St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-08
Boston's Crack Sloop Secures the First
Race in the Great International
Yacht Contest.
The British Gutter, the Galatea, 0utfooted
from Start to Finish, Although
Fighting Calamity.
There was a Good Breeze and Both
Boats Were Well and Ably
Handled.
Capt. HEM Takes His Defeat Good
Naturedly--A Great Crowd Sees
the Contest.
How the Ga1atea was Beaten.

ever seen and another day Of glory for
Boston, for her latest and prettiest product
of naval architecture, the yacht Mayfower,
has won the first race of the international
series against powerful antagonist, the
British cutter Galatea. With a steady
wholesale breeze from the southwark, per-
hitting each to carry all their light sails,
the Galatea was beaten IL m 40 sec actual
time OF ~ m 2 sec corrected time,
the Mayfower having given her thirty-eight
seconds time allowance according to
the New York Yacht club rules. under
which the races are sailed. The con-
test was eminently fair for both yachts. in
asmuch as half the course sailed gave
almost all windward work, while the other
half was with free sheets. Although the
cutter was defeated, she has shown herself
to be a
FASTER YACHT THAN THE GENESTA
in light breeze, and one that may be very
hard to beat in a strong breeze and a sea-
way. 1t has been day of excitement such
as is seldom seen in New York. From
dawn till dark, aflOat or ashore, in hotel,
club or on change the yacht race" was
the leading topic off conversation. By 10
o'clock in the morning the thousands who
were going to witness the race had en-
barked and were steaming down the bay to
the rendezvous of Bayridge, l.. /. There
lay the two types Of clipper craft ready for
the grand marine tournament. A hundred
sail Of yachts surrounded them, some at
anchor and some under weigh. but all eager
to be ON the move. Ten o'clock was the
time set for the start but up till that time
heavy veil of haze hung over the city and
harbOr. Not breath of wind stirred the
foliage, while the sun ShOne fiercely down
as if to mock the efforts of the yachtsmen.
Messrs. Robinson, Chase and Cahoon, the
regatta committee, on board the Lncken-
back, after passing the sailing orders to
Gen. Paine and Lieut.. Hem on board their
respective yachts. instructed them both
TO GET UNDER WAY
and get in position for prompt startaawhen
a breeze came. At 1920 a light breeze
from little east of south came in from sea-
ward, clearing away the haze and ripping
the waters of the bay. Quickly the two
contestants and the immense fiotllla Of
steamers of all sizes, from twenty-foOt
launch to the three-decker Grand Republic,
clustered about the starting point. The
preparatory whistle screeched out its warn
ing at 1915, and ten minutes later
came one for the start. Both yachts, carry
ing the same sail, mainsail, club Jopsail,
jib and fore staysail, had been unanswered
into good positions, and down they came
for the imaginary line between the Lucken-
back and Buoy Is, bearing east from her a
quarter of a mile away at tive-knOt gait,
the Mayflower apparently ahead and close
to the judges boat; not close enough, how
ever, for. with a twist Of her long tiller,
Capt. Bradford shot the handsome Galatea
into windward between the Luckenback's
bow and her rival. and crossed the line a
second aheatbamid the widest applause.
MRS. HEM, IN A YACHTING COSTUME
with a scarlet Tam O'Shanter hat, stood in
the companion hatchway, her husband
standing ON deck, cool and confident
Capt. Stone steered the MavflOwer, with
Joe Ellsworth at his elbow and Gen. Paine
near the wheel. Tie official start was:
Galatea 1O:56:11; Mayhower, 10:56:12.
Mr.. Lloyd, of the schooner Intrepid. repre-
scented the New York Yacht club on board
the Galatea. Lieut.. Hem said he did not
care to have representative on board the
Mayfower. Both yachts stood across the
channel Oh the starboard tack and began
their battle for the Americas cup. Tack
ing close under the Long Island shore at
II 80, they made stretch over for Staten
island. The Mayt1oWer had the windWard
position and with the last of the ebb tide
under her leelboom she managed to keep it
and began ''outfooting' the C utter at once.
Hundreds watched this first part of the bat
tie from the heights of Forts Wadsworth
and Hamilton. At Log the Galatea set
her jib .topsail and at 11:12 the Mayflower
tackled close under quarantine
the cutter following suit not minute later.
The breeze was freshening every moment
and the prospects for fine race were en-
couraglng. The large fleet of accompanying
steamers made trouble for the yachts at
times and they had to be chased away by
the judges boat When the MayfOwer
tackled to port at 1921 she had Ft. Lafay-
cite under her lee quarter, while the
Galatea was yet under Ft. Wadsworth. The
Boston slOop crossed her bow fully quar-
ter of mile to windward, three minutes
later and left, steadily increasing her lead.
At II SO. when the Galatea tackled to port
near Buoy No. 16, the sloop was leading
her by three-quarters of mile.
THE FLooDTIDE
had just begun to make, and Capt. Joe
Ellsworth, who plotted the Mayflower,
was working" it for all he was worth.
Capt. Sam Gibson, pilot of the Galatea,
was also doing his best in this direction, but
the cutter was not equal to the occasion.
He finally ''split lacks" with the slOop
and going about at 1920, held the
port tack while the Mayflower made
two and gained by the operation
fully one-quarter of mile. Both
Then made short boards for buoy $50 the
first timing point, the Mayfower fiitching
around first at 1:01:61 and the Cutter at
1:O7:07. They were greeted with perfect
ovation of whistles from the attending
steamers as they flew away with sheets
started for buoy 5. The Mayfower passed
it at lis and the Galatea at 1:25. At
buoy 81 the Mayfower had already
to the ''outer mark, SANDY Hook lightShip,
the contest was extremely pretty. The
Mayfower slowly but surely
oUTFooTED THE CUTTER
and lacking for the outer mark at 2:27:30
came grandly along for it ON the port tack.
AS she ''squeared away round it few
minutes later and her big balloon topsail
blossomed out of its stops, the whistle
serenade that was given her could be heard
for miles. The official time of timing was:
Maytiower 2:35:02. Galatea 2:44:30. Both
made splendid picture as they rounded
the lightship. To this point the Mayfower
had now beaten the Galatea m 20 sec,
and she was fully two miles away when
the latter squared away. Back to the
northward came the great flotilla of steam
ers with their freight of enthusiastic admir-
ers. The Mayfiower, with her big balloon
jib topsail bellying out in the now strong
breeze, came horsing by Buoy No. 81 on
the home-stretch at 1884, just as the Gala
tea was passing the point of Sandy Hook.
The latter passed the buoy at 3:46, and
both angling over to port came grandly
down to the finish on the flood tide. Find
ing that the spinnaker would draw Lieut..
Hem ordered it set to starboard at 4:13.
Capt. Stone, finding the cutter overhauling
him, followed suit, and set the Mayf1owers
spinnaker five minutes later. What
A GRAND SIGHT
that finish was only an eyewitness can
tell. 1t was the grandest marine spectacle
ever seen in New York bay. Surrounded
by nearly five hundred steam and sailing