Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-17

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400 yards ahead to windward. Four
o'clock found the two yachts holding |
together on the port tack, heading for |
first mark. The breeze was running |
from four to five knots In strength and |
In the last half hour of sailing the chal- |
lenger had held her own with the Amer
lean.
Cupful Of Wind
The yachts found nothing more than
a cupful Of wind and fiat sea when
they towed out to the starting line at
Ambrose Lightship just before noon.
The yachts sloshed and wallowed In
the mild groundswel and their sails
tapped lifelessly in the dead air. The
regatta committee signaled a postpone
ment of the race until later in the
day at fifteen minute intervals.
No signs of wind were observed in
any quarter and even should a start be
made In the triangular race the skip
pers that have handled coastwise ships
along these shores declared that no fin
ish could be made within the time limit
Of six hours given for any contest.
In from the south, which gave the
yachts just steerage way, but not
enough to warrant starting the race.
At ! o'clock the breeze had increased
to three knots and the sea was ruffled
for quite a distance around the light.
ship. Still the "G' signal continued
to fly.
At / :12 the postponement signal was
hauled down and the race committee
prepared to sound the preliminary start
Ing signal three minutes later. The
wind was nearly southeast. At :18
the committee hoisted signal for tri-
angular course, the first leg Of which
was southeast, the second west by
south and the last north by east half
east.
The course designated by the com
mittee took the yachts at first straight
out to sea from the starting line at
the Ambrose CHANNEL lightship, then
toward the Jersey shore and then
to windward of ten miles. a broad reach
of ten miles to the second mark and a
close reach to the finish.
Resolute at . :52 had kited a big
club topsail and prepared to drop her
mooring in the Horseshoe. Meanwhile
Shamrock " had set her staysail and
with two headsails. mainsail and a
small club topsail. was lacking lazily to
port against the feeble northeasterly
her as she passed by the Sandy Hook
spit.
Out Of the northward from the Long
Island shore n large bank Of fog passed
slowly scaward and it was hard to dis
Germ the fleet of excursion craft rs they
poked their noses out of the bottle
necked narrows that lead into the lower
New York bay. The Shamrock looked
like "a painted ship upon a painted
ocean" She was barely in motion and
her big white sail contrasted sharply
with the dirty fog that lay behind her
to the northward. Captain Burton
finally gave up the effort to get to the
lightship under his own sail and at
ID :O7 o'clock took tow from tug.
At 10:15 a. IN. stray airs, most
easterly. were ruffling the sea around
the lightship. The air was very clear
and weather prophets predicted more
wind from the eastward at noon, which
would give the yachts beat off the
Long Island shore, reach toward the
Jersey shore and another reach to the
finish.
Resolute dropped her mooring buoy
at 1921 and took tow from a tug
for the starting line.
While Captain Charles Francis Ad-
ans. I'd. skipper of the American sloop,
today was figuring out his days
strategy. Captain William Burton
!. aboard the Shamrock also was going
over his plans in detail. For the han
dicap of six minutes and forty seconds
which the challenger must give Reso-
lutte to compensate for greater sail
area, seconds are more precious than
gold to the British Corinthian.
Shamrock Discards Jacket
4 tickle, fitful breeze was blowing
this morning. Captain Burton cast a
searching eye seaward from the deck
of the Shamrock to observe wind and
wave prospects.
THE Americans say the British
weather is all samples and no bulk"
he said, but on Thursday we had rain,
hail, squalls, Gains and cloudbursts.
Now what have we today?"
Canvas covers were stripped from
the booms on both yachts early today
and the crews tailed on the mainsheet
in lusty and lively fashion. Every
man jack of them Is a sailor by instinct
and and training and they work at the ardu.
Gus duties Of hosting the heavy cloth,
with the same zest that they show
during hot race.
Shamrock was the first to get her
mainsail up. 1t fapped idly for time
in the light air. The challenger's crew
also sent up headsails In stops.
Shamrock and Resolute tugged lightly
at their moorings. Their shippers hoped
fairer test of sailing ability would
be had on Sandy Hook racing lanes
today than was had in Thursdays
huky breczes.
Shamrock did not carry in today's
race the Nicholson jacket, designed to
prevent baCkwindage from the main
mast. The cup committee informed
Captain Burton that If Shamrock car
ried the jacket in future races she
would have to be remeasured.
Rather than take the trouble of an
intricate measurement and the posi-.
bility of adding few seconds to Reso.
lute's already large time allowances of
six minutes and forty seconds. Captain
Burton advised the removal of the
Jacket, which now Is slowed away in
the hold of the tender Killarney.
| Captain Burton and Designer Mich
olson said this morning that five races
did not constitute an adequate test for
the Americas cup.
1--WE have had one race; we won II
In an accident" said Captain Burton
to an Associated Press correspondent,
''The first race was sailed In fiuky
conditions and was no test. I have
sailed forty five races in England ON
one boat and still am In doubt as to the
best craft. Here, after mouths of
preparation, we endeavor to show
which is the better sloop in a short
series Of five races
JOHNSON ON ART JURY