The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-08-22
RIVAL YACHTS.
The Puritan Beats the Priscilla in the
First Trial Race,
Sailing Forty Miles in 4 Hours, So
Minutes 10 Seconds.

NEW YORK, Aug. 21.-The first of series
OF trial races between the centre board Sloop
yachts Puritan and Priscilla, to decide which
VIII be the defender of the American cup in
tne september races with Sir Richard SUIT
ton cutter Genesta, was sailed today, result
ing IN t1atterlng victory for the Boston
yacht Puritan. No test race was ever sailed
under more favorable conditions to the COM
petlt0rs. The course was 20 miles dead to
WlndWard, measured by log due south from
Scotland lightship and return. A stiff breeze
that compelled all the contestants to house
topmasts, but which was steady from the
start to the finish and favoring none, made
the contest an exceedingly satisfactory one,
and while the water was by no means
smooth, 1t was not as rough as when the
yachts contested for the Goelet cup off New
port, and yet as lumpy as any in which the
Genesta may care to meet the cups defender
IN September. BY special arrangement the
Sl0op yacht Oracle and the cutter Bedouin
are to sail in all the trial races, their owners
having standing wager of 500 side for
each race sailed. They were both badly out
sailed by the Puritan and Priscilla. The
Purltan'S actual time OF hours So minutes
l9 seconds is, 1t is said, the fastest time ever
made by sailing vessel under similar condi-
tlons, averaging as it does nearly ten miles
an hour.
A thick haze hung over the upper bay at
so O'Clock when the ocean tug Luckcnbach
lett Piers, East River She had on board,
besides the regatta committee, a number of
prominent yachtsmen, among them E. A.
Willard, who later went on board the Pris-
ella to represent the Puritan's people. AS
the judges boat sped down the bay the haze
was cleared away by moderate breeze from
the SOuthWard, but the clouds gave promise
of more wind from the same quarter in a
short time. The quartet of racers were
'hove to- in the horseshoe to the westward
of Sandy Hook and all ready for start.
The wind nad freshened considerably at
II. .08 o'clock. when the preparatory whistle
was blown from the judges boat. The start
was grand spectacle. Captain Crocler
brought the Puritan down on the port tack
just in time to cross the line when the whistle
was blown at lib. Capt Gibson did the
same, and both dashed across at exactly the
same time The Bedouin and Oracle fol-
lowed at II. IA 9-10 and lila 40 respectively
The race had begun in earnest from the
very start. The Puritan went about almost
on line and crossed the wakes of the other
three few moments later She held her
Starboard tack 16 minutes, and the Priscilla
tackled at lily, when she had the Puritan on
her port bow. As the breeze freshened all
took in their topsails and housed their top
masts except the Puritan, who carried hers
full half an hour longer than the Others
AT % the Puritan went about, crossing
the Priscilla's wake two minutes later, and
slowly but surely beating up to the windward
OF the iron sloop and outfooting her as well.
At Loo the Priscilla came about right under
the Bedouln's lee beam. When the Puritan
tackled, three minutes later, she had decided
advantage, and when the Priscilla took in
her topsail at 12.13 she was full mile on her
weather beam and carrying her topsail.
The water grew more lumpy as the yachts
got out in 1.-THE open,' but the Puritan made
the best weather of it. 1t was noted, too,
that she was quicker in stays than the Pris-
ella. The outer mark was rounded as
follows: