New-York tribune., 1885-09-14
RECORD OF THE INSIDE COURSE.

RACES OF THE LAST FIVE YEARs-No FAILURE IL
THAT TIME.
Theiuside course which is to be sailed to-day has
become famous from the many severe struggles
which have there taken place. Cutter, sloop
and schooner have sailed and drfted along
it for years past. 1t was on this
course that the pride of American yachtGmen went
down before that little racing machine from Scot
land called the Madge Vast fleets of contestng
vessels have at times swept down its surface while
at other tines it has witnessed the struggle be-
tween single representatives of differing classes.
as in the race between the Bedouin and the Oracle
In the club race which took place on June II.
1850. the course started somewhat indefinitely
from an imaginary line between the judges
boat Fletcher and the Wanderer. but went
over the same ground. or rather water, as
at present ending at the sane point, Buoy No. 10.
IL was then estimated TO be ferty-two miles in
length. Eighteen yachts started. nine OF them
going over the line at the same instant. Many Of
them are still flying the pennant of the New-York
Yacht Club They were j. X. Busks Mischief, j. j.
Alexandre's Vision, Charles X. Flints Oracle
W. A. W. Stewards Regina, w. L. Iselin's Rover,
j. Rogers MaxwelPs Crusader. s. Peabodys Com
ing Rear Commodore James Smiths Estelle, Arson
p. Stskes's Clytie, J. X. Platts ClIo F. e.
Lawrences Vixen. E. NJ. Browns Psyche
Gouverneur Kortright's Wizard, Daniel Cooks
Tidal Wave. Charles Stillmans Mussel, Hitchcock
Brothers Voante, E. H. Ferris's Glance, and Vice
Commodore j. X. Walkers Dauntless The wind
was east-southeast and fresh The Mischief led
rounding Bouy No. 10 on Southwest Spit in one
hour and thirty-six minutes, and Sandy Hook
hghtship in two hours ffty-four and haf min
utes. Squarne away before the wind the Mis-
chief came in at the finish fifty feet ahead of the
Tidal Wave; time, 4:4407. The last boat III was
the Glance which made it in 6:lS:50.
From these facts II is safe to say that with
wind from the east-southeast the swift cutter and
sloep will find difficulty in covering a shortened
course inside the much-abused seven hours limit
In the fall races Of that year, which occurred
September H. the schooners Tidal Wave. Clytie
and the Phantom, owned by II. s. Hovey. Of the
Eastern Yacht Club. with the so0p Fanny, be-
longing to Henry Bryant, of the same club, and the
New-York sloop Gracie sailed over the course with
a northwest wind. The Oracle rounded the
lightshp in two hours and SIX minutes, winning
the race ia 4:23:7. In the June races of the next
year the course seems to have been Topped of at
the start TO be about forty miles" in length
Sixteen yachts, with every inch Of canvas set
"alow and aoft," sailed down through tho Narrows
before northwest wind The Hiidegarde led, and
rounded the lightship 348;50. and then
almost drifted in TO the finish time 5:10. The
cutter Madge came from over the sea on the dock
of the steamship Devonia in the summer, and in
the latter part of September the flower Of Ameri-
can yachts was pitted against her. In the first
race the Scottish cutter beat her way down the
Narrows against light south wind, all sail set cx-
cent her lib t0psail. The Spit was reached IN an
hour and forty-seyen minutes, when the wind
fresbened to full tOpsall breeze that sent the
Madge about the ightship IN three hours. she
completed the coarse IN i've hours. seventeen min
utes and twenty-five seconds, beating her opponent,
the Schemer. by several minutes. In tho
second race with the Wave, the
wind was light, running from west
northwest TO west, TO southwest and
then to west again. and yet the time OF the Madge
covered the present shorter course inside of the
seven hours. In the third race the south-south-
west breeze blew lightly for two hours. and then
freshening sent the Scotch racer into the finish In
FIVE and one-baf hours.
The club race in October of 1881, over this
course was exciting and full of incidents.
one of which resembles somewhat the
unfortunate encounter between the Puri-
Though thej start was made with light southwest
wind, q little squall came spinning down from the
classmates of Fort Wadsworth and carried away
the Gracie's topmast. AS the Oracle and P0oha-
close together that man might have stepped from
deck TO deck. The Oracle TO the windward
and had the right Of way, but the Pochahontas paid
no attention 10 that fact and was squeezed up 80
literally "a rub and CO." The Mischief won. time
In 1852 the course was shortened to It's present
length of thlrty-eght miles. A strong southeast
wind carried away ten feet OF the mast and sec sec
ton of the bowsprit from the Mystery. The
Montauk went over the course In 3 hours 02 min
utes, however. Later In October OF the same year
the Bedouin lowered the record to 8: 80: o, with