THE AMERICA CUP.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12620, 1 October 1901, Page 5

THE AMERICA CUP.

AN EXCITING STRUGGLE. SHAMROCK H. WELL HANDLED. United Press Association— By Electric ■ Telegraph—Copyright. NEW YORK, Sept. 29. Shamrock 11. throughout was brilliantly handled. After varying fortunes she led on the starboard) tack, Columbia on tbs port tack being faroedi about by Shamrock 11. The wind increasing,' Shamrock It did great windward work and! gained an advantage, The rivals ran li'Cmeu aru® wiibli thick booms to the port aildi thek spinnakers to the starboard. Although, owing ■to a drop in the wind within two miles from home, Columbia was leading, it was ■anybody’s race*, and both were again even within half a mile of the finish.

THE SECOND RACE. (Received Got. 1, 12.40 a.m.) NEW YORK, Stpb. 30. To-morrow'® course for the America Cup will be triangular, aifordlinig a test of speed in reaching the flagship. TO THE KDITOP.. Sir,—An article by Captain Owen, would lead one to suppose that there were bnb few here who witnessed the race for the Cup. lam sure that I have met more than twenty in Christchurch who saw it from the decks of the accompanying steamers, and from the shore, and one who sailed as steward of the Alarm cutter in the racS: I am an Isle of Wight native‘who saw the race, and. whilst 1 am considerably rusty over my facts, portions of the memorable and exciting event are very clear to my mind, as ds the geography and the waterways of the island'. Captain Owen must be very milch more rusty, and his geography much more so, or else he must be a real American. He says lie was on board and all through her. I was not so privileged, but I was told by one who was, that the. companion stairs was a step ladder, and not a cabin compartment in the hold. From stem to stern not even a curtain hung across anywhere below, a perfect racing machine.

As regards the reported challenges of thousands of pounds a day and doubling, where was the document or advertisement? The Arrow, Mosquito oh Volant© would have been there, as they, heat her time after time afterwards, omitting the Alarm, which, was being lengthened and made into a schooner on America’s lines and tig. As for the race, they started with a stiff, breeze, north-east. The whole of the yachts passed Hyde Pier in close order, the America leading-, sailing clcser to the wind; but, to the surprise of all on land and on the water, she stood into the land before rounding the Nab lightj whilst all the ,rest went round 1 the lightship, the America thus gaining more than half a mile. Whilst the rest were working close into Sandown Bay to avoid tile tide set, the wind fell off, and changing, the Arrow went aground in Sandown Bay, whilst leading all the rest. The America ;stood right away off the land, getting the best of the wind; and the worst of the tide. The cutters Alarm, Wildfire and Yoia.iito went to the Arrow’s assistance, on Which their and our hopes were fixed. This circumstaabe occurred in Sandown Bay, not between Ventnor and Dtmnose Point, as Captain Owen states, and the Alarm did, stand by to assist the Arrow. A friend of mine lately living in Christchurch was on board the Alarm at the time as steward, and we spoke of the occurrence as amongst Isle of Wight friends. ■,

Captain Owen further states that -tire wind fell off, and that the America set her outer jib, and 'when off ShanMin Chine carried away her jib-boom. This fact I admit, but little or no loss of lime or way took place,' which the captain wishes us to infer. He did nob mention the loss of time, for he was not there, land surely could not see round, from Sandowm. He also states, “ when we lost sight ofi her she was snaking.her course good for the Needles, saying good-bye to the others.” The Needles are on the north-west side of the island, and Sandown- on the east, twenty miles apart, and cliffs- overt 300 ft high stand -between these .points. Captain- Owen must have been told this. Whilst the British yachts were 'hugging the land, the America was well out, and- a, mile to leeward, or, as the captain says, they were a mile to windward! How did they get that mile, and these nob the cracks, as they had been delayed ? We all agree that a south-Avest breeze sprang up and the America had all - the best of ijt earlier than the rest of them, and' that took her righthome through the Needles to; Cowes. Then, Captain Owen says!the America won by twenty minutes ; I say nob twenty, but by eight only. Considering that the best and fastest British yachj-, the Amnv, did get aground, and the America did nob sail the toll course- round the Nab lightship, the Cup was Avon by a fluke. , The excellent spirit of loyalty shoAvn by all the competitors Avas best manifested by all refusing to lodge a protest. —I am 1 , etc., S. P. ANDREWS..

P.S. —Since ■ writing the above, I have found in “Badminton,” Vol: 1, page' 110, the following :—“ She (the America), did not 'go .round the Nab light, thus gaining ai considerable advantage, , but she wastreated generously and not, disqualified. She Avould also probably have been beaten by tbs cutters Alarm, Arrow and Volants if the first two had not been put out <jf the race by the Attoav running' aground in Sandown Bay, the Alarm going to her assistance, and the Volanto by tho carrying away of her bowsprit ' in a collision AvUh the Freak. All of these were well known to be -much faster than the Aurora, Avhich came in only eight- minutes after the America:.”

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l notice in the “Lyttelton Times” of to-day that Captain Robert Owen, of the Sailors’ Home, Lyttelton, was an eyewitness to the Amenca Cup race, which took place on August 22, 1851, "but I had not the pleasure of his acquaintance until since we arrived in Canterbury. My motive for writing is merely to state that I also saw some portion of the race, as I went over from Portsmouth by a steamer on purpose, and was very close to the America one time of the'day.— I am, etc., G-. WILLMER.