The New York herald., 1873-10-12
Plenty Of Wind and Heavy
Head Seas.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS
Beating to Windward One Hundred and
Twenty five Miles.
The Enchantress the Winner Of the ST. 900
Cup and the Pilot Boat Negus the
$1,000 Purse = Three of
the Racers Home.
ON BOARD YACHT ENCHANTREss,

ON BOARD YACHT ENCHANTREss,
OFF SANDY HOOK LIGHT SHIP,
SATURDAY, CcT 11-6:12 A. M. }
Thursday afternoon when the competing ves-
Bels In the great ocean races were Off the point
,of Sandy Hook and the Regatta committee OF the
New York Yacht Club and others on board the
steam yacht HERALD were preparing to BIZ them
.adIeu and wish them all 'good luck" the scene
was one that could not fail to delight the most
enthusiastic yachtsman. 1t had been day parti-
,cuarly charming to commence contest
Of the character in which the vessels were
engaged and upon each and every deck
OF the racing boats were picked crews, veteran
pilots, delighted sailing masters and hopeful
owners. 1t was the fortune OF one OF the HERALD
reporters to find himself early that afternoon, on
board the Enchantress where, on deck, were Mr..
j. +. Loubat, the owner; Vice Commodore Douglas,
Mr.. Walter l.. Kane, Judge Tor the Committee; his
brother, Mr. Delaney Kane, and Mr.. Edward r
Jones ready to accompany the yacht to victory or
de.sa,. Busy giving orders to the bronzed crew
was seen Captain Bob Fish, who modelled the
boat, and near him, eager to take the wheel, was
Pilot Better W. Roff OF Staten Island. In like re-
spects it was understood that all the craft whose
crews we're eager to win the prizes presented by
Commodore Bennett were well provided. So, when
the point of Sandy Hook was passed, the great
ocean race to the
LIGHTsHIP ON FIVE FATHoM BANK
had commenced aud was fast becoming exciting.
At the time Of starting tine wind was to the north
ward, but at this point 1t had veered to the
northeast and was breezing freshly The pretty
Clio, with all SAL set, was working well to wind
ward; the Enchantress, with cloud of canvas,
was second; the Alarm third, Dreadnaught fourth,
working schooner Van Name fifth, Eva sixth and
the pilot boat Mary E. Fish, working schooner Rein
deer, pilot boat Thomas 5. Negus, schooner smack
Wallace Blackford and pilot boats James w. El-
well and Edmund Z. Blunt in the positions as
named. Passing out by the land, the Enchantress
went about on the port tack at Ali. 26m., the Clio
did likewise at An. 27m the Alarm followed suit at
Al. 2Sm., the Dreadnaught soon the same,
and now each bent to their business.
Away to leeward, and not to interfere with
the manGuvri1g CT the vessels the excursionists
steamers accompanied us, and gliding swiftly
along among these, looking particularly handsome,
was the storm yacht Day Dream, upon the. deck Of
which General Aspinwall was observed, in the
New York Yacht Club uniform. Though each and
every captain Of this leet OF clippers knew there
was much work and chances Of ill-luck before them,
they commenced their task with faces lighted up
with pleasureable excitement and the last whistle
OF the Judges boat lett them all in the best OF
humor, and with the highest hopes of success On
board the Clio which had crept up to windward in
tne Narrows, there was an evident determination
TO keep in advance. She had set toresail, mainsa,
foretopsai, Jib, nyingb and TWO topsails, and the
canvas drew very well. At 4h. 35m. the Enchant-
fess under club foresail, mansail jib, iying-jib,
maintopmast staysa and working topsails,
WAS GRADUALLY LEssENING
the distance. The Clio was in advance The noble
looking Alarm was short away to leeward
while the Dreadnaught, with all kites set her big
maintopmast staysail being the more conspicuous
was challenging Rear Commodore Kingsland for
third place. The saucy Eva followed and then the
Widgeon and Mary Z. Fish, of the pilot boats, were
earnestly contestng with each other for the post OF
honor in their class, with the advantage IN favor Of
the latter, and to leeward OF these the trusty-
looking Van Name, and among the brush the Wal
lace Blackford, the schooner smack that entered
for the prize and glory attached to the event. The
yachts were now flying through the water and the
Enchantress on the starboard tack at 4h Ann. went
by the Clio, which looked beautiful picture
and assumed the lead OF the fleet that
now was out on the ocean heading to the goal far
away. The day was fast passing to q pleasant
twilight, and the sun glinted its adieu on the snow
white canvass OF the racers with binding bright
ness. Now the fun began in earnest. Five miles
distant, at 5h. 9m., the Highland lights bearing
west southwest, the Enchantress was heading
aouth with the wind fair and leading all her COM
pettors fully one mile. The Clio, standing on the
q like distance to the leeward Of her; the Dread
naught half mile further OF, while the Eva, Van
Name and others were hull down. The wind was
now hauling little more down the coast, and 1t
was the unanimous opinion OF all on the Enchant-
ress that there would be lively work before the
night was over. At 5n. sim. we
WERE OFF LONG BRANCH,
aud on our weather quarter, with sails set, we
slgbted the Richmond steamer Old Dominion, out
ward bound, and two miles further away was one OF
AIexandre's steamships ploughing the deep in the
bright with the glories OF departing day, and using
glass, the positions Of the competing vessels
nearest us were noted to be the same as before
given, though we were dropping them iast There
was rolling sea OF this point, and the steamers,
very finely and at Oh. 4sm. the Alarm, two
miles astern, had eaten up to windward
was some anu e before paahsns she saucy cra It
could be shaken off. One mile to the leeward OF
tne Clio was the Dreadnaught, and lar IN the last
Inc van Name. Darkness settled down upon us at
on 6ern., and heading south by west, the Lnchan-
tress ', was Slipping away upon her MISSION Here
we passed the steamer Old Dominion, her officers
acknowledging the "go-bvu blew their whistle,
steamer in turn "blazed awayn in similar manner
from her bow. At III. ION. Barnerat light was
made, bearing sonth.southwest distant about
lnltcep nElcs. lBe night was clear and beautiful,
and as the great golden moon came ont Of / he sea
the scene was EXQUISITE ~ aG The wind was haul
Skipping along very rast. AT IN. 5sm. the Yacht
was kept on hall point, heading sonth by west naif
WcSt, duuht isios,
BARSEGAT LIGHT BORE WEST
We were doing some very nice work now "a Mt
8h. 24m. Aexandrc's steamship was abean,. and
nothing could be made out astern but the lights Cf
the Old Dominion. The sea was very umpy or
this part oi the coast but the Enchanress carried
her sail we'll and while owner, officers and guests
were communicating themselves on their good luck
n sea broke over ner weather rail- and dousnp
some OF the non-workers on deck they went
below 10 change their clothing and repair
damages Little Egg Harbor bore west at
oh, 4bn the run down from Barncgat, a distance
Of eighteen or nineteen miles, having been made In
III. 2Sfn. At 10h. we TOOK III our mantopmaststay-
sail and ibt0psail and doomed out the l0resai, the
wind getting lighter SIN we were doing nicely,