The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-13

seeing that the spinnaker is set The spinnaker,
it may be remarked, is one of the prime essen
tials to any successful race. If the Galatea had
no spinnaker, Lieutenant HEM should have tel
ephoned up town to send one Immediately.
There Is nothing like it.
Her crew soon made SAIL while the Mayfow-
er crew did the same, both setting their club
topsails."
This was clearly miscue on both sides. The
idea of waiting till then to make sail is too pre-
posterous to deserve dignifed criticism. The
umpire should have fined both captains.
'The May1ower's spinnake- was down to port.
and thirty seconds after the signal the great sail
blossomed out amid wild cheers"
1t will be seen that the captain Of the Boston
craft laid great store by his spinnaker, and it is
doubtful if he could not have won the heat with
his spinnaker tied behind him. The Journals
yacht editor has private advices that the May
flowers spinnaker was in the best possible con-
dition, having been in training for the past three
weeks, being carefully dieted and given three
mile walk every morning.
"The Galatea then came along, with the wind
abeam, till she crossed the bow of the light-ship
close aboard, then squaring away, her spinnaker
was sheeted out exactly the line, and the
third days battle had begun"
1t appears from this that the sailing-master of
the Galatea began to tumble to himself, and
found spinnaker probably in the pinnacle or
the headlight of the capstan. From this time
on there should have been good race, with no
jockeying, and with both nags selling in the pool
at 'ffty and" Just at this point both broke
badly, the wind having 'fallen light and canted
point to the westward" This is the third time
in the race that the wind has canted point or
two the effect being that it was difficult for
the crews to see each point in time to take i'm
mediate advantage of it. and recant.
'The Mayfiower's balloon jib topsail came in
at 1:4l:30; four minutes later in came her spin
maker, and at 1853 she gybed to port and came
for the mark close hauled on the starboard
tack"
Here's where the Mayfower got in her pretty
work on her rival 1t will DO observed that her
ballooniib topsail got in four minutes ahead of
her spinnaker, and that the spinnaker was hav
ing everything its own way before, 80 that the
English cob was doing nothing at all. The rest
of the rigging will be in in day or two. Then,
when the Mayfiower gybed to port and came in
close hauled on the starboard tack, it was Just
like picking up things to get away from the
Galatea. Then the Galatea gybed but it was no
60, for the Mayfower had already attended to
that little business. The Galatea still showed
fight, and doused the spinraker, but it was
funk, and saltpeter couldn't save her.
The most surprising thing about this whole
business, and one that suggests that IL was
hippodroming affair from the start. is that the
Galatea. when she saw that she was taking the
dust didn't rig up jury mast aud run up
her spauker boom. This failing, she might have
tried dragging her anchors. Added to this, she
might have coiled her yard arms while she
luffed little, and if little would rot do,
she should have luffed more. It does not
cost anything.to luff this side of the Atlantic,
and it would have been interesting to note the re-
suit, had this course been pursued
1t is a great shame that these things were not
thought of at the time. There is no particular
satisfaction in beating horse that is not well
handled. 1t is the opinion of the Journal that
the races just sailed were not what they
should have been, nor what they would have
been had its nautical editor had the com
mand of the Galatea. AS it was, the May
flower walked the log of the GaIatea, and wasn't
w;nded bit.