Evening star., 1920-07-15
ResoIute Crosses Line
Ahead of Shamrock
by About Fifty Seconds
By the Associated Press.

SANDY HOOK, N. j., July 15.-
The yachts .jockeyed about back Of
sition Of advantage as the preliminary
signal was given at 11:45 am. Ten
minutes later, at 11:55, the warning
signal was given. and promptly at II
o'clock the starting signal was sounded.
Resolute had gained the best position
and slipped across the starting line at
12:01:50 unofficial time). while Sham
rock was so slow in coming to the line
that the handicap whistle had been
blown at 1902 o'clock before she reached
the line,and her unofficial time across
the line was 12:o2:4o. This gave Reso-
race and the Shamrock had a bad start
Forging ahead on the starboard tack
the yachts carried mainsails, staysails
foresails and baby jib topsails. Three
minutes after crossing Resolute tack.
ed to port and headed toward the
Jersey shore while the challenger
stood seaward on the starboard tack
Resolute Had Good start.
The advantage of the start lay dis
tinctively with the American boat be-
cause Of the faulty timing on the
Upton craft which resulted in her
crossing the line a few seconds be-
fore the starting signal. Shamrock
at 1905 was seemingly unable to
catch Resolute. At 1910 a rain sQuall
drenched both yachts and nearly
killed the breeze. Resolute pointed
higher, but Shamrock footed trif1e
farther.
Mrs. Burton. wife Of the Shamrock s
skipper, the first woman ever to sal!
on a cup yacht, had been designated
to hold the time watch on the Sham.
rock. Whether she was on board to
call the time of today's race was not
known when the yacht started.
The rain squall hid the yacht from
sight from shore few minutes aLtel
the start. AS the rain ceased falling
the light southwestern breeze brought
in a milky fog-bank which completely
concealed the course.
Southwest by South Course.
Resolute slipped easily through the
water under the command OF skipper
Adams, descendant and namesake
of a former ambassador to Great Brit
ain. and himself now treasurer or dar'
ward University.
At 1890 am the regatta committee
hoisted the signal for q southwest by
south course.
The excursion. feet clustered around
the starting line like minnows arounc
a bread crumb and set up q smoke
screen that would have been the envy
of any convoy service Tne maze wa:
not see the lightships. and the sloops
were lost to view within three miles
of the starting line.
The wind came in cupfuls out OF th<
west at 1880 o'clock, and the sun MADE
a brave effort to pierce the clouds.
The breeze was scarcely strone
enough to stir the flags on the racing
craft Resolute reached the start a,
11:15. but Shamrock was nearly hall
an hour late.
AZ 11.45 the wind was still very
light and out Of the northwest thun-
derheads appeared, indicating rair
squall later on.
The yachts moved at fair speed II
the mild airs as they tockeyed for po.
sitions behind the starting line. The
two sloops stood in shore on the por,
tack with Resolute to windward. They
came about and stood upon the line
At 11:55 the warning signal was
blown and a white ball hoisted.
Yachting Armada Gathers.
A Yachting armada gathered OF tht
hook today for the first Americas cur
race in seventeen years.
Private craft, excursion boats ant
airplanes speeding southwark acros!
New York bay found nesting behlnt
| the great sand spit two sloops tina
! are the pride OF Britain and America
shamrock w, challenger, with sleei
! green sides, and Resolute, defender
dazzling in her coat OF white.
! Aboard them were Capt. William
Burton and his crew of British tar
| and Capt. Charles Francis Adams, I'd
| of Boston, with his Yankee sailormen
White clad figures gazed aloft, scan
ming the heavens for clouds that De
| tokened winds favorable or unfavor
| able.
| with the start set for noon from
| the Ambrose channel light vessel. tn
| rival shippers conversed with theil
| navigators regarding weather ant
| wind conditions. which would De
| termine the course to be set them D!
the race committee. They knew tina
the rules called for a windward ant
| leeward course of thirty miles, ou
by the direction of the wind alon'
would the course be charted.
Both Shippers Sanguine.
Both shippers were hopeful o
bringing the races to a brisk and de
cisive close with three straight vic
tories. but both were prepared to sal
five races and to start all over again
another day il a race was declares
off because the yachts failed to fin
ish within the six-hour limit
With the Shamrock ". because o
her great sail area, giving the de
fender a handicap OF seven minute
and one second-with possibly q sec
ond more or less IL remeasurement o
tho challenger's sails alters figures
yachtsmen still were divided on tn
question of whether 1t was NOR
blessed to give or to receive time.
The wind dropped out as the morn
ing advanced and came In ftful puff