The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-09-03

w niSH IACHI SHALL MEET IhE lDhi-
TIsH CUTTER GENEsTA ?-rnE Cox
TEST BETWEEN THE PRISCILLA AND
THE DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE
FORMER IN MODERATE WEATHER.
The New Bedford correspondent
of the New York Herald, under
date of August 9Th, thus describes
the race between the Priscilla, James
Gordon Benefits yacht, and the
Boston sloop Puritan, which was
won by the former. The race was
the second of q series to determine
which yacht shall be selected to pro-
tcct the America cup against the
British cutter Gencsta. The first
race was in q strong breeze, and
was won quite easily by the Puritan.
The run over to this port was q
glorious sail, and the Priscilla showed
that she is not so slow in moderate
weather, in comparison with the
Puritan, as she is in strong breeze.
1t was, in fact, her day, for she beat
the Puritan from the start to the
finish, or, as one might say, with
hands down." There was, however,
no windward work, and until she
can hold her own with the Puritan
on such a point of sailing, it cannot
fairly be said that she is better
boat even in moderate weather than
the Puritan, though she beat the
Puritan eleven minutes and sixteen
seconds in the run to-day of thirty
miles.
1t was beautiful morning in the
harbor of Newport at o'clock to-
day, when the yachts began to make
ready for their run to New Bedford.
The breeze was light from the north
and the sky cloudless. By 9 o'clock
the white canvas fluttered from q
forest of spars, and the click of the
many windlass pawls indicated that
the fleet was getting under way. In
short time the pretty craft were
well a-moving, and precisely at 9:15,
with slight gesture of the hand,
Fleet Captain Robert Center, from
the steering bridge of the flagship
Polynia, set the natty steam yacht
a-going after the fleet, majority of
which was now we'll down the channel
below Fort Adams.
At 9:55 the Polynia dropped a
Hedge anchor, with the Brenton's
Reef lightship bearing south five
eighths of a mile. The breeze now
had dropped out and there was a
light swell, on which the flagship
tumbled about little, and at 1890
it was calm. Meanwhile the sloops
Oracle, Mischief, Priscilla and Puri-
tan; the cutters Stranger and
Genesta, and the schooners Gray
ling, Clytie, Clio and others of the
fleet had worked out well to the
southwark, but, like the remainder
of the squadron astern, were be-
Gained.
About 11:10 a breeze came in
from the southwark, and the yachts
began Immediately to skirmish for
position to westward of the line for
the start. They were standing in
all directions and the breeze was
freshening, when at 11h. 45m.,
Capt. Center gave the preparatory
whistle with commendable discre-
ton. Capt. Center, knowing that
the breeze was increasing, delayed
the start until the yachts were
punched together and in a good
position. Exactly at noon the start
was given, and the cluster of yachts
in the high noon sun and under their
clouds of canvas made q ravishing
picture as they skinned over the
blue water, one in chase of the
other.
The course was from Brenton's
Reef lightship out to the Hen and
Chickens, seventeen miles, east one
half south; thence to off the Dump
ling Rock, northeast, seven and
one-half miles; thence to off Clark
Point Lighthouse, four miles, north
by east, for the finish-total dis
lance about thirty miles. The sloop
Oracle was the first yacht across,
with the two slippery craft, Mis-
chief and Vixen, close to her. The
breeze was from the south-south-
west, and, with their booms wide
off to port and every available yard
of canvas pulling, the graceful
looking clippers came down out of
the bunch to windward like swallows
on the wing.
The sloops were smothered as it
were, in tall club topsails and bal
loon jibtopsails, and the schooners
piled the linen on in huge staysails,
until some of them were buried in
canvas. The black hull of the big
Priscilla was surmounted by a swell
ing pyramid of white duck, and the
balloon jibtopsail that her COMPETE
tor, the Puritan, set just as she
crossed the line was of enormous
size. The Priscilla took the lead
and kept it. The Puritan was some
little time behind in crossing, and at
8:12 rip went her balloon jibtopsail
as if it was brown paper. She got
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