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Category: 1903 : CHALLENGE N°12
While the two Shamrocks were busy with each other in England things were happening fast in this country. The Reliance had been launched April 12th, and even in her sail stretching spins showed evidence of great speed, particularly in smooth water and light airs.
In order to give her a thorough trying out Mr. E. D. Morgan put Columbia in commission and gave the command to Captain " Lem " Miller, who was ...
...mate with Barr in the races of 1901 and so knew the boat, while the Constitution syndicate fitted out its boat under Mr. Belmont's management. Captain Rhodes was again given charge of her.
On board Reliance was C. Oliver Iselin, who had once more been persuaded to take up the task of managing a cup defender. This time no mistake was made in the choice of a skipper, and Charley Barr was found in charge of her quarter deck, with a big crew of Scandinavians.
The three boats raced throughout the summer, and Reliance proved herself the fastest, beyond a doubt. The general result of these races showed Reliance to be about ten minutes faster than Columbia in light weather, and about three minutes faster in a strong breeze and sea, over a thirty-mile course. With her immense sail area Reliance heeled to her sailing lines in about a seven-knot breeze which, of course, made her very fast in light airs; yet in breezes up to twelve- knots' strength she was still powerful enough not to bury her lee rail except when caught broad off with sheets amidships.
The 
first meeting between the three boats took place on May 5 and, at the end of the month, the Glen Cove series (21. 23, 26, 30 may 1903)
Results of the races sailed by the Defenders before the Trial races |
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In these races Constitution appeared to better advantage than she had two years before and she wins several races in corrected times. Yet she never showed consistent form or fully justified the faith of many yachtsmen who believed that she should have been chosen as the defender in 1901. Columbia was not as well handled as when Barr had her, and Constitution was undoubtedly in better shape than during her first season.
Reliance selected :
The handling of a large racing yacht plays so great a part in its success or failure that it is often hard to say just how much of her showing is due to the man at the helm; and more and more the successful skipper of a large racing machine has to be a man who is something more than a mere helmsman and sail trimmer. He must have also the faculty of getting a boat into trim, and properly tuning the whole fabric of sails, spars, and hull into perfect harmony, and rounding it into winning form.
Three official trial races were arranged off Newport, beginning July 27th. On that date Reliance, Columbia, and Constitution met in a thirty-mile race and Reliance won, beating Columbia by 46 seconds and Constitution by 2 minutes and 29 seconds. This was the only official trial race held, as others were deemed unnecessary after Reliance's showing throughout the summer. After the boats finished the Cup Committee met on the steam yacht Rambler and formally selected Reliance to meet Shamrock III.
