Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-08
VICTORIOUS MAYFL0WER
THE GALATEA BEATEN BY TWO
MILES IN IL MINUTES.

A Magnifioent Sight on the Ses-Hun-
dreds of Graft of Various Kinds Ac-
company the Swift winged Prides Of
the SaNOrs-Ths Boston sIoOp Splen-
didIy Handled throughout.
NEW YORK, Sept.7.-This has been the
greatest yachting DAY that New York has
ever seen, and another day of glery for
Boston, for her latest product Of naval
architecture, the sloop yacht Msyflower,
has won the first race against the power
ful British cutter Galatea, with steady
whole-sail breeze from the southwark,
permitting each to carry all their light
sails. The Galatea was beaten II min
utes and 40 seconds actual time, or u
minutes and seconds corrected time, the
Mayfower having given her So seconds
time allowance, according to the New
York Yacht Club rules, under which the
races are sailed.
FAIR TEST.
The contest was eminently fair for both,
inasmuch 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 faster yacht than the Ge-
nesta in light breeze, and one that may
be very hard to defeat in strong breeze.
1t has been day OF excitment, such as is
seldom seen in New York. From dawn
tnD t dark or a0at oo or asSSTs GSsnae in h0tf ths
yacht race was the leading topic, BY 10
O'Clock in the morning thousands who
were going to witness the race had en-
barked and were steaming down the bay.
There lay the two types Of clipper craft,
ready TOR the grand marine tournament.
A hundred sail OF yachts surrounded
them. Ten O'Clock was the time for the
start, but up to that hour a heavy veil OF
haze hung over the harbOr, with not
breath OF wind stirring.
THE SAILING ORDERS.
! Messrs. Robinson, Chase and Cahoon,
| the regatta committee on board the tug
Luckenback, after passing the sailing or
ders to Gen. Paine and Lieut.. HEM, on
board their respective yachts, instructed
both to get under way and get in position
for prompt start. Then steaming to the
starting point the tug was anchored. AT
10:30 O'Clock light breeze came in from
the seaward, clearing away the haze and
| ripping the waters OF the bay. Quickly
the two contestants and immense
fiotilla OF steamers of all eizes, from 90
foot launch to the three decker Grand Re-
public, clustered around the starting
point.
THE START.
The preparatory whistle screeched out
at 10: As O'CLOCK, and ten minutes later
came the on e for the start. Both yachts.
carrying the same sail, mainssil, club
topsail, jib and forestay sail, had been
manenvred into good positions, and down
they come for the line between Lucken-
back and buoy Is, bearing east from the
Hook a quarter Of mile away at five
knot gait.
Mrs. Hem, in yachting costume, with
scarlet "Tam O'Shanter' cap. stood IN
the companion hatchway, her husband
standing on deck cool and confident.
Capt. Stone steered the Mayfiower, with
"JOe" Ellsworth at his elbow, and Gen.
Paine near the wheel. The official start
was: Galatea 10:56:l1; May1ower 1885:
II.
THE YACHT CLUBS REPRESENTATIVE.
Lloyd Phoenix, of the schooner In
trepid, represented the New York Yacht
Club on board the Galatea. Lieut.. Hem
said he did not care to have a reDresenta-
tive on board the MayflOwer. Both yachts
| stood across the channel on the starboard
tack aud began their battle for the Ameri-
cans cup. Tacking close under the Long
Island shore, at II 80 O'Clock they made a
stretch over for Staten Island. The May
| flower held the wIndward position, and
with the last OF the ebb tice under her lee
bow she managed to keep it, and began
''out footing" the cutter at once. Hun
dreds watched this first part of the bat
tie from the heights OF Forts Wadsworth
and Hamilton.
UP WITH HER JIB-ToPsAIL.
AT IL :02 o. clock the Galatea set her iib-
| tOpsail, and at 11:12 O'Clock the May
| flower tacked close under quarantine, the
cutter following suit minute later. The
breeze was freshenlng every moment,and
| the prospects sor fine race were en-
cOuraging. The large feet OF accompany
| ing steamers made trouble for the yachts
at times, and they had TO be chased away
by the judges boat When the Mayhower
tackled to port at lI:21 o'clock she had
! Fort Lafayette under her lee quarter,
while the Galatea was yet under Fort
w Wadsworth. The Boston sloop crossed
her bow fully quarter OF mile TO wind
ward three minutes later, and kept
steadily increasing her lead. At IL $50
O'Clock, when the Galatea tackled to port
near buoy 16, the sloop was leading her
three-quarters OF mile.
THE FLOOD TIDE.
The flood tide had just begun to make,
and Capt. Joe" Ellsworth, who piloted
the Mayflower, was working it for all he
was worth. Capt. "Sam Gibson, The pilot
| OF the Galatea, was also doing his best in
this direction, but the cutter was not
equal to the occasion.
Both then made short boards for buoy
| 81, the first turning point, the Mayfiower
! fetching around first. at 1901: :6l O'Clock,
and the cutter at 1:07:07 O'Clock. They
were greeted with a perfect ovation or
whistles from the attending steamers as
| they flew away with their sheets
started FOR bouy 5. The MayAower passed
1t at ;1S O'Clock and the Galatea at 1:25
O'Clock.
PRETTY PICTURE.
To buoy ga the Mayflower had already
beaten the cutter 5 minutes and IL sec
onds. From here to the "outer markr-
the Sandy Hook lightship-the contest
was extremely pretty. A splendid breeze,
clear skies and just slight easterly
swell rolling In, were excellent conditions.
Both yachts were close hauled on the
starboard tack. Following and leading
them at times were Jay Gould's
yacht Atalanta, the Extra,
Videtta, Gem, Radha, Stranger,
Fedalma and Oneida, the sailing yachts
Oracle, Sugitta, Dauntless, Priscilla and
many others. Accompanying them, with
their guards almost to the water, we're the
steamers big Grand Republic, Columbia,
Sirius, with 800 Bostonians on board,
Taurus, with the New York Yacht CLUBS
aafa n Efrn mir Etaf. av.I IN hor laao