The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-15 00:00:00

THE YACHT-RACE.

It seems almost incredible that two yachts should set
out into the broad Atlantic to run a race, and after an
interval of twenty-four days make their appearance at a
given point within two hours of each other. The acci.
dent of either competitor catching a lucky breeze an hour
or two earlier than the other would be all that would be
required to decide so extraordinary a race as this. And
this accident really occurred. The Cambria, after strug-
gling against adverse winds for more than a week in the
hope of making port, suddenly found her sails filled
with the welcome breeze, and was thus enabled to reach
her destination first. The Dauntless met with the same
wind a little later, but the difference was enough to lose
her the race. It is evident from the logs of the vessels
that splendid seamanship was exhibited in both. But even
in this inconstant world, there is nothing so fickle as the
winds of heaven, and on this occasion they have not
brought victory to the side which, we must confess, has had
our best sympathies from the first. Mr. Bennett, like
many another man before him, has narrowly missed a
triumph which he well deserved. Mr. Ashbury will
not think it ungenerous if we allude to the fact, which
everybody knows, that Mr. Bennett made great sacrifices,
and incurred many inconveniences, in order to bring
about this contest. He is proud of American yachting,
and it would be very hard indeed to name a man who has
brought more honour and renown upon it. In pluck,
energy, and liberality, he is as fine a specimen of the
American yachtsman as we are ever likely to have
among us. It was quite natural, therefore, that he should
carry with him in this adventure our hearty good wishes.
But good wishes will not fill the sails of any man's yacht,
and Mr. Bennett must console himself in defeat with the
reflection that he did everything a brave man could to
win success. He has done so much to distinguish him-
self in yachting that fortune may have deemed it only
fair to let the laurels for once go to an antagonist. It
would be very unjust to say that it is a waste of time to
devote between two and three weeks to a race of this
kind. Apart from all questions relating to the construc-
tion of yachts, it is quite certain that the contest must
tend to develop many personal qualities of no slight im-
portance and value in the great race of life. Presence
of mind, endurance, and an intrepid spirit, are ad-
vantages which no man can afford to dispense
with in the sharp contest which most of us have daily to
carry on. If Mr. Bennett had not possessed these
qualities, he would scarcely have made the voyage
in the Henrietta, but his two great ocean races must have
tended to develope them still further. If he should ever
challenge another turn of fortune's wheel, we may hope
he will repeat his first success ; but, in reality, no better
'lrish can be offered for him than that he should now
steadily pursue the useful and honourable career which
lies before him. As for Mr. Ashbury, it is unnecessary
to ask for him a cordial reception, since his fellow yachts-
men are sure to accord him that. The race is much too
close to enable us to say that he owns a better yacht than
the Dauntless, but at any rate he will have as many
opportunities as he can desire of putting his vessel to the
test. He will probably never again win so great a
prize as he has now done, by a hair's breadth.—New York
Times.