
Secs. Considered Good
By w. O. Mcclellan


Shamrock " took the first race in
the series for the Americas Cub yes
terday when the finely trained de-
fender Resolute broke her throat
halyard at the fifteen-mile mark off
the Jersey coast. The Resolute was
leading by about five minutes when
the mainsail fiuttered uncertainty
for a few seconds, then settled
slowly down to the decks, just as the
defender was rounding the stake for
the run home.
1t looked like the Resolute's race,
boat for boat The defender was
skimming up to the mark, while the
Shamrock w was pounding in the
rear. The Resolute seemed to need
no time allowance. Excepting for
a few miles after the start, off the
Ambrose Lightship, the finely cut
racing machine seemed to have
everything its own way. The race,
as a race, seemed a fiasco.
Crew Seems Dazed
Then this white, bronze-bellied
bird collapsed, not suddenly, but flut-
tering like wounded sea bird, for
while, and then settling down on
the misty sea, hopeless and beaten.
For while the crew seemed dazed
at the mishap and watched as the
huge mainsail began to sag down
and the club top dragged down after
il. Then two men were sent aloft,
but the huge mass of canvas became
more inert. 1t was heavily weighted
down with rain and it soon f1attened
down to the decks.
While the sail dropped and sagged,
Kesolute stuck to her course and tackled
around the mark. In the mean time the
plugging, plodding green challenger
continued to come up. 1t rounded the
stake just five minutes after Resolute
foundercd around, crippled and out OF
it. Then Shamrock started home with
the wind behind, at & ten-Knot clip,
leaving the crippled Resolute drifting
liz her wake.
The official elapsed time of Sham
rock " was given as hours "a min
utes and 48 seconds for the thirty miles
to windward and back. This is regard
ed as good time in view of the erratic
conduct of the wind during the beat to
windward through the dark gray
patches of squalls and Gains.
The race started in fretful weather,
with fits of light squalls interspersed
with brief periods of almost dead calm,
the rain pelting down in torrents part
of the time, while now and then the
sun strove to penetrate the steaming
mists. At one time it looked as though
there would be no race, as both vessels
driftcd about, feeling for the signs of
/, breeze.
Then rain-filled puffs of wind came
up and mid the yachts from view, while
the sightseers on the yachts and ex-
cursion boats scurried to cover. When
tie mists lifted again Reselute had
shot into the lead and was dashing for
the stake boat. The amateur skipper
Of Resolute, Charles Francis Adams
2r, had unanswered William P.
burton, of Shamrock ", in the mists.
and the most interesting part of the
race was hidden from the spectators.
Leads by Half Mile
The brcezes were fitful and chang
ing constantly, following each rain
squall. Rcsolute seemed alert and took
every advantage of the turn of drec-
ton of the capricious winds that fut-
tered along the course. At eight and a
half miles on the windward course.
Resoiute was leading by almost half
a mile. AS she neared the stake boat
fn hoy h.,
ute advantage, counting her time allow
ance OF seven minutes and one second
When the mists cleared rear the
stake and showed the dark hull of the
guide boat, j. P. Morgan's Corsair. il
looked as though not only the first race
but the entire series had, to all intents
and purposes, been concluded. 1t would
have been finished to all intents and
purposes at the stake boat if Resolute
ning like teal duck, while the snub-
nosed Shamrock w was Flooding be-
hind like bay coot
Within four miles of the stake boat.
Victoria, Sir Thomas Lipton's steam
yacht, crept up to the racers and
lowered for a while in the wake of
Shamrock. Sir Thomas was watch
ing his racer from the bridge. He
could not have been otherwise than
convinced that TINS attempt to lift the
Americas Cup was destined to be as
futile as any of the preceding trials.
Boat for boat, and without time al
lowance, Resolute was beating Sham
rock. The attitude of all those oa
board the Victoria seemed to be one
of detection, and the big white steam
yacht dropped behind.
1t was about $3.50 that EesoIute was
beginning to round the fifteen-mfle
stake, and start on the free certain
run nome when it was noticed on
board the U. s. destroyer Simmes,