Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-15
GREAT RACE
Continued from page I


At II. 80 a. m, the regatta committee
hoisted the signal for southwest by
south course.
The breeze was scarcely strong enough
to stir the flags on the racing craft. Rcso-
lutte reached the start at Ills but Sham
rock WAS nearly half an hour late.
The two sloops stood in shore on the
port tack with Rcsolutc to windward
They came about and stood upon the
line. At il.55 the warning signal was
blown and white ball hoisted.
The official starting times given from
the race committee boat we're
Resolute, 1900 40; Shamrock. 1901 .38.
IL also was announced officially that
the time allowance would be six minutes
and forty seconds, due to a change in
figures obtained by rc-rneasuring the
| Shamrock's rails.
The yachts carried mainsails, staysails,
forcsails and baby ib topsails. Three
minutes after crossing the line Resoiute
| tackled To port and headed for the Jersey
shore. while Shamrock stood to seaward
on the starboard tack.
Shamrock was the first To get up her
mainsail which tapped from side to side
in the freshening breeze. lteeemed nucn
| larger than Resolute's malnsail, which
was hoisted shortly after.
| The defender kited her largest club
topsail, while the Irish sloop also sent up
n club top~aiI of large area. The two racers
swung ,lnwillinglyat their mooring buoys
awaiting a tow to the starting line.
The wind dropped out as the morning
| advanced and came in fitfti pulls from
the southwest about six knots IN strength.
| Grey clouds came out from behind the
! Jersey headlands screening the sun and
giving o constant threat of ram. Ciishofc
| the haze shut in thick and curtained
the Ambrose light vessel from shore OBJ
| servers.
Rcsolute, disdaining a tow, broke out
! her hcadsails at 1922 O'Clock, cast OIL
| from her mooring buoy and headed away
toward the Sandy Hook spit, where she
made n turn and started to the eastward
for the starting line.
Shamrock followed her within less than
n minute. breaking out her headsaiis and
standing AWAY toward the Starting line,
half mile or more astern oi the American
sloop.
The wind was still light from the
| westward.
The race committee boat, the ocean
tug Harrington. came up Co the Ambrose
| light ship and took her position at the
| starting line at I0i5 O'Clock She wa
soon followed by line Of excursion craft
crowded with passengers who lined the
| rails from stem 90 stern watching the
two racing sloops IA they slid easily
| through the water seward IN the hgh'
| airs. :,
The ocean was as smooth ne mil
pond Here and there large soft spot
| were observed, evidence ot the bfeek'
that sometimes blew eight knots u
strength end then fcll away TO an IRISH
mans hurricane, which is up and dowf
the mainmast. Captain burton took
tow 10 the light ship while Resolut'
moved on under her own sail.
The advantage Of the start lay dis
,inr,lv with the American boat because o
family timing on the Liton craft, whlcl
nreul,ed in her crossing the Inc n lev
seconds before the starting signal. sham
rock NJ 1905 was seemingly unable Y
catch Reaohte. At 10 n rain squal
drenrhed both yachts and nearly kille'
the breeze. Reaolute pointed higher bn
Shamrock footed a trifle astern.
Mrs. Burton, wife OF the shamrock
skippcr, the first woman ever u SAIL on
cup yacht had been designated to hold tn
time watch on the Shamrock Whethe
| she was on hoafH 10 tah ttt' eiii' " "
dav's race WAS not known when the yacht t
started.
roc HIDES YACHTS.
The rain squall hid the yachts iron
sight from the shore few minutes ate
the start. as the rain ceased falling tn
i,gbt southwest breeze brought IN q milk,
fog bank which completely concealed tn
course.
One downpour succeeded another, fiat
tening out the sea so that it was n
smooth as a millpond. The yachts wer
making poor time
Vivid lightning flashed and the raj
drove spectators on decks of excursioo
boats 10 the cabins. At | o'clock raj
was falling heavily and visibility at sc
was limited TO few cable lengths, thu
making IL dangerous for the racers
come close together
=. With the last downpour came heav
souall of wind from the west, whic
caused the yachts to stag or IN the SUE
S den blow. Some yachtsmen believe II