The New York herald., 1870-09-15
Tho Yachtfs, " 6onsOns


Tho Yachsisv season.
No season In the bistor,x OF tho New 1ora
Yacht Club can compare IL the brllliancy,
vnriety and sustained interest ~ Its various,
events with this summer OF 1870 At no time
for many years past have our ySonimen
entered more thoroughly into the true spirit o.
the noble pasttme never have they siA'wnI
more earnestness or determination to acqNH
themselves with honor and win fame. not 0ulN
for their respective crafts, but also for the
organization at large. Their efforts have hesn
spontaneous, whole-souled and unrestrained-
National In sense, tho call to our amateur
sailors was responded to with IN uumistakabls
heartiness, and in week or less there Ieft tho
ways at different ports score Of yachts which.
for elegance. beauty and speed, were, perhaps,
unsurpassed by any other pleasure aeet, In ths
world.
The June regatta opened tho season With .
fine race, handsomely won by the IdIer, and
which came In good time to put the boats In
trim for the more important trial that was to
follow. Coming among us with the good
omen Of victory, and presenting his fine yacht,
the Cambria, as = winner in remarkably
close race across the ocean, Mr.. Ashbury lost
no time In arranging the preIiminaries Of that
race for the Americas cup, which will long
be remembered as the greatest glory
Of the year to yachtmen,. and as tri-
umph second only TO that in which the cur
was first won. Our visitor has himself
described that race in terms which fully indi-
cate his appreciation Of its spirit and it's
splendor. LIN simple truth, we cannot believe
that anything finer. at once as q marine fes-
tival and as race, has been seen, not even
Adriatic, with which Venice glorifed herself
in her palny days. Nor must we omit an
observation Of the significance Of the result
1t seems to declare indisputably, first, the
superiority Of the American model next, that
the art Of shipbuilding among us has not stood
still, as has been alleged, since 1851, but has
kept such pace that, while England has admit
tedly made great progress, we are as far ahead
of what she can do to-day "a we were ahead
of what she could do then. What are the
facts? The yacht with which we won in
1861 beats the Cambria in 1870, but does not
itself win the race. She is beaten by three
yachts. England, with all her progress, is
still behind the America, but we are far ahead
of her, and when that historical little craft
shall be beaten by boat frem the other
side England win still have to bntend with
our best boats. Nine yachts bea the Cambria
In this race---a little squadron Of victOrs.
Indeed, this nearly reverses the order at
Cowes. There the America beat everything;
here it might almost be said that everything
beat the visitor.
It is scarcely a fortnight since the races
from Newport harbor were first spoken Of,
but, It being then understood chat the yachts
were to be brought, if possible, to first class
test, not an hour was lost In the work of pre-
paration, and vessels which had previously
been fitted up for pleasure cruising appeared,
on short notice, in full racing trim. The result
Of even those hasty improvements is already
known. During the recent contests at New
port American yachts came off with flying
colors, and, favored by the elements, made
better time over the course than was ever known
before. First came race for cup presented
by the Vice Commodore. The course was q
triangular one--thc very best that could be
selected. The entries, including the British
yacht Cambria, were quite numerous. For
stretch Of nearly thirty miles there was q
splendid beat to windward, and a most exciting
contest ensued. Just when victory seemed
within her grasp the Sappho unluckily carried
away her maintopmast and peak haIyards, and
the prize fell to the Palmer, the Cambria
coming in second. On the following day two
match races, twenty miles to windward and
back, were sailed against the Cambria by the
Phantom and Madeleine respectively. The
British yacht was defeated by both, the Phantom
winning by nearly half an hour, and the Made
leine by some nine minutes, on allowance Of
time. Then came the race for cup presented by
the citizens of Newport, gift thoroughly appre-
cated by the club. This was, perhaps, the
most interesting contest Of the three, nothing
being wanting to render it all that any yacht
man could desire. No previous race had been
none by such excellent sailing, and it turned
out in all respects to be a good test Of the
qualities Of the several contestants. As i'm
most OF the other races, the course was twenty
miles to windward and back. Shortly after
rounding the buoy the wind suddenly chopped
from southwest to the northwest and subse-
quently to north, and the yachts were obliged
to beat home on the return. The Phantom
was again victorious. the Palmer taking the
second prize and the Dauntless coming in third,
few minutes behind. The last mentioned
vessel, as in the case Of the Sappho, met with
an accident, having carried away her foretop-
mast when off Point Judith. The fourth
about three-quarters of an hour.
cI 49,