The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-09-25
The RIVAL YACHTS.


The Genesta Again Outsailed by the Puri-
tan "a the International Race-The Yans
kee Sloop Crosses the Finishing Line
Over q Minute Ahead of Her Antagonist
The Contest Takes Place in a Fierce
Gale.
NEW YORK, Sept 1.-THE grandest race
ever seen in New York waters was that be-
tween the Genesta and the Puritan yester-
day, and the picture presented will always
live in the memory of the thousands of en-
thusiastic witnesses. For twenty miles the
blue waters, topped with creamy-white
tufts, We're clear. Never was there
grander race-track, and never were racers
sails filled with such a breeze, now nine
teen miles an hour in velocity, again TWEEN
ty-four miles, and finally the great blow of
thirtyseven miles. From start to finish the
excitement was not abated one jot.
The official time of the start was: Ge-
neSta, 11:05:l6; Puritan, II :06:01. The
Puritan soon began to close the gap made
at the start. She kept directly in her an
tagonist's 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 gybing. At IL :35
she took in her balloon-jib, topsail and stay
sail, and at II AS she had passed out ahead
OF the Genesta about half length. Her
spinnaker was not drawing well at this
time, neither was her mainsail, for the wind
was Fat the main-boom end" Captain
Carter, recognizing this fact took in his
spinnaker at twelve O'Clock, gybed her
main-boom, dipped her spinnaker-boom and
set the sail OH the port side, all in five min
utes. The Genesta 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 good quarter of a
mile in the lead. The Puritan would not
gybe, although her spinnaker was not
drawing, and she was steadily dropping
astern. Down came the Genesta's
clubtopsail at 1850, and the Puri-
tan's in a moment later. The
cutter set a working topsail, but the sloop
set no other. At one p. IN. the Genesta's
spinnaker-boom was lowered on deck and
everything 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 win
Genesta, 1:05:30; Puritan, :07:36.
The latter boat, with her main sheets
hauled fiat aft, gybed as she rounded, and
in a minute after she was close hauled on
the starboard tack, standing to the south
ward. The Puritan made wide turn,
which placed her farther to leeWard, and
now commenced grand struggle for the
finish twenty miles to windward. Black
threatening clouds appeared in the north
west, presaging more wind for the boats
The Puritan went about first at l :23 D. NJ,
and the Genesta a minute later. Captain
Croker thought it prudent to house the
Puritan'S topmast at 1875, as the
wind was coming fast and heavy, while an
ugly sea was fast rising, into which the
yachts plunged. Out from the northwest
at As came a 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 the windward. Those on the
small tugs were drenched with the heavy
seas that boarded them. Every one thought
the cutters topsail must come in.
Down she went heeling over as she felt
the force of the squall. Captain Carter
held her to her course, and she seemed to
spring through the choppy seas, which were
| topped with seething white-caps as far to
windward as the eye could reach. The
Puritan was making excellent weather of it
at this time and was steadily seating" up
through the Genesta's lee. Just before she
tackled at 2:17 she was full half-miIe on
the Genesta's lee bow.
The 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 able to fetch the finish. When
Captain Checker found he could easily fetch
the light-ship he started the soop's sheets
and gave her ''good full" She was then
about half a mile on the Englishman's
weather quarter, who also had his main
sheet started trife, but was pointing"
very high. At 3:35 the Puritan kept
broad off and came boiling" down for the
| Genesta's weather, evidently intending
to blanket her. Captain Carter see
ing this, put the cutters helm down sud-
denly and shot the Genesta into the wind
across his rivals stern and took wind
ward position himself, although he lost
fully three minutes by the operation There
was '.luffing" match for a few moments
until the Puritan got far enough ahead.
They were then-at 3:53-about three and
half miles from the finish. The water
was getting smoother every moment, while
the breeze continued strong. The Puritan
increased her lead steadily and crossed the
! finish line at 4:09:15. The Genesta crossed
! the line at 4:s0:39, only one minute and
twenty-four seconds behind her.
The course was twenty miles to les.
! ward and return from the Scotland light
ship. The wind being west northwest the
yachts were sent away on an 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
finish they made but one short tack of a
mile, and two long leg of nine and ten
miles respectively, in half a gale of
wind, which conferred to north northwest
soon after the ''outer mark" was turned.
In this work the Puritan gained minutes
81 seconds from point to point. The fol-
lowing table gives the actual results of the
race.