The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-09-15
FAIRLY BEATEN.

And Crosses the Finish Line Over
Sixteen Minutes Ahead Of the Gutter.
The Next Trial to be Made To.
morrow.
New YORK, Sept. 14-At last the repre-
sentative yachts of England and America
the centreboard sloop Puritan, and the keel
cutter Genesta, met and fought one
round in the marine battle which is to de-
eide the future ownership of that precious
trophy, the Americas cup. In the race of
81 miles over the inside course of the New
York Yacht Club today, in extremely light
weather, the centreboard defeated the cutter
seconds time allowed the cutter by the Puri-
tan, l6 minutes 10 seconds corrected time.
The course was from an imaginary line be-
tween Bouy Is, off Owls Head, L. l., and
the committee boat anchored an eighth of a
mile to the westward to and around Buoys
10 and 81 in the lower bay; thence to and
around Sandy Hook lightship and return to
the finish off Buoy Is, an eighth of mile
south of Fort Wadsworth. The wind at the
start was light, from south by west, which
made it dead beat to the first mark, but
from here to the light ship the wind freshen-
ed and permitted the yachts to start the
sheets at intervals. From the outer mark
back to Buoy g. off Sandy Hook, the wind
was about four points free Two tacks were
made In the Horseshoe to weather Buoy 10,
and from there to the finish the wind was
well ON the port quarter.
An analysis of the race shows that in
windward work to Buoy 10 the Puritan beat
the Genesta 3 minutes and 1 second, and
from there to the lightship l minute 19 sec
9nds @a3i; from ON Buoy 5, off the point Of Sandy
fresh breeze, with the lee rails to the water,
the Puritan only gained % seconds on the
Genesta, and only Is seconds on the same
distance coming back to Buoy 5. In the en-
tire run from the outer mark to the finish,
the Puritan beat the Genesta IL 2minutes and
rs seconds.
Lsng before half-past 10 this morning, the
upper bay was dotted with pleasure craft, all
heading for the starting point in the great
contest, which all felt would come off at last
Pler l, North river, was thronged with peo-
PIE by o'clock, eager to get on board the
IRON steamers Cygnus, Sirius and Taurus,
while at West 23d street, Pier North river.
and Jewelps wharf, Brooklyn, the great
tnree-deck steamers Grand Republic and
Columbia, with scores of gay flags flying,
took on board hundreds of passengers to see
the race. The decks of steamers Elm City,
Sylvan Dell, Sylvan Grove, Albertina, Thorn
as A. Moringu, HI. T. Boyd, Laura M .Stearn.
Old Dominion, steamship Richmond and
many other smaller boats were also well
filled with spectators.
A very light breeze from the southwark
barely rlppled the waters of the bay when
the Judges boat, Luckenbach, having on
board the regatta committee, Messrs. Tams
and Stebbins, with Rear Commodore F. C.
EEa9rance, Ia as1n David Appleton, secretary of the
yacht designer, S. T. Lippincott and other
RPhe g. f. affe5R@eR af 5s5 %hgpf fMEfa Mr. VIM RFebs
the Genesta, and Mr.. Louis P. Bayard, S. Y.
C., were taken on board. Both the Genesta
and Puritan had already tripped their an
chors and were standing out on the star
board tack for mid-channel. Handsome in
they slipped along over the almost CLASSY.
surface OF the bay, wooing the wind from
aloft with their snowy white club topsails
cleaning in the morning sunlight. Mr.
F0rDeS and his muscular crew, augmented
by Mate Riehman and three sailors from the
schooner yacht Grayling, looked confident
and earnest, while Sir Richard Sutton, Capt
Carter and his white jacketed tars appeared
slightly uneasy when they saw the light
weather
A long blast of the whistle at 1925 on the
judges boat was the preparatory signal At
that time an immense fleet of steamers and
sailing craft had gathered to the north and
east of the starting line. The Genesta and
Puritan were lying to within 800 yards of
the judges boat The tide was running at
strong flood when the starting signal was
the line almost together. The Puritan was
to windward and crossed first at 1O.3202 with
the Genesta two seconds later. As the time
limit was 1882, both yachts were handicap
ped their official time being 1882. Standing
across to the Long Island shore they 10Th
tackled close under Owls Head. At i0.37.30
the Genesta feeling puff which struck
her just as she filled away on the port tack
shot ahead of the Puritan who was to the
windward but the gain was only momentary
Genesta was good five hundred yards in the
Puritan's wake. As the rival craft passed
through the NarrOwS hundreds of spectators
standing on the high sloping green bluffs
cheered the contestants on. The Puritan
catching puff of wind passed out first while
the GeneSta lay almost motionless under the
lee of the fort, and when she finally got the
breeze the Puritan was nearly mile ahead.
Tacking to the westward off Buoy IA at
12.0S the Puritan fetched to the quarantine
anchorage. The wind was then very light
and neither yacht made much speed against
the tide.
3 When both went about at 1922, the Puri-
tan to port and the Genesta to starboard, the
former was fully half a mile to windward.
After five tedious stretches to windward,
Buoy 10 was weathered and rounded as fol
lows Puritan, 1.1622; Genesta, L19.25.
They were here saluted by the attendant
steamer The Puritan passed Buoy at 132
and started her sheets for the lightship. The
Genesta passed the buoy at 1.36. Both were
carrying the same sail-mainsail, club top
sail fore Sta veail iih and iih tnnCail
From here to the outer markIwas the most
exciting part of the contest Travelling at a
10-knot rate and heeling till their lee were
awash, they made pretty picture. Quite a
heavy swell came rolling in from the east
ward, and soon the wave crests were covered
with white caps, while the immense fotilla
of steamers, supplemented every moment by
others from the city, chased each other at
full speed for the lightship to witness the
turn, which was made by the yachts as fol-
Both were given perfect ovation of ap-
plause from steam whistles, guns and hum
dreds of throats as they luffed grandly round
the mark and kept away with sheets started
for the point of Sandy Hook. The Puritan
held her lead well, and both with booms off
horses, only to strike into calm streak and
a head wind off the Hook The Puritan
went about at 2.34 and stood in to the Horse
shoe for three minutes, when she was
dDIe lO weather bu0yS o. anu ~.
The Genesta made the same tacks
later, and both rounded Buoy 10 as
follows Puritan, 33S.05; Genesta, 346.05.
Setting her balloon jib topsail at once and
starting her sheet broad off to starboard,
she soon increased her lead on the Genesta,
although both had to stem an ebb tide in a
very light air. The Genesta's spinnaker was
sent out to port in II minutes after rounding
the buoy. The Puritan's spinnaker boom
was also lowered but the sail was not set.
She crossed the finish line at 4.3S.05 amid the
widest enthusiasm, the steamers that fairly
blocked the channel for a mile to the south
ward closing up around her and making a
veritable pandemonium with their steam
whistles for fully five minutes. The Genesta
arrived at 4.54.52, and was greeted witha
similar reception.
AS. the yachts passed in by Fort Wads-
worth, gun from the fort was fired IN
salute to leach, and when the yachts came
alongside each other crew, that of the
GeneSta standing at the rail facing the Purl-
tanS crew, gave three rousing cheers led by
Slr Richard Sutton for the winning yacht
Mr. Forbes moving his cap in the air led his
crew IN three times three for the Englishmen.
MI Iams of the committee in an interview
a1ter the race said: Il am satisfied that the
Puritan has fairly outsailed the Genesta, but
think when they meet in good breeze 1t