Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-08-22
SPORTING.
THE YACHTS.
A FIatterins Victory for the Boston
facht-The Puritan Defeats the Pris.
ella by III Minutes and IL Seconds.

SANpAY Hook. n. J., Aug 81.
-Four contestants for the trial race for the
| selection of an American yacht to sail against
the British cutter Genesta showed signs of
preparation at an early hour this morning
The Priscilla was under sail at about $50
A. M, the Puritan and Oracle being also
preparing to hoist their sails about that hour
The Bedouin was towed down to the light
ship at about 9 o'clock. The thick haze of
the early morning cleared away and at $50 q
light southwest breeze was blowing.
At about 10 A. m, the Luckenback. the
judges boat, and the stake boat arrived of
the Hook. Orders were given to make ready
for the start, and the four racers. together
with the assembled yachts, proceeded toward
the light ship where the start will be made.
Storm signals have been displayed at the sig
nal station and q strong southeast wind is in
dicated for this evening.
The wind is blowing moderately from the
south. The weather is cloudy and haxy. As
near as could be observed from here the
starting time Of the yachts from the line be-
tween the Luckenback and Scotland Light
Ship, was as follows: Priscilla Ills; Oracle
ii l6; BedOuin ii, lem. 30s., and the Puritan
IL. I'm. 30s. All had their main sails, fore
sails and jibs and gaff topsails set.
LONG BRANCH, N. j., Aug. 81.
At l.20 P. NJ, the Puritan had just passed
here with the Priscilla about a mile behind,
followed by the Bedouin and Oracle.
New YORK. Aug. 81.
The first of series of trial races between
the centerbosrd sloop yachts Puritan and
Priscilla to decide which will be the defender
of the American cup in the September races
with Sir Richard sutton's cutter the Genests,
was sailed to-day resulting in a fattering
fnr fba p,vr
test race was ever sailed under more favor
able conditions to the competitors. The
course was 20 miles, dead to windward,
measured by log, due south from Scotland
light ship and return. stiff breeze, that
compelled all the contestants to house their
topmasts, but which was steadily from start
to finish, favoring none, made the contest an
extremely satisfactory one. While the water
was by no means smooth it was not as lumpy
as when the yachts contested for the Goelet
cup off Newport. and yet as lumpv as any in
which the Genesta may care to meet the cups
defender in September.
BY special arrangement the sloop yacht
Oracle and the cutter Bedouin are to sail in
all the trial races, their owners having a
standing wager of 800 side for each race
sailed. They were both badly outsaled by
the Puritan and Priscilla.
lie 1 uIltdu dCtudi tItHe VI 7 UUuTe, 90
minutes, 10 seconds is, its said, the fastest
time ever made bv sailing vessel under
similar conditions, averaging as it does nearly
10 miles an hour. A thick haze hung over
the upper bay at 9 80 o'clock when the ocean
tug left Pier 3, East River. She had on
board, besides the regatta committee, num-
Der of prominent yachtsmen, among them f.
A. Willard, who later went on board the
Priscilla to represent the Puritans people.
As the judges boat sped down the bay the
haze was cleared away by a moderate breeze
from the southwark. The clouds gave promise
of more wind from the same quarter in a
short time. The quartette of races were
shove to" in the horse snoe to the westward
of Sandy Hook, and all ready for start.
The wind had freshened considerably al
ll.OS, when the preparatory whistle was
blown from the judges boat. The start was
a grand spectacle. Capt. Crocker brought
the Puritan down on the port tack just in
blown at l3. Capt Gibson did the same.
and both dashed across at exactly the same
time, the Bedouin and Oracle following. The
race had begun in earnest from the very start.
The Puritan went about almost on the line,
and crossed the wakes of the other three. A
few moments later she had her starboard tack
As the breeze freshened all took in their top
sails and housed their top-masts except the
Puritan, who carried hers fully half an hour
longer than the others.
At 80 the Puritan went about, crossing
the Prscilla's wake two minutes later, and
slowly but surely eating up to the windward
of the iron sloop and out-footing her as we'll.
At ii .56 the Priscilla came about right under
Bedouin's lee beam. When the Puritan
tackled three minutes later she had decided
advantage, and when the Priscilla took in her
topsail at IL. l3 she was full mile on her
weather beam and carrying her topsail The
water grew more ''lumpy" as the yachts got
out in ''the opeu" but the Puritan made best
weather Of it. 1t was noted to that she was
quicker in stays than the Priscilla. The
water mark was sounded as follows:
Sloops. Hour. Min. Sec.
Puritan, 2 90
Priscilla, 2 40 81
Bedouin, 2 50 Is
Oracle 3 l3 10
The Puritan crew work with q will. In 10
minutes after the white sloop was before the
wind they had their topmast aloft, an i'm
mense spinnaker swelling in the breeze to