The Portland daily press., 1885-09-17
tHE AMERICAS CUP
Stlll Remains on This Side of the
Atlantic.
The Puritan Wins in the Second Race
With the Genesta.
She Crosses the Line Almost Two
Minutes Ahead.
A Prominent Yaehtsman Calls 1t the
GrandeSt Race Ever Sailed.

| Commodore James ID. Smith as the PuritanS
main boom passed the finish line off Scot
land lightship today after the closest contest
ever sailed over any forty mile course. The
Genesta was beaten minute 38 seconds cor
rected time, and minutes seconds actual
time. The course was 20 miles to leeward
and return for the Scotland lightShip The
wind being WNW, the yachts were sent
away on ESE course dead before the wind.
In this run the cutter beat the sloop minute
q seconds. From there to the finish they
made but one short tack of a mile, and two
long legs of nine and ten miles respectively
in half gale of wind, which changed TO
NNW soon after the outer mark was turned.
In this work the Puritan gained minutes 80
seconds from point to point.
Leaving Pier 3, East River, at O'Clock,
the committee boat Luckenbach, flying the
flags of the New York, Eastern, and Royal
Thames Yacht Clubs, steamed down the bay
to Staten Island. The sky overhead was as
clear as bell, but out oyer the New Jersey
were rising, giving promise of an increase in
the force of the moderate breeze from the
WNW then blowing. There was one soli-
tary spectator on the bluffs of Fort Wads-
worth as the boat passed through the Mar
rows, where there had been thousands on
Monday to see the finish of the first race.
There was no time lost in preparations to-
day, and when the judges boat arrived off
Sandy Hook the Genesta and Puritan were
both seen under way close up to the Scotland
49,
H. Schuyler representing. the Genesta, was
put on board the Puritan,l and Fleet Captain
Robert Carter boarded the Genesta to do
similar duty for the Puritan people, the tug
Lippincott and Niels Olsen, was sent away
to log out 20 mile course Sc to leeWard.
and at 1915 o'clock the committee boat an
chored with the lightship bearing SSW, dis
tant 100 yards, This formed the imaginary
line over which the yachts were to pass
At this time many steam and sail yachts
and excursion steamers aladen with Specta-
tors had gathered near the judges boat. The
breeze was freshening every moment and
the prospect of grand race to leeward
where the yachts could carry their spinna-
kerS was sufficient to create the utmost ex-
citement. When the preparatory whistle
was given at exactly IL O'Clock, the Puritan
lay about quarter of a mile astern of the
Judges boat, heading to the southeast with
her splnnaker boom down to starboard the
main sheet hauled aft and the lib sheet to
Wlndward One minute before the starting
whistle was blown the Genesta came tearing
bow on port tack, heading parallel with
the line. Those who were watching the
movements of both were positive she would
cross the line before the signal was given
and they breathlessly awaited the result
just then the Puritan's main sheet was paid
out, Captain Croker put her helm down and
she came for the line. So finely had the
cutters skipper calculated the time that
while the starting whistle was blowing she
shot across, her crew running her immense
Splnnaker as she went over and breaking it
out In just 80 seconds. Away she flew to
leeward leading the Boston sloop by 45 sec
onds. The latter broke out her big balloon
Jlb as she crossed and set her Spinnaker in a
minute after.
What grand picture these two clipper
yachts presented as they dashed away with
their pyramids of snow white canvas tow
ering above their narrow hullsi All the
CfQQm Yachts lyan wall 10 4bo I'D ,F he
twin racers and the smaller ones were puz-
zled to keep pace with them The official
time OF the start was: Genesta, 11.05.16;
Puritan, 11.06.01.
The Puritan soon began to close the gap
made at the start and she kept directly in
her antagonists wake until nearly up with
her when she hauled out to the eastward SO
that the Genesta could not keep off and pre-
vent her passing without jibing. At 11.35
sail, and at II. As she had passed out ahead of
the Genesta about half length. Her spin
maker was not drawing well at this time,
neither was her mainsail, for the wind, as
an old sailor remarked, was at her main
fact, took in his spinnaker at IL o'clock,
jibed his main boom, dipped his spinnaker
boom and set sail on the port side, all in five
minutes. Then she Immediately drew ahead
OF the sloop and in half an hour had passed
her.. This was surprise, but what was
coming was a greater one. s5
Fifteen minutes later the cutter was a
good quarter mile in the lead with her great
white spinnaker bellying out in the stiffen
ing breeze. The Puritan people would not
iibe although their spinnaker was not draw
ing, and she was steadily dropping astern.
Down came the Genesta's club-topsail at
$780, the Puritan's coming in a moment
later. The cutter then set her working top
sail but the sloop set no other. At / D. m.
the Genesta,s spinnaker boom was lowered
on deck and everything made snug for long
beat to windward
The large passenger boats and steam
yachts had gathered off the outer mark and
all eyes were on the two boats as they came
/. bounding along and all then thought that
the GeneSta was the winner. The official
time OF rounding was: Genesta 1.O5.3O: Puri-
tan 1.07.36. The latter beat with her main
sheet hauled aft. She jibed as she rounded
and in minute after was close hauled on
the starDoard tack standing to the southwark.
The Puritan made a wide turn which placed
her farther to leeward and now commenced
grand struggle for the finish 20 miles to
windward, Black and threatening clouds
appeared in the northwest presaging more
/ wind for the boats. The Puritan went about
\ first at .1.23 and the Genesta minute later.
Capt. .Crocker thought it prudent to hoist
was coming fast and heavy while the ugly
sea was fast rising into which the yachts
plunged, the light leech lines of the lib
were led aft and when hauled taut by Gen
Paine much improved the set of the sail
Out from the northwest, at 1.45, came
spiteful squall of wind, whistling through
the shrouds of the boats, lashing the green
waves into foam, and sending the spray in
sheets high over the. yachts to windward.
Those on the small tugs were drenched with
the heavy seas that boarded them. Every
one thought the cutter topsail must come in
as down she went, heeling over as she beat
In the face of the squall till her lee rail was
lost to sight in smother of glittering foam;
over yet till the water was washing up to her
skylights amidships, and there was the limit
Capt, Carter held her to her course-then
about NE E, for the wind had hauled to
NNW, she seemed to spring through
the choppy. seas, which were tipped with
sseeethlng white caps as far to windward as
the eye could reach.
The Puritan meantime was steadily "eat-
ing" up through the Genesta'S lee, and lust
before she tackled, at 2.13, she was full half
mile mi on the Genesta's lee bow. Instead of
Genesta's bow, she kept on, thereby, the
committee say, losing much valuable ground.
Ihe Genesta went about at 2.18. This
stretch to the westward proved to be the last
one, as the wind favored the yachts so they
were were able to fetch the finish; When Capt.
Crocker found he could easily fetch the light
ship, he started the sloop's sheets and gave
her good full lShe was then about half a
mile on the Englishman's weather quarter,
Snt %ho nil also had his main sheet started tre
At 3.35 the Puritan kept broad off and
came boiling" down for the Genesta's
weather, evidently intending to blanket her.
Capt Carter, seeing this, put the cutters
helm down suddenly and shot the Genesta
into the wind across his rivals. stern and
took the windward position himself, al
though he lost fully three minutes by the
operation Then there was a "luffing match
Tor few moments till the Puritan got enough
ahead. They were then. at 1853, about 81
miles from fhn fnicb The Watqr Oaf
ting smoother every moment, while the
breeze continued strong. The Puritan in
creased her lead steadily and crossed the
hnlsh line at 4.O9.15, while the fleet of steam
3oats GS gave her rousing reception, Mr..
Forbes and the crew responding heartily.
Inc Genesta crossed the line at 410.39, only
minutes "a seconds behind her. The yachts
looked Ild grand as they dashed across the line