Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-22
MAY SHIFT RACE
STARTING POINT
Committee Determined That
CUP Tilt Tomorrow Shall Be
Real Yachting Test
COURSE IS TRIANGULAR

BY LAWRENCE PERRY

Highlands. \. - July 22.-Sham-
rock is at shipyard in Staten Island
today undergo ing securing which it Is
honCd will enable her to slide bit
more swiftly through the water tomor-
row. when the fourth race Of the
Americas Gun series will be sailed
against the American defender Reso-
lite. The crew of the defender was not
Tile. either. They were swarming oil
over the sloop. bent upon preparing her
for the morrow's important test.
The fact that Resolute won yester-
days windward and leeward race came
as a surprise to no one who has fol-
lowed the two sloops throughout their
races. IL the American 'slOop cannot
defeat the challenger to windward when
airs are light. then she had as well re
tire from the contest now. The great
issue is whether or not she can win
tomorrow over Il triangular course. II
she cannot, good-by cup.
1t will be very interesting prob
lem. Assuming winds are light. which
is to say from five to twelve knots an
hour, can she gain enough time on
Shamrock in n windward leg of ten
miles to offset the challenger's estah.
lishcd superiority of perhaps four or
five more minutes in sailing with the
wind over her beam and nearly two
minutes in going free before the wind ?
Possible Change
One may be sure that the New York
Yacht Club regatta committee will not
again be so careless as to give the racers
two reaches and n run as 1t did last
Saturday. That course was meat for the
challenger and dearly would she prize
another one like it. But as said, a
triangle of that sort is. barring unex
pccted shifts in the winds, likely to be
the last one she will get. Tomorrow
there will be windward leg un.
doubtedly even if the starting line has
to be shifted seven or eight miles out
TO sea.
Given such course the outcome
of the race is likely to be the closest
sort of proposition. For yesterday
Shamrock showed that with a proper
wind finder on board she Is not so badly
of in pointing as appeared in previous
races. All in all the holders of the
trophy, while not justified in giving the
trophy n preliminary farewell kiss. are
AenttlcG to emotions of some apprehen =
Asion,
n Again, there is always the chanc,
Mat Shamrock will improve to wind
Snrd, 4 skipper finds that in this
! Ilnt of sailing he can learn some
vng from new boat every day ani
net results see him better able tc
die and nurse his craft in a manner
lifted to produce constantly impr0v
'4-A4.A form. Suppose by tomorrow Mr.
Burton were able to sail his challenger
within minute Of Resolute on q threst
70 wtndward; then Rcsolute would hav,
hrr work cut out to save her time or
other legs.
Difficult for Res0lute
Personally, though. l think she could
succeed in doing this, provided condi
I'ohS are about as they have been to
cate. II yoL will consider that last leg
OF Yesterdays race you will note that
~ a run of fifteen miles. with a wind
im,1oIdlng from ten to twelve knots
shamrock. with a much greater area OF
.nh'aS, was seriously put to it to pass
,he defender, and, in fact, succeeded
~ dong SO only nineteen seconds be =
torG the finish Of the race.
!, IN other words. the defender held
tlc more powerful challenger boat for
oeat over thirty miles. True, fifteen
OF those miles lay to windward. but fif :
teen miles also lay to leeward.
Al OF which suggests to me that
G,nuhrock may prove unable to save her
.IInr IN any race that involves at least