New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-19
THE GALATEA BY A FLUKE.
HOURS AND HOURS IN A DRIFTING RACE
A POOR FIGHT FOR THE NEWPORT CUPs-A DAY OF
FOULS AND GAINS.
far TELEGRAPH TO THE rnrBUSE.1

men iondly hoped would close the season IN prihus
and dsshing manner turned the mos
hzze OF the hzzles that had before It. Everything
promised racing day that would carry delight to the
inne most heart Of yachtsmau. In the morning
the wind swept down from the north over
Newport harbor at twenty-five miles an hour ana tho
catboas that gded about among the cetof yachts tns
completely filled the inner harbor had their rails buried
in this foam. There dashing spray and white caps
everywhere 1t OF great animation ana
nautical beauty the great fleet under way and the
racing yachts with housed topmasts aud reefed main
rais began to steam out by Castle HILL following Com
nodore Gerry's flagship Electra, which had gone OUT
before. But the unlucky star protecting genius
Whenever 1t may be considered, which 10 almost
sure to preside the days of q regatta sailed
under the auspices OF the New-York Yacht Ciuo'
and prevents the yachtsmen from either dong them
selves hai or having a race, hard as usual
When night came that fleet OF swift schts whch
had sailed ont OF port in ths morning with foam anu
spray dashng their decks, lay drifting helple-sy
III hopeless calm. Never in this country. II indeed IN
the world did fleet OF universal swiftness start III
ayach race; never has the morning promised better
the day absolutely refused keep the prom
ise OF the morning The cries OF JOY which the yachts
men used this morning are changed to lamentations TO-
night What kind OF q IL Is shown by the iact
that on Block Island three swift yachts. the Gaatea
Stranger and Bore drfed helpessy against the turn
ing buoy. BY the time the yachts reached the BIock
Island buoy about different winds wero dow
IN from many different quarters, and every one OF
these winds feeble and atenuated that 1t tainted
away and died before 1t reached the others. IL was
day Of flcks and faws ana calms, bur principally
cams.
When gun from the Electra gave the preparatory
sigma. and the blue flag went at the FORE the wnd
fsttened considerably aud the yachts had shaken
out their reefs and up their topmIsts At 1O25
the starring signal given and the yachts made for
the line The start from the Brentons Reef Light
ship and the to and around the buoy oil the
north end OF Block Island thence around stake-Oost
anchored of West Island and back TO BrentOns Reef.
Inc about fortynve miles long end the time
allowances ~ follows:
SehooHers- The Gana allows the Montauk I'm l6si the
saclem. Am AS, the Miranda, 6m Bis.
ffrs eiass soops-Tho May1ower allows Gaatea 44s
SecoadcIss sloopsThe allows ithe stranger AM
3ls; the rhets. 5m. - ~ -, - -, , ,, -, oe .
the BcrtIe, 46s
The wind was north, and the tde on the obb The
Puritan the rst the iue. She had up her
club topsaii and n balloon jbtopsail. and the wind
though dying out rapidly fresh enough to send her
speeding away rapidly toward the SOUTH The Galatea
with her big forestsysail and small b-topsa
Next her the Miranda carrying her ma n
topmsst staysail. and evdeuty meant to maintain II
possible the great reputation che had won In English
waters. The Berthe. carrying a balloon jib;opsail
aud the Cinderella, with small Jib-topssn, followed
The stranger Gitana. sachem. Montauk, May
The Monsauk, Mayfower AMI Bsdoun stood too far
up before they turned for the starting line AMI were
cous ausnty han lcappod. 1t was the Mayhowers old
trek of the trial races she did IL well The times CT
tho start az follows:
rria * Mayaowcr lOSjgO. s'a'aes lO:2s32 Puritan
lO.2ylS Bclouin lO3ru0 tanger io3Zi2' ihe,s
! 0 33O3 Cinderella lO3OJ9, Clara lU2o4i, beille
lO292L
The wind was dying q lingering death OF insnton and
the yachts spiunakers catch It's dying breath BY
,..1 D,,.ss
far OF the rest OF the neet that II seemed
homeless tor any yacht try to catch her. TIE
Ga aea nearest 10 her. dong well in the light air.
The nt,e Cara fastest boat OF her inches In these
waters, was close up with the two big slo0ps The
Miranda led the with the sachem close behind
her, Then the Cinetrea. Gitana, Tbetis, Bcrie.
Montauk. Mayflower and Bedouln. The Maynower
was beginning to wake up and crawling up oD the
boai- ahead of her She steering much more
eastcrly course than tho other yachts; but now the
wind begaf the cheerful operation OF boxing the com
pass" and the yachts which had started for Brenton
Reef light ship with northerly wind' founl the wnd
due son;h when they reached the Block Island buoy
The wind Was extremely light and al extremely strong
tide swept from the westward The Puritan rounded
frat and stood of toward the northeast for the stake
boat oil We. Island. Then cane tho Cinderella; she
had apparently enough room to clear tnc Duoy ou' the
tide set right upon II and she swung arouh with
sail holding fast to tho rocNing mass of iron. Ihe
Redo close Deninl the ctfinStT auu mtudbod
70 clear the broy satisfy. The yachts by this tme were
III xed up In a kaeidoscopc sort OF way Ihey were
drifting about passing each other with divers
and contrary flaws Of wind. The Miranda now
changed the monOtony by getting aground on
tho reef and having to BE- hanled OF By a tug. Inc
Gaatea shared the OF the Stranger, in attempting
TO get around it and drlfted straight upon IT, She
foulsd the buoy in attempt to get IN between IL ana
the Cinderella. The Berie, when she came along also
fouled the huoy These three yachts and tho Miranda
wore consequently OF the race, but they struggled
on nevertheless went sailing as best they cona 10
ward the West Island stake boat Tho nexoe wlnd was
now blow the east north east u the eastward Oh
the buoy from the south at the westward OF IL ana UP
toward the Rhode Island shore The land breeze from
Tho north had not yet died The yachts rounded
the Block Island buoy AS follows:
Puritan I2.3so7 Stranger 1.Soo5 Bedouin l;3o42 Clara
1.3GO2 MavfOwe 1866 Montauk los 20 Ihetis I4IiV
t;alatea i:41:l9 Bertie l.JlOO Gitana loZ;lo.
The Miranda was towed around aud the sachem was
hopelessly becaed at the west side OFT ouOy ohe
cot around after a while, but 1t was long WHILE
The yachts now began series of most remarkaoie
ner,ormances The wind came IN from the northwest
and some OF the yachts which had not stood ghost
Of a show OF winning in the morning, and had
vope after rounding the buoy gropng hopelessy over
toward Point Judith In search OF wlnd'
got the wud une xpeced!y The Stranger. Ihetis
Gitana Cinderella ami Berthe came to the fore and
the Puritan dropped back and was left far behind
IL was now growing dark. The sun bad set ana
rho majority OF the yachts were in fat calm
somewhere near Point judith The Stranger was
the ouy boat that seemed TO have any wind Sue was
miles ia OF tho Thets, tho nearest yacn
All the West Island stakeDost at D: 40. DARK
na.s came over the land aud fog began to creep
ur from tue The Cinderella Gitana aud Berte
We're four miles east OF tue Brentons Reef lighship
win scarcely enough wind to wave their
r.r,ng siyuala BY some freak OF tho winds
'a i'd. th. Gaatea was i've miles south OF
ama ighsniv moving slowly toward the east The rest
Of te fleet had faded view. IL was then that the
yachsmen on the woud-be racers began TO AJAX them
ssIye, Ih. answeraule conuudrum whittier are We
d,,fttnv n" Later iu the Puritan ana Mon
t.uk OF tugs aud towcd up to Newport. ,
lhe Regatta Committee decided hat IL WAS tne oin-
d.r.Il.'s f,ut that the Gastea fouled the
RIork Island buoy. Both we're on the
starboard tack and It was considered tnat 'ne ne
Ssnerca forced the Galatea upon the buoy mus all
IN. soops rued out the Cinderea Ior
forcing III. GAatea the buoy, the Berte Tor foung
The bnoy and the Clara for fouling the buoy.
rbe majority OF the yachts were stili ou.