Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-08-08
THE INTERNATIONAL YACHT RACE.
How the Sappho Outstrlppoal all the |
Vessels Entered for the Contest.
Havre Culy 13) Correspondence Of tho London |
Standard

1t was In anticipation OF most lively
match that I started for Havre or
Wednesday night to take part in the
international Race, which had been
fixed for the next day. The entries in.
cluded the Guinevere, the fastest and
largest of English racing yachts the
LivOnia, fresh from recent alteration,
and with increased sail power; and last,
but not least, the Kriemhilda, Count
Batthyany's latest addition to our
racing fleet, which with so brief an ex.
istence has already been able to make
able feature in this regatta. "s and 'caS one
which made it especially interesting,
was the presence of the American
schooner Sappho, Mr.. Douglas, her
owner, having entered especially in
order to sail against the Guinevere,
which, from her size and speedy quail
ties, may fairly be considered the
queen of English racing vessels. 1t
may, therefore, be very readily con-
ceived how disappointed we all were
not to find her lying at anchor il the
bay when We steamed in, at II O'Clock
on Thursday morning. The owner of
the Sappho had gone to some consider:
able expense and trouble to prepare his
vessel for this encounter, and there is
no conceivable reason why Mr.. Thel.
lusson should not have brought his
vessel to the post, unless 1T was from
fear of being beaten by the American.
The Guinevere is prOfessed racer,
and her owner has m exceedingly good
opinion OF her qualities, which he does
not hesitate to avow. The yachting fra
ternity assembled at Havre were.
therefore, immensely disguised that
she did not keep her engagement, and
come over to try conclusions with the
big Yankee.
At o'clock, with much gesticulation
and q deal of shouting by those on
board, the tug boat commenced to tow
the vessels into their stations, and by
81 we were all prepared to start. The
Sappho, with her racing flag forward,
and the stars aud stripes Haunting out
at her peak, had taken up her station;
but just five minutes before the signal
to start was made, hauled down her
racing flag, and stood in toward the
harbor. It is needless to say that
Societe des Regattes were any thing
but pleased at this change of mind on
the part of Mr.. Douglas at the last
moment. At the time we were all
disappointed, but the exhibition she
made of us all q little later led us to
congratulate ourselves that she had
thus thrown 410O away, or rather made
it q present to another vessel. It was
nearly o'clock before we hove up our
anchors and stood away with nice
topsail breeze, two or three points free,
for our destination, a mark boat an
chored five miles off Saint Vaast
Ia Hogue, some 81 miles distant as the
crow flies. The Iona got the best of
the start, and reached away in grand
style, the Livonia, taking longer time
to get under weigh, following soon after;
the Kriemhilda, having the leeward
station, being almost the last eff. The
Minotaur, formerly the Extravaganza,
with large spread of canvas for her
size, did remarkably we'll, and was
sailed throughout in the most plucky
and determined manner. As we left
the land the wind came further aft, and
spinmakers and squaresails were hoist
ed. The leading vessels were the Lii.
vonia, to windward, Iona next, and
Kriemhilda to leeward these three
making neck-and-neck race of it for
20 miles or more, the schooner having
somewhat the best of it, as she natur-
ally should under the circumstances.
Some time after starting, the Sappho
was decried coming out after us under
q cloud of canvas, her balloon staysail
alone contained as much canvas as an
ordinary vessels staysail and jib to-
gether. Throwing the water
very cleanly off her bows
aud sides, she came tearing along, run
ming through the lee of the Kriemhil.
da, and although the latter was reach
ing very fast, she passed her as if she
had been at anchor. Lufang up across
the cutters bows, she sped away after
the .Livonia, now some distance ahead
and to windward, and disposed of her
in equally a. easy amanher:: She then
hauled her wind up across the 1.-Two
MAS bows, and returned to Havre ap-
parently quite satisfied at thus demon
strating that had she chosen to start
the other vessels might, as far as their
chance was concerned, have lowered
their sails down and brought up. Il
was the most wonderful sight I ever
saw, but it must be remembered that
this was the Sappho's best point of
sailing, and there is probably no ves-
sci in the world that can approach her
off the wind, though I believe there
are several English yachts that could
make as great an exhibition of her
close-hauled.