The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-09-10
the SECOND TRIAL HEAT.
A Heavy Fog Prevents the Race from
Being Finished.
But the Mayfiower Shows that She
Is Staunch Boat.
The Calatea OutsaiIed in Heavy
Wind and Rough Sea.
The Race to be Sailed over Again
Tomorrow.

New YORK, Sept. 9.-There are plenty
of disappointed yachtsmen in New York to-
night. for the second race of the internatlen-
al series has been postponed till Saturday.
After sailing in a fresh breeze from the east
ward for four hours, and in a light breeze
from the same quarter for two hours more,
the Mayfower and Galatea, with an accom-
panying fleet of nearly one hundred vessels,
were enveloped in a thick fog, ten miles east
of Sandy Hook lightship. and were compell-
ed to abandon the race. When the May
flower rounded the ''outer mark" 20 miles
east of Scotland lightship at Oh. 20m 22s.,
the Galatea was not in sight from that point.
The Mayfower had outsailed her on every
tack from the start, both carrying the same
sails in breeze that was steady from about
east, with occasional rain squalls and mod
erately heavy swell from that quarter. The
Mayhower could not have finished the race
in the allotted time of seven hours, even if
the weather had remained clear. No one ex-
pected to see fine weather race, for when
the judges steamer, Luckenbach, with the
regatta committee and her usual quota Of re-
porters aboard, left Pier 8, East river, at $50
heavy fog hung over the harbor, while the
dark, heavy clouds overhead predicted rain.
1t came in drizzling sheets before Bay Ridge
was reached. There the Maytiower and Gal
atea were found at anchor, their crews clad
in oilskins and eager for a start. At 10
o'clock, both were being towed away for the
starting point Scotland lightship. With
the rain came splendid breeze from the
eastward, clearing away the fog and increas-
ing in force every moment. Out off Romer
their crests covered with white caps and
the yachts plunged into them to their knight
heads. 1t began to look dirty" to wind
ward, and the cutters crew began preparing
for it by housing her bowsprit about five feet
and sending up her No. jib in stops, also
cast off at Scotland lightship at 1910 o'clock,
and her crew made sail at once, setting the
mainsail, foresail, jib and working topsail.
The Mayfiower set the same canvas.
''Your course is E by N, 20 miles" shouted
Mr. Chase, of the regatta committee, as the
Luckenbach steamed up on the weather
quarter of each yacht. lin case of fog" he
continued, 'the Scandinavian, steam tug,
will lie to the windward of the 'outer mark
and blow long and short whistle at inter-
walls of one minute"
Lieut.. HEM looked more than usually hap
py as he received the instructions.
Steaming quickly to ia point N by w from
the light ship. the judges boat anchored and
at 11.20 o'clock the preparatory whistle was
given. A big feet of excursion steamers,
steam yachts, sloop yachts, schooners and
tugs had assembled by this time near the
lghtship. They all carried more passengers
than on Tuesday.
The Start.
The official time of the start was, May
flower, 11h. 30m 30s. Galatea, 11h. Bonn. 32s.
With freshening breeze, and heeling over
till her lee rail was ''awash," the Mayf1ower
began her second battle for the defence of
the Americas cup. The Gaatea seemed to
stand up better to her work, but the Boston
sloop's sails were kept religiously full, and
she soon began souyfooting" the cutter.
Beaver Webb was at the latter'S tiller, and
he seemed to pinch" her too much. At any
rate, when the cutter tackled to the south
ward 20 minutes after the start, she was an
eighth of a mile under the Mayfiower's lee
quarter. After the sloOp went about at II
30:30, there was quite swell from the east
ward, but the wind had not much strength.
For an hour and eight minutes the Boston
about, being good quarter of mile to the
windward Of her rival. The Galatea did not
follow suit. Capt. Bradford, preferring to
split tacks, held the cutter on the port reach
till 1.42 when she was almost hull down to
the leeward from the deck Of the judges
boat, and the Mayfower, who had made two
tacks during that time,. had gained nearly
two minutes on the cutter. The wind had
fallen, and was very light by this time, and
both yachts had set their club topsails and
the southwark at 2:17 :45, and again at 3 pm.
Soon after the outer mark was made out
through the mist, and the Mayfower luffed
round it at 4h. 26m. OBS. Down came the
Mayhower's spinnaker boom to port. AS her
long main boom swung far out to starboard,
and she squared away dead before a light
breeze for home, her spinnaker blossomed
out from itS stops two minutes later. while
chorus of steam whistles were screeching
their welcome.
The Galatea was out of sight to leeward,
probably two miles, as the weather was fast
getting thick, and when last seen she was on
the port tack, standing for the mark, and
about that distance astern of the MaytiOwer.
1t soon became evident that unless strong
breeze came up the Mayflower could not fin
ish in the allotted time, and Messrs Chas,
and Robinson, the regatta committee, decid
ed to run for the finish, and wait till $50 for
the Mayfiower. In an hour thick fog shut
everything from view, and after some diff
Guilty in finding the channel buoys the Luck
enbach was headed for New York at full
speed, dozen or more steamers following in
her wake.
Much anxiety is felt in the city by the
friends of the thousands on board the
crowded excursion boats, as the danger of a
collision in the fog was great. The May
flower and Galatea both have good pilots, s,and
no fears are entertained for their safety.