The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-17
The Closest Contest Known in the History of
Yacht Racing, and the Result Doubtful
from Start Almost to Finish.
The Genesta Leads Her Rival Slightly
in Sailing Before the Wind,
But the Puritan Proves Superior in racing
the Breeze-The VictOrs Greeted with
Great Enthusiasm at the Finish.

Commodore James d. Smith, as the Furltans
main boom passed the finish line off Scotland
light ship, to-day, after the closest contest ever
sailed over any forty mile course. The Genesta
was beaten one minute and thirty eight seconds
corrected time, and two minutes and nine Sec
onds actual time The course was twenty miles
to leeward and return, from the Scotland light
ship. The wind being west-northwest, the
yachts were sent away east-southeast
course, dead before the wind. In this run, the
cutter beat the sloop one minute and twenty-one
seconds. From there to the fnish they made
but one short tack of mile, and two long legs
of nine and ten miles respectively, in half gale
of wind, which changed to north northwest
soon after the outer mark was reached. In this
work the Puritan gained three minutes and
thirty seconds from point to point
Leaving Pier g. East river, at 9 o'clock, the
committee boat Luckenback. flying the flags of
the New York. Eastern, and Royal Thames
Yacht clubs. steamed down the bay to Staten
Island, taking on board there Mr. l.. P. Bayard,
of the Seawanhaka Yacht Club, and Mr.. rutland,
of the Priscilla. There were also on board ex-
Commodore James D. Smith, of the New York
Yacht Club; Franklyn Bassford, the marine
artist; Mr.. Roosevelt Schuyler, Gustav Grain,
A. Cass Garfield, of the cutter Isis; Charles G.
Haight, of the schooner Crusader; Oliver King
and Herman Leroy, of the Union Club; j. H.
Longstreet, Edward Post, and Rev. Mr.. Ben
jamin.
The sky overhead was clear, but out over the
New Jersey hills in the westward feecy white
clouds were rising, giving promise of increase
| in the force of the moderate breeze from the
| west northwest, then blowing. There was one
solitary spectator on the bluffs of Fort Wads-
| worth as the boat passed through the narrows,
where there had been thousands on Monday, to
see the finish of the first race. There was no
time lost in preparations to-day. When the
judges boat arrived off Sandy Hook the Genesta
and Puritan were both under weigh, close up to
Scotland lightship, the starting point. AS soon
as Mr.. Schuyler representing the GeneSta
on the Puritan, was put on the lat
ter yacht, and Fleet Captain Robert Centre
boarded the Genesta to do similar duty for the
Puritan people, the tug Scandinavian, in charge
of S. F. Lipplncott and M R. Olsen, sent
| away to log out the twenty mile course east
southeast to leeward, and at 10:45 the committee
boat anchored with the light ship bearing south
| southwest. distant $50 yards. This formed the
imaginary line over which the yachts We're pass.
| At this time the steam yachts Electra Utowana,
| Stranger, Corsair, Vision, Sentinel, Polynea and
| Skylark had gathered to the southwest of the
| judges boat The steamers Grand Republic,
Taurus, H. T. Baya and the Old Dominion
| line steamship Richmond their decks
fairly black with enthusiastic specta-
tors, lay close by, with enough flags
| flying to supply couple of circuses. The breeze
| was freshening every moment, and the prospect
| of grand race to leeward, where the yachts
| could carry their spinnakers, was sufficient to
| create the utmost excitement.
| When the preparatory whistle was given at IL
NJ $ho lnv ohnv1t
astern of the judges boat heading to the south
east with spinnaker boom down to starboard,
main sheet hauled aft. and jib sheet to wind
ward. One minute before the starting whistle
tugs stern. Those who watching the
movements of both were positive she would
| cross the line before the signal was
given, and breathessly awaited the result.
Just then the Puritan's main sheet was paid
| out Captain Crocker put her helm down, and
| she came for the line So finely had the cut
| ter's skipper" calculated the time, that while
the starting whistle was blowing she shot across,
| her crew running her immense spinnaker aloft
| as she went over. Away she flew to leeward,
leading the Boston sloop by As seconds. The latter
broke out her big balloon jb as she crossed, and
| set her spinnaker in minute after What
| grand picture these two clipper yachts presented
| as they dashed along, with their pyramids of
| snow white canvass towering above their mar
| row hulls. All the steam yachts kept we'll to
leeward of the racers, and the smaller ones were
| puzzled to keep pace with them.
The official time of the start was: Genesta,
| IL, 05:16 Puritan, IL, 06:l5 The Puritan soon
began to close the gap made at the start. She
| kept directly in her antagonists wake until
| nearly up with her. when she hauled out to the
| eastward so the Genesta could not keep off and
| prevent her passing without gybbing. At 11:35
she took in her balloon jib topsail and stay SAIL
and at HAS she had passed out
ahead of the Genesta about half length
Her spinnaker was not drawing we'll at this time,
| poifh fharx baYY aipc soil fov pipSx
an old sailor remarked, lat the mainboom end"
Captain Carter. recognizing this fact took in his
| spinnaker at II NJ, gybed her main boom,
dropped her spinnaker boom. and set the sail on
She Immediately drew ahead of the
| sloop and in half an hour had
passed her. This was surprise, but what was
| coming was greater one Fifteen minutes
| later the cutter was a good one-fourteenth of
mile in the lead, with her great white spinnaker
| bellying out in the stiff breeze. The Puritan
| people would not gybe although the spinnaker
was not drawing and she was steadily dropping
| astern. Down came the Genestas club top sail
| at 1850 the Puritan's coming in moment later
| The cutter set working top sail, but the sloop
| set no other. AT l p NJ. the Genestas spin
| maker boom was lowered on deck, and every thing
made snug for the long beat to windward. The
large passenger boats and steam yachts had
| gathered off the outer mark, and all eyes were
upon the two boats as they came bounding along
| All thought then that the Genesta was winner.
The official time of rounding was: Genesta,
| 1,O5:3O; Puritan 1926. The latter, with her
main sail hauled fat aft, gybed as she rounded,
and minute after she was close hauled on the
starboard tack, standing to the southwark. The
Puritan made wide turn, which placed her
further to leeward and now commenced a grand
struggle for the finish, twenty miles to the wind
| ward
| Black, threatening clouds appeared in the
northwest presagng more wind for the boats.
| The Puritan went about first, at 1:23, and the
| Genesta a minute later. Captain Crocker
| thought it prudent to house the Puritan's top
mast, at 1:25 as the wind was coming fast and
heavy, while an ugly sea was fast rising into