The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-09-30
The Second and Final Victory.

The second and Final victory
Two days after the Boston sl0op Furitans
first victory over the English cutter Genesta
in the international yacht race Tor the
! Americas cup, the second OF the SerleS or
| contests took place. The result rendered n
| third race unnecessary, as the Puritan won
again after magnificent contest The cup
| which was wrestcl from England by
the yacht America thirty-four years
ago, and has never gone back, althoug gh fire.
Guently contested for, now remains Ill TINS
| country until tho next would-be champion
| comes across the seas to claim the yachting
supremacy of the world The course was
| from tue Scotland lishtship outside OF New
| York bay, twenty miles to Toward, which
was east.southcast, AMI return Wind anu
wave were favorable to bringing out the best
| points of the English boat. The sea was
iumpy, and tho breeze freshened almost to
gale Details Of the race are rs follows: :,
The judges boat, Luckenbach, dropped
over to point just east OF the Scotland
Lightship and dropped anchor, forming the
| line of start At lO:45 she sounded the warn
ing signal, and the yachts vent through
their manoeuvers for position to cross the line
It was beautiful sight to watch them tack
ing for position, with clear field to them
selves the excursion boats and accom-.
panying yachts for once keeping we'll to
leeward and astern. At II o'clock the pre-
paratory signal was sounded and the yachts
approached the line, The Genesta was to
leewarI of the sloop, but many lengths ahead.
1t seemed as though the Puritan was anxious
tc have the cutter cross the line ahead If
that was her purpose, it was accomplished,
A0' '''' III h NJ. S. IL. NJ. S.
Genesta. IL 05 1G Puritan. IL OF VI
As the Genesta went over the line she set
her big spinaker and shook out her Jlb top
sail. The Puritan hung out her spinaker
were Stacked off, boonls coiled away out, and
tie race was begun. The breeze blew over
the port quarter at not less than seven
knot pace, the sea was smooth and the tide
flood. The weather gratified the Puritan's
friends at this time.
There was not such large fleet of accom-
panying vessels as on any previous days when
the yachts met, but there was still goodly
number of steam yachts and steam passenger
boats, and the latter were oil crowded.
As the yachts started on their journey the
breeze began to freshen The Genesta began
to point away to the southwark, and the Puri-
tan ran up to leeward Of her, and within
half hour was on her beam. The Yankee re-
manned in this position for some time and
then began to forge slowly ahead. The
Gencstas spankcr was not drawing very
well. But presently she causht
breeze that the Puritan did not feel, and
again came up almost abreast of the sloop
The boats were now about mile apart, with
the cutter to windward, and they remained
in that position for several miles, when the
Puritan once more gained lead of few
lengths The sloop seemed to be advancing
to decided lead when the Genesta suddenly
made break and passed her by half-mile.
So the boats remained until near
the buoy, when the Genesta
hauled down her big topsail. The
Puritan followed suit. and in addition housed
her topmast. But the cutter ran up n gait
topsail. The breeze had kept OH increasing.
and many thought that the beat home would
have to BE- made without topsaiIS In this they
were mistaken, although the Puritan evl.
IDENTIFY had no intention of using topsail
again. She lost several minutes by this tardy
shortening of sail. The buoy was rounded as
H.Ms. H. NJ. S.
Genesta .....1 05 so Puritan .....l 01 81
1t will thus be seen that the cutter had
gained one minute and twenty-five seconds OH
the run before the wind.
When the boats had rounded there began
one of the grandest races that was ever seen
in American or any other waters. The boats
first tack was on the starboa-l The Puritan
was full quarter of a mile behind, and MS
the wind was now blowing strong and tho
sea IVES getting very lumpy, her adj
herents became less enthusiastic than they
had been at any time before. They plucked
up courage, however, when they saw the way
in which the sloop outpo:nted the cutter 1t
was growing to be regular cutter weather,
yet the Puritan, by her clos, sailing, almost
wiped out half her ground lost on tho first
tack. The Genesta kept her topsail up, while
the Puritan sailed without hers The sloop's
staysaii and jib shook considerably, and the
cutters mainsail and topsail did the same
thing.
The Puritan made the first tack at Les.
The Genesta at once went about. The Bos-
ton boat had the better handling this tmo
She went around very quickly, anl headed up
to the wind as proud as such a beauty had
the right to be. The Genesta's fore sails were
shaken III vain effort to point with her op-
ponent.
The wind was now stiff Carrier pigeons
that were loosed from time to time from the
Luckenbach had trouble in getting healway
against it. 1t had shifted a couple OF points
to the west. The water had become more
lumpy, and the GeneSta's people must have
become full we'll satisfied with American
weather at last.
"A grand race" was the unanimous ex-
preston, and the yachts fev; on At i:35
the GcneSta's skipper concluded that his top.
sail was Of no use, anil had it hauled down.
The Puritan was slowly outpointins and out
footing the Brlton, but the latter was still
half mile to windward She was plunging
on, with her decks awash nearly all the time:
yet she again ran up her gait topsail. The
Puritan was riding the seas beautifully and
going to windward.
About 2 P. N. brisk squall came up but it
only sent the rivals ahead the faster. Tue
Genesta stuck to her topsail just the same
and plowed ahead with Gunwale under. The
Puritan took the weather finely. The yachts
stool on q long tack this time, healing ". by
L. !. T..
The Genesta went about at ZIG and the
Puritan followed half minute later. The
course was about west northwest. The Pur-
itan was ahead, but nearly half mile to lee.
ward On this tack the GeneSta had the best
of it at first She outfooted the sloop, as
though from enthusiasm at the appearance Of
a bank of heavy clouds forming in the north.
and forboding continuation OF the
stormy cutter weather. But her gain
did not last long. The Puritan soon re-
| sumed good work and went ahead as before.
| At 2:45 the Puritan was nearly mile to
windward, and perhaps quarter of mile
astern In fact she was too Tar to wlndward,
! and her sheet had to be eased off a tritie.
With this relief she flew through the water
! and came up abreast Of the cutter. The Cen
esta's topsail was not beneliting her. 1t was
always Tapping and sevel al times went aback
but the Briton let it remain in position.
The Puritan had sailed free for but short
| time when the sheet was again hauled att.
At 3:O5 it was slackencd again. and five
minutes later hauled taut The Genesta had
never been able to ease off.
| The Luckenbach now put on steam i'll order
| to reach the homestake in season. The tug
went ahead at the rate of twelve knots an
hour, yet she only left the yachts very
slowly At 3:45 the Puritan let her sheet
Of several points and ran down to the Genes
ta's weather bow Tho Genesta tried tc
point up under the Puritan's- stern, but the
| Yankee was there too me ruritan in few
minutes crossed the cutters bow, and stayed
several lengths ahead to leoward.
Then the Genesta appeared to pick up on
her antagonist for another short spell, but
| suddenly the Puritan shot ahead and increased
| her lead to an eighth Of a mile or more, still
to lecward Again the Yankee showed hel
| pointing powers and within another mile wa:
nearly quarter of mile dead ahead. After
that it was only a question! OF how much tht
sloop would win by She increased her lcao
to full quarter of a mile, by which distance
she beat the Genesta over the finishing line
The Genesta had sailed close-hauled over the
entire beat home. The yachts landed home 50
II. NJ. S. H. NJ. S
Puritan A % l5 Genesta. ......4 10 -
The screechins of whistles, firing of can
non, ringing of bells, blowing of trumpets
and cheering accompanied either boat rs j
finished. The crews Of the contending yacht
also cheerei each other heartily.
Hero is a summary of the race:
Elapsed Correcte
Finish Time Time.
H. NJ :. II. NJ S. II. NJ S
Puritan .... 4 % Is ) 03 II C3 |
Genesta ... 1 10 80 > 05 ::3 OF >
Tho Gcnes!a had tho best OF the start b.
forty-tive seconds, an the Puritan finishe!
| one minute anil forty-tve seconds ahead
This gives the Puritan the victory over tn
forty mile course by TWO minutes and mn
seconds actual time. anl by one minute am
thirty eight seconds after allowing her ~!
tas onist the thirty one seconds time allowanc
of corrected time. After crossing the line bot
yachts hove to, and were taSen in tow t