THE AMERICA CUP.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11103, 23 October 1901, Page 5

THE AMERICA CUP.

AOCOUNTOE THE MRST COMPLETED • RACE. (Br Telegbaps.) (Per R.M.S. Sierra at Auckland.). SAN FRANCISCO, October 3. " In- the first completed race for tbf America Cup 'the force of the wind wae f uliy nine knots. Sometimes it was t puffy.,. and occasionally it reached , the dimensions of : a ' scupper breeze. Shamrock : luffed up to the windward of Columbia, -and when the starting gun went she iiad a splendid position, and went "over the line,. two seconds ahead of her rival, well .placed ■ in the windward berth. Columbia trij&d in vain to work out through the lee of Jfecr opponent, jammed under the lee of the Challenger on tine port tack, and , also - tried to cross "the bows of Shamrock in . vain. " At 11.40 o'clock Shamrock had ;a goodi lead of nearly 300 yds. r On the port tack they encountered a pretty hard sea>. but not a tremor could be detected' in tfh« luffe of the - sails of either. -Both boats' were handled perfectly. By several sharp tanks tiia Columbia,- again tried to work .beiself out of the. leeward positions AH; her' efforts, however,, were futile. " At 12.45 both boats, on the port' tack,' were . heading for the outer mark. Shamrock had a lead of at least 400 yds, and as she approached the mark it was seen that she, had beaten- the old Defender in the wind--ward work. She turned in excellent' style, Shamrock-in the "beat to whutlwarA having gained thirty-nine seconds. . .' There was considerable delay in setting the spinnaker, Shamrock waiting apparently fox Columbia luffing put. - &tow ( ly the oiu Columbia crawled up on the Shamrock, and at 2.10 she was abeam. Half' a' minute later she was leading, and at 2:14 she was all of half a length , ahead. From that time on to the finish she kept In-.the lead. The wind was now dropping; and Shamrock could not prevent the steady, though slow, gain of the Columbia, - At 3.15 the wind freshened slightly, and the t^namrock's.captain placed hie boat in. each a position as, to effectually cut' off the wind from his rival. As tlie breeze increased t&e English, yacht drew ut>. and was only a half length, behind. Soon she was on nearly even terms. This was the most exciting moment of the -whole race. Columbia'finally , got the wind) free again, pulled out,-and ' with surprising rapidity opened up on the challenger, and pulled out a lead ■ that left tlie result no longer in doubt. • Columbia crossed the line a winner, not. only on time allowance, but boat for boat at 4hr 31min 7sec, Shamrock crossing at i 4hr 31min 44sec.