Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-20
Had Light Fingers
Shift in Wind>Puts
Shamrock in Lead
Continued from Page One


Continued from Page One
been bungled. The spinnaker was
taken in at IL 20 and smaller reach
ing lib set. This also failed to fill
quickly and ten minutes after the start
Resolute was leading by fifty yards.
At 10 80 her lead was 200 yards. She
was slipping along smoothly and fast
under mainsail, club topsail and big
ballooner.
Shamrock was steadily dropping be-
hind because her headsail refused to
fill, and it loolol as if her skipper was
! in trouble again.
AT IL :33 Shamrock lowered her fore
stay sails and jib and set an English
sail. She still clung to her number
one reaching jib topsail. BY this time
Resolute was 300 yards ahead.
Yachts Shift Lead. .. q.
At IL 80 Resolute was sailing along
easily, with her ballooner going splen-
didly, but Shamrock was Tapping the
wind out of her tall reaching topsail
and n little forestay sail that looked
like fsherman's staysail as 1t was
hoisted only halfway to the crosstree.
Yachting experts were unable TO under
stand why Captain Burton did not set
his balloon.
| At II :JJ the breeze began hauling to
the south. Resolute broke out her jib
and prepared to beat to the first mark
Shamrock was half a mile astern, but
somewhat to weather..
At %. with her little fisherman's S
staysail set ahead of. her mast going
| IN al. a,tn of N mil
ahead of Rcsolute. She picked up a
puff of air and sailed around Resolute
to windward, luck being with the Lip
ton boat to the third part. Resolute
still clung to her balloon. which seemed
to draw well, but could not apparently
compete with Shamrock's baby fore.
staysail. Two airplanes raced up and
down the course. coming closer to the
cup craft than usual, overhead being a
naval dirigible,
Shamrock Gets Mile Lead
The wind breezed up more to the
northwest as the yachts made the first
turn. Resolute substituted a number
l iib topsail for her ballooner, while
Shamrock clung to her number one un-
til mile away from the mark, when
she shifted to a smaller sail.
After sailing half mile, Captain
Adams, on the American sloop. changed
to No. 1 jib topsail and hauled down
his jib. sailing under two headsails.
Captain Burton still clung to his baby
topsail and jib and forestaysail. -,
i At 3No'clock the yachts had sailed
about'tbree miles of the second leg, with
Shamrock leading by fully half mile.
Both boats were able to lay their course
for the second mark and it seemed as
il they would be able to do the same
on the third leg. Yachting experts con-
ceded that at this time Shamrock had Il
chance to win within the time limit.
1 At 3 10, with half of the time limit
expired, the yachts had sailed half the
course and Shamrock was leading by
fully a mile, the reverse of conditions
last Saturday. Shamrock was nosing
along, picking up catspaws, while Reso
lutte was rolling about in the doldrums.
The race became exciting at 3 80,
when Shamrock was ghosting along,
picking up favorable gusts and nearing
the second mark with two hours and
three quarters in which to finish the
race. Resolute, about mile astern. was
, just moving. Inshore from the excursion
fleet, there seemed no breeze at all. And
like Saturday, it appeared a race be
, tween one Of the yachts and the time
limit.
Yachtsmen aboard the Victoria were
high in praise of Captain Burton
work today and especially by the sue
cess attained with the use Of small
forestaysail-a combination unexpected
by experts. Sir Thomas seemed in the
best of spirits.
Resolute Far Astern
Shortly after 3 80 observers aboard a
destroyer following the sloops reported
! bon II, ,,I~ orl obn Il
of Resolute. At 4 o'clock Shamrock
was still two miles from the mark and
moving very slowly. Resolute was more
than a mile astern. AS the wind had
worked we'll into the northwest it look
ed as If it would be difficult for the
yachts to lay the third leg, and this
would make 1t hard to finish the race al
:15, when the time limit expired.
-, At 4 :05 the wind shifted to south
ward. This put Shamrock well tc
weather and in a fine place to make
the mark, while Resolute was to lee
, ward and only able to reach il, hard or
the port tack. Shamrock shifted head
sails. Shortly after o'clock Sham,
rock ran into soft spot and lost her
speed. Her great sails tapped idly
while Resolute caught a puff of vino
. and began to cut down the challenger
lead.
: At II :25 a. m. both yachts arrived al
} the lightship' and cast off their tows. Al
> II 80 the regatta committee hoisted the
"G'' signal flag, postponing the start
J of the race. At II 40 a. m. the com
mittee hauled down the postponcment
flag.
The committee then set signals for
today's triangular course: First, a
reach south southeast; second, beat
J. west by north, and third, reach to the
finish northeast by north.
1t was officially announced aboard the
Victoria, Sir Thomas Lipton's char
, tered yacht, that Captain William p:
; Burton, criticized for his handling OF
; Shamrock w in previous international
cup races, would nevertheless be at the
challengers helm, today. 1t also was
announced that Mrs. Burton, originally
selected to hold the. watch, would be
! aboard the green sloop.
When Shamrock dropped her tow,
, Captain Burton took the wheel. with