Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-21
SHAMROCK LEADS
Continued from page .


Americas Cup racing lanes prevailed
today when crews Of Sir Thopas L'ptons
Shamrock Nv. and the American de-
fender Rcsolutc swarmed on decks to
get up sail.
A victory today for the Shamrock, and
the emblem Of the yachting supremacy
of the sea goes back 10 Great Britain.
Hcsonte must capture three straight
races in order that the cup still remain
in the trophy room of the New York
Yacht Club where It has reposed for over
fifty years.
Early prospects were not even profnis-
ing for drifting match. In fact IL
looked as If the contest would have TO
be postponed.
Tho stfeaky winds which enabled
Shamrock 10 win yesterday vanished
entirely in the night Smoke from The
stack Of Sir Thomas Lipton's steam
yacht Victoria rose straight 70 the zenith
ReHolute's sailors declare Sir Thomas
has had all the luck. They cay IN the
first race Shamrock was beaten when an
accident 81 Resulutp forced her to with
draw, giving the race 10 the challenger
that Shamrock was badly beaten in the
second race but Resolute could not win
because the wind failed and she could not
finish before the time limit, and that
Yesterday IN the streaky winds Shamrock
caught all the fayoring breezes and won
ON luck.
The fisher folk hereaboits insist today
that Shamrock could never have beaten
the American boat without Captain
Andrew Jackson Applegate ~ Sea Bright.
y. j., who sailed on the Linton sloop
yesterday and gave skipper Burton his
knowledge uf wind and tide conditions
Captain AppleRate was ready ~ board
Shamrock again today He has Jersey
shore reputation 0f knowing more of the
tricks Of tide and weather than any
pound fishermen in these parts
The race today il sailed, will be l5
miles to windward or leeward and return
Racing conditions provide ihat contest
shall not be started later than six hours
before sunset, which means that II the
Yachts arc not sent away bv 222 O'Clock
daylight timel the race viii be called
of.
Southwest wind blowing IN the lower
bay at i030 encouraged belief that
start would be made on iinn. Both
yachts towcd 20 the starting line
With scarcely 4 breath ~ mir ~ New
York Bay. Shamrock and Resoiuie idled
around the Ambrose Channel light ship
awaiting q blow
Charles H. Nicholson, designer ~
Shamrock Nv, snid to-day that II Reso-
lute won tolav's race he would ask that
the next contest bo postponed until
Friday " that he might have the chnlleng-
er drydockcd and her underb0dy cleaned
There was bit moro wind from the
southward shortly after ~ O'Clock but
prospects for a race were slight Shore
observers could not note wind IN any
quarter and to start the yachts in p
Huky breeze would mean Tint the skipper
who was fortunate enough n capture the
fayoring brcnzes would win the race
There wns every Indication of D long
wait Il not 3 postponenent for the day
The excursion fleet dwindled to less than
. dozen steam Yachts q couple Of excur-
sion steamers, q squad Of power boats, six
destroyers and FIVE coast guard cutters.
At ~ 81 the regatta committee hoisted
signals for the course, a beat south bY
west ~ point about miles Of Aabury
Park, with a run back to the Ambrose
Channel light shin Each leg is fifteen
miles Two minutes before q new breeze
from the southeast gave some IN
dicatinn Of holding.
The preparatory signal was blown at
~ 10 for a start ~ O'Clock. The wind
was light but the yachts seemed to pick
il up and moved fairly fast.