The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-10-07
An international. Contest!
A GALLANT STRUGGLE.
THE PURITAN BEATS THE GENESTA

THE PURITAN BEATS THE GENESTA
NV YoHx, Sept. 1--we will hold the cup. The
Genesta made plucky fight to take il back to the
land from whence it came, but the Puritan beat
and heayy seas-and the emblem of the yachting
supremacy Of the world was for better than
either TO win and wear it. The Genesta IS last,
but the Puritan is still faster, though only by
minute and IS seconds in race OF forty miles,
twenty before the wind and twenty against. 1t
was the Qran6est race ever seen in these waters,
and the hearts Of all were now elated and now de-
pressed rs one or the other forged ahead TIL all
was forgotten in the glow Of victory.
1t is not hard TO think of the race, OF the fresh
breeze, Of the vhite-capped sea, the dark copper
frinred clouds that came up from the horizon,
under which the water became pale emerald,
after the rush Of the vessels, the vhstlng of the
ratlines, the snowy spread OF the sails, the heel
way over from the wind, and the dip and the
plunge into the pillows they FASTENED on, but il
is hard 20 tell it all in order. The scene comes
back in one picture, and it must be told in many
cold words while the thought leaps away to the
rnsh and rustic Of the wind swept sea.
The guests ran out from the city in the judges
boat, the tug Luckeubach. They saw the bay was
deserted, save BY few steam yachts that were al
ready starting for the Scotland lightship. The
sailing vessels had spread there canvas at the first
streak Of dawn, when gentle wind was blowing
and were then far down on the Horseshoe. There
was but q slight breeze, and many thought it
would be another disappointment. But few steam
boats appeared at the Hook when it was reached.
Only scattered fragments CO the mighty feet that
had cheered the Puritan's victory Monday were
seen.
The breeze kept growing stronger as the yachts
gathered about the starting line, but there was
promise Of great wind and the water was but
rufled, and there were only very fewtpped
waves such as the true yachtman loves. There
was the promise and the potency of them in the
increasing wind which soon came blowing over
a. ~H- 49, hn haar
nor nor west and the course was away to leeward.
Al exactly IL O'Clock the preparatory whistle was
sounded. Five minutes after the signal TO start
was given. In sixteen seconds the Genesta swept
over the line with her gigantic club tOpsail point
ing to the sky, and hardly had she crossed when
HER GREAT sPTSNAKER
was broken out and bellied far forward as she
struck into the sea, vision of white loneliness.
Three-quaTters of minute afterwards the Puritan
cut her rivals still foaming wake, shook out her
lib topsail and let the wind fill her bending spin
maker. The tug followed fast behind, but not half
50 fast as the wind, which was gathering momen-
deep valleys Of the water. Now one and now the
other was seen, and now they both appear like one
grand vessel as they stand in the same line. Soon
the two beauties sWerve apart from each other on
with understanding wings or like some dream of
the old Norseland when the Vikings ruled the sea,
and every shore was tributary TO them. They are
the vessels OF the kinee, and the famed might of
the sea seems subdued in their presence. A full
Tigged ship, with every sail set, her royals show
ing from her topmasts, appears in the horizon,
and Ehite-hulled bark scnds by her side. They
are dim in the space far away, but the tug comes
up to them in how short run, the rude tars stand
by their sides or swing aloft in airy perches and
wave their hats as the boat dashed by with a rain
of spray upon her forward deck.
The Puritan is ahead. She has crept up on her
rival and for time they ran along at equal pace,
as il held By an invisible chain whose links the
Puritan breaks with snap and bounds ahead.
The tug makes her screw revolve more rapidly and
runs alongside the racers. Then it is seen the
Puritan has taken in her balloon jib. and puts tine
ordinary sail in its place, while the English cutter
is content with wind and weather, and does not
move line or sheet, Her bending spinnaker
makes one think OF the ancient galleys, and her
row Of brown-faoed sailors, with their piratical
looking caps, might be the crew of some brass
beaked galley OF proud Carthage of the Sea. So
near arc they that one might think there was no
clear water between them, but the cup defender
is At least i've lengths ahead. Then the Genesta
Suddenly takes in her spinnaker, iibes her main
sail, and sets her spinnaker on the other side.
This was done in i've minutes, remarkable bit
Of work, and
sHL SOON REArs TIE BENEFIT
Of it, for her sails draw better and she catches
up with the Puritan and sails with her for few
minutes and then leaves a streak of sea and sky
between her stern and her rivals bow. Now the
wind freshens and the sea rolls higher, while the
sun has gone in behind light masses of drifting
clouds. II is nearly two hours since the high
lands Of NAvesink were left and already they are
only the boundary of a darkening horizon. The
The Genesta still draws away, replaces her club
with spirit topsail and stretches out her wide
wings for the turning mark which waits for
few miles dead ahead.
As the mark comes ever nearer the Genesta's
great spinnAker suddenly disappears, the Puritans
also hutters TO the deck, the booms are hauled up,
and il is hundreds TO pennies that the British
cutter will win the twenty miles run before the
wind. Let her have 1t, there is harder work to
follow Mir RirhaFfIfa haautifnl pPaft ba
stake at 1850 O'Clock. She has made the gallant
run In two hours, and now she stands off by the
wind with vhizZ like rife bullet for the finish.
While there are pufs OF blue smokefrom the
rails Of steam yachts, und the salt air smells of
powder burned in honor of the Briton, the tug had
to wait two minutes and siI seconds for the Puri-
tan. She had taken down her topsail and did not
set another while before the wind, for she Judged
that it would not be needed when there would be
the rough work OF going TO windward, and the
captain was right.
1t is nearly 100 O'Clock when sailor runs up
the masthead Of the Puritan and the topmast is
housed, but the Genesta still staggers under her
working topsail. II is reefing breeze now blow
ing thirty-seTen miles an hour, with the sea scud
Tying and the breakers dashing up against the
bows IN driving spray, that is, rush of waters
over buried rails, but the white sails of the two
vessels stand up against it like solid walls while
all the other craft have double reefs and little
storm jibs. Even stanch pilot boats going out in
search OF ships haze their sails but half way up
the mast and the mon on their decks point in
amazement at the Genesta, still carrying her top
mast but heeling far over TO leeward. She is a
stanch, strong craft to dare it and there is spice
Of British pluck, or bravado as if she spurned the
danger.
For it is dangerous. storm has come up out
Of the ocean, the sun has gone, and heaving roll
ing clouds, freiRhted with Darkness stretch one
broad way from the horizon TO the zenith and half
oTer-arch the sky. Far away there comes the sig
nal Of q squall in a white angry line along the
green sea, before which the ocean wrack is driven
fast and furious. At such gale the old fsherwo-
man shook her hand feroely when her man and
BARN were far away, and cried Course you for
your sharks teeth" She knew what it meant. The
sharks teeth come on eating up the distance in a
roar OF wind and rain that makes every vessel
trembe and take in every square inch of sail, and
some signal tugs for
HELP TO FACE TIE GALE.
The two noble racers only culver for a momeut
shaking themselves like strong swimmers, as they
rise up and down. The topmast of the Genesta
strains and her sail tugs while shetears through the
green sea, but the devil in her master is aroused
and he will not take it down though the gale
blows twice hard. 1t is pluck and dare devils for
the gale bowls through the rigging at the rate of
forty-four miles an hour and the jib of the cutter
Ieon il carried away and her bowsprit snaps of
like pipe stem and she drifts wreck on the
heaving deep.
Near Sandy Hook the little vessels scatter like
terrified Birds darting hither and thither and the
lesaving crew don cork Jackets and have the life.
boat brought down to the beach ready to launch,
for the old Burf-men smell danger in that squall.
You would not think so TO look at that English
cutter, with her patch of canvass aloft Every one
holds his breath, and all eyes on her, fearing
that she may go over into the boiling seas so fear
fully does she lean before the gale. But her crew
are lying quietly stretched at full length on the
slippery deck with their hands upon the windward
rails as il forty-four miles an hour we're child's
play, and only western tornado could rouse them
TO action.
The Puritan with only three sails set, is TO the
vindward, going like an arrow but she looks small
beside her rival which stands up to it more def
ant. The Englishmen asked for stiff breeze and
got gale, but they can't outsail the Yankee craft
which passes them by, and still keeps the best DO
sition, though the clouds fringed with an angry
oopperish hue and she dives down into white
aoysses and comes up nobly like the valiant vessel
she is, with the hopes of all the land upon her
She feels her freight of 100000 and rushes and
rushes and sails faster and faster till out of the
storm and bluster she leaves the cutter behind.
Now the gale moderates and the sun sends down
from behind the clouds broad hazy beams that
widen as they
TOUCH NE WATERS AND CALM THEM