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Category: SHAMROCK III
NEW CUP CHALLENGER AND SHAMROCK I. ARRIVE
June 15, 1903 : Shamrock III., Sir Thomas Lipton's pride and hope, with which he expects to win back to Britain the America's Cup,...
... appeared in port early yesterday morning. Towing her was Sir Thomas Lipton’s steam yacht Erin, and accompanying them in tow of the tug Cruiser was the once defeated challenger, Shamrock I., which will be used here as a standard by which to measure, and a pacemaker by which to improve the new boat's chances of winning the coveted cup. The invading flotilla was first sighted at 4:40 yesterday morning about twenty miles east of Sandy Hook Light Vessel, by the tug Charles E. Matthews, aboard of which was H. Hier Davies, Sir Thomas Lipton's representative here, and who has been cruising about Sandy Hook since Friday morning in anticipation of the arrival of the yachts.
| LAT. | LONG. | DIST | |
| May 28 | Left Gourock 1 P. M. | ||
| May 29 | 52° 54' | 05° 48' | 200 |
| May 30 | 50° 13' | 10° 35' | 200 |
| May 31 |
47° 01' |
15° 55' | 280 |
| June 1 | 43° 59' | 21° 00' | 284 |
| June 2 | 40° 48' | 25° 21' | 236 |
| June 3 | Arrived Fayal 7 A. M. |
236 | |
| June 4 | Sailed 4 P. M. | ||
| June 5 | 38° 25' | 32° 40' | 194 |
| June 6 | 38° 18' | 37° 37' | 234 |
| June 7 | 38° 10' | 42° 39' | 238 |
| June 8 | 38° 02' | 47° 21' | 233 |
| June 9 | 37° 50' | 52° 16' | 225 |
| June 10 | 38° 02' | 57° 06' | 233 |
| June 11 | 38° 20' | 61° 09' | 193 |
| June 12 | 39° 02' | 65° 59' | 225 |
| June 13 | 40° 03' | 69° 54' | 195 |
| June 14 | Arrived Sandy Hook 6 A. M. |
185 | |
| Total : 3,644 | |||
The flotilla entered Quarantine at 9:43, presented a clean bill of health to the Health Officer of the Port, and half an hour later the Shamrock III. dropped anchor off Tompkinsville, the Erin, Cruizer, and Shamrock I. anchoring around her. To-day the Shamrocks will be dry docked at Erie Basin, where they will be cleaned, polished, and fitted with their racing rigs, process which will occupy about two weeks. The Erin will take on a supply of coal at Communipaw to-day, and then also will go to Erie Basin to be made spick and span for the trial and cup races.
The news of the arrival of the yachts was first received at 12:30 yesterday morning, at the De Forest wireless telegraph station at Coney Island, when the fleet was then 100 miles distant from that point. There is a wireless outfit on the Erin and M. A. Horton, the operator sent this message to Sir Thomas Lipton from Capt. Matthews, via the Coney Island station:
This reply from Sir Thomas was received at 8:55 Yesterday morning and was flashed from the Coney Island station as the Erin was nearing the Narrows:
The fleet made the total voyage of 3,644 miles from Gourock. Scotland, by way of the Azores to Sandy Hook in 15 days and 23 hours, a few hours more than it took Shamrock II. to make the trip. Shamrock I. in 1899 came across in a little more than 14 days. Better time might have been made by the Erin, but she kept her speed down in order to keep with the Cruizer, a slower boat. Some rough weather was experienced off the coast of Ireland and the Erin, with the new boat, lost track of the Shamrock 1., and her consort, but they have in sight after a few hours. The Erin also increased her speed sufficiently to enable her to reach Fayal twelve hours ahead of the Cruizer, so neither boat had to delay while coaling.
On Friday night the flotilla encountered a severe southeasterly gale, which prevented the Erin, so Capt. Matthews says, from making port on Saturday. It is whispered, however, that that astute but superstitious sailor held his charges back, not wishing to arrive on the 13th day of the month, and ruin possible chances of cup lifting.
The best evidence that the voyage was not unduly rough is offered by the fact that none of the fleet bears any marks of hard usage by bad weather, with the exception of Shamrock I., which has some patches of paint scraped off her starboard bow near the water line. Capt. Wringe says that on Friday night in the heavy roll the challenger rocked considerably and the seas washed over her decks, but no damage was done. On all four boats are 156 men, 59 on the Erin, 41 on each of the two Shamrocks, and 15 on the Cruizer. On the Erin are Capt. William Matthews and Col. D. F. Neill of the Royal Clyde Yacht Club, who will be Sir Thomas Lipton's chief representative on the Erin, and Dr. A. E. Neale. Capt. Bob Wringe, who will command the challenger, remained aboard her during the trip over. Capt. J. Walters was in command on the Cruizer and Capt. Charles Beirs commanded on Shamrock I.
