New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-16
Defender Accorded Speed Honors;
Disabled With Victory In Sight

| Probably the best exhibition Sham
rock gave during the afternoon
was seen after she had covered the
thirty-mile course and was caught in
the swirling blast of the last squall.
1t was then that she proved her mar
vellous sturdiness. Refusing a dozen
offers of assistance and declining to
be lowed. she continued to spread her
huge mainsail and jibs when great
schooners all about her were reefinp
or coming up into the wind to weather
the blow
Only destroyers were able to keen I'm
with her and it was estimated thai
while she was making this spectacular
rush for the shelter of the Hook she
was reeling off as much as eighteen
knots an hour.
Adams Outgenerals Burton
Yesterdays race, from its start until
the time Resolute was forced to with
draw. demonstrated clearly the sune-
rlorlty of Adams over Burton as a
master of racing craft and technique.
rms first became apparent in the
sharp Jockeying that followed the pre-
/ paratory whistle and preceded the
! starting signal
In this work the yachts spared al
most viciously for the advantage that
goes with the weather berth in wind
ward beat. They cruised up and down
the line between the committee boat
and Ambrose Lightship in short, nerv-
Gus bitches and were frequently so
close aboard that it seemed certain
they would foul each other
Many experts believe that it was in
this sharp, almost bitter, jockeying
that Adams gained the advantage that
would have spelled victory for Ameri
| IT breakdown had not eliminated his
! boat
The lightship was on the weather
end of the line and it was the aim of
botn Shippers to be close to her when
the starting signal was set The yacht
nearest the hghtship would obviously
be IN position to go over the line in
the windward berth When the warn
ing signal was set both yachts were
practically astride the line and hang
ing close together. 1t was at this point
that Adams played his trump card.
he maneuvered Shamrock's skipper
INTO believing he was going to take a
hitch down toward the committee boat
and actually succeeded in starting
shamrock in that position. Then he
suddenly came about, headed bach, for
the lightship and came about again
directly under her stern as the start
ing signal was given. This gave him
the weather and permitted him to beat
ms opponent over the line by more than
minute.
When the yachts got away there was
only slight breeze blowing directly
out OF the southwest, and the sea was
smooth except for LONG, easy ground
swell. Ia the beat to the outer mark
Shamrock tackled thirteen times
and Resolute eight. In each one
OF these bitches the British boat was
footing faster, but gained no ground,
because she could not point as high as
the American.
Both yachts had mainsails, club top
sails, staysails and jibs set as they
went over the line, and mmediat ely
afterward broke out jib topsails. After
one short hitch to sta rboard they both
went away on q long port tack which
they held until 1890, just half an
hour after the start, wnen the first
squall of the day broke and a down
pour began.
The rain was so heavy that the
yachts were not visible 200 yards
away. Both boats were on the starboard
tack again when the squall hit them,
and when it cleared it was evident that
Mr. Adams had even turned the storm
to his advantage.
y
tain. Burton took several short tacks
that gained him nothing. while the
American skipper headed high into the
wind on the port tack and held to that
line for exactly 8 minutes and % sec
onGs. When the weather cleared he
was seen to be far to windward Of the
Shamrock and 10 hold commanding
lead.
When the sun came out again no
wind came with it and the sloops
sloshed about in the doidrums. They
doused No. jib topsalls and replaced
them with No IS, but the change
gained them nothing When the breeze
did return it had shifted slightly to
the west and reached Resolute some
time before Shamrock felt it's strength.
This was purely luck, but it was clever
handling that had put Captain Adams
in a position to take advantage of the
change.
At 2:5s the sloops had covered only
eight miles of the windward leg, but
with the fresheniug breeze their sails
began to dry out and both increased
their speed.
AS they approached the mark a fleet
of several hundred vessels gathered to
see them make the turn. The specta-
tors cot there just in time to witness
Resolute's accident and the killing Of
Americas hopes for the day
With one leg on the trophy, Sham
rock must win only two more races in
order to take the prize back to England.