Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-07-25
DECIDING RACE IS
POSTPONED, DUE TO
HEAVY WEATHER
Regatta Committee An
nounces Final Yachting
Contest for Monday.
u
25-MlLE SOUTHWESTERN
TOO MUCH FOR SLOOPS,
Yachts Find High Seas Rum
ming on Reaching Starting I
Point.
BOATS sCURRY TO SHELTER
Race Authorities Decide Not to
Risk Dismasting Of Con-
testing Craft.
Inv AssocIatca pre,,1

yachting trophy still hung In the bal
ance tonight. the fifth and decisive
race of the 1920 regatta BETWEEN
Resolute and Shamrock having been
called off today in the face of
twenty hve-milo Southwestern. The
final race will be held Monday IL the
weather permits.
Today's postponement came as
bitter surprise to great holiday
crowd that had gone out to the mark
at Ambrose Channel Lightship aboard
every conceivable type of craft In
hope of seeing the two and two tie
run off.
But the shippers OF the racers OBJ
viously considered that discretion
was tho better part OF valor, for
neither lost any time in signaling
mo" in response to an inquiry from
tho committee boat whether there
was any objection to a postpone
ment.
Both sloops had worked their way,
out through The heavy sea from tho
haven in the Sandy Hook horseshoos
under light sails. They were bob
Ing about near the start like chipsi
and were heeled over by tho wind
until their ee decks were awash.
when the postponement signal sent
them scurryinE back to shelter,
Recalls Contest In 1903.
Veteran yachtsmen thought the rival
skippers might have taken n chance
on the twenty-five-mil wind but for
The fact that weather forecasts for
the afternoon promised sharp squalls
which might have worked irrepar-.
a IN 10
tenders. They pointed out that in
1893 the ViGilant and valkyrie raced
through twenty-hve-m mile north
easter. although Valykrie carried
away four spinnakers as fast as she
could set them. Today's was the
second postponement because of
heavy weather In the history of con-
tests for the Americas Cup, The
first was in 1903. when Shamrock III
objected to racing In q northeast
gale. Reliance. commanded by c.
Oliver Iselin, was willing to mako
the attempt.
All other postponements have been
due to lack of wind rather than ~
supcrabundnnce of II. The most
notable instance was in the 1890
series between Shamrock and Colum-
ments out of thirteen trials.
Course of Mondays Race.
Mondays race VIII be run over the
same course that had been set for
today-a fifteen-mile beat to wind
ward and n ffteen-mile run before
the wind.
In tho five actual starts to date.
one of which ended in mo race" be-
cause of insufficient breeze to take
either contender around the course
in six hours. Resolute has shown
marked superiority In windward
work.
Sire had taken commanding lead
in the fifteen miles windward beat Of
the first race when an accident to her
rigging forced her to concede Sham
rock victory. The, second meet, last
Saturday, ended In mo race" and
Shamrock's second victory was won
last Tuesday over triangular
course. on which Resoluts was
euchered out of windwarti leg. by :a
Shift in the wind. Sg$ g ~. ~
In the third race, over a .two4leE
course. Rcsolutc gained enough. on 1
the windward beat and the broad.
win by her time allowance In a dead
heat with Shamrock. She evaned the
score yesterday on the triangular,
course, outsailing the challenger. on
the windward beat and tire broad
peach home, and making within,
forty seconds as good time as did
Shamrock on the second leg, which
was a close reach.
Spectator craft began gathering
early for the yachting classic. but
first to glimpse the racing sloops was
giant liner inward bound, Shc
was the Aquitania,, and her passen.
gers lined the rails OF their great,
moving grandstand to watch the
famous sloops mako ready for their
marine battle.
Iurton Prepares for Wind.
The first thing tho ocean travellers
observed was Captain William p.
Burton directing his crew to take
reef in the challengcr's MAMMAL. He
evidently expected wind aplenty.
Rcsolute, however, which kept her
topsail up In yesterdays squat when
Shamrock lowered hers. today carried
FER big spread OF canvas without a
reef
Shamrock broke out her lib at 1910
and. dropping her moorings. stood
away at sea. The wind caught her
as she wore ship and she heeled ovtrs
so that her lee rail was awnsh. With
only mainsail and 3ib. Shamrock
scooted away for Sandy Hook spit
like ghost in the piping treezs. y
The sloops were riding easily AZ
their moorings In the horseahoa dus- &
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