New-York tribune., 1886-08-26
THE MAYFLOWER CHOSEN.
SIZE WINS TIE SECOND TRIAL RAOK
THE COMMITTEE Sc LEcTs HER TO DEFEND
THE CUP.

BADLY MANAGED AND HANDICAPPED AT THE
srART-HER SPLENDID PINIsH-sLIGHr ACcI-
DENT TO Tue PURITAN--A CARRIER
PIGEON ALIGHTs on TIE
MAYFLowgR.
When the Mayfower came sweeping over the
ne winner yesterday, in tho Of hs trial yachts
races question. which yacht should bs selected to
defend tho Americas Cup settled. There will be
no moro trial races. Aftsr yesterday trial races
wou!d be farces. What has been for
some time settled In the minds Of yachtsmen was oci-
ally settled last night when the committee the
Americas Cup announced the selection Of the May
flower % the champion sloop. All the honors Of the
day Boston, the Puritan coming In second with
the Priscilla and Atlantic we'll astcrn The race was the
windwArd one the best OF the yachts, and noby did
the white soops the test The Mayhower beat the
Puritan three minutes and forty seconds, correct
ed time. and Ave minutes and forty seconds actual
time, to say nothing Of handicap OF two minutes and
twenty elk seconds.
AS usual the Mayaower was wretchedy called az
the start and got in consequence heavy
handicap. II thero had been any such
thing beating her. her bad start would have
done it. But she won in spite of everything, and
handsomely. The worse she is handled the greater
appears TO be her victory. Mistakes have been made
which would insure tho defeat Of any Other yachts
at almost every race bus ahe whisks that
long. slim stern the speed that simply
marvellous and every tne sne gets there just tao
same" which 10 undoubtedly due TO the fact that "she
is built that way" The Atlantic did well
at first, but failed in the wndward
work. and the "Prido OF Bay Ridge"
was beaten by every other yacht Tho Puritan broke
her spunaker boom the out TO the turning buoy,
and this losther little time, but enough make
the difference between herself tho Mayiower at tho
finish. The Mayhower the race fairly and sQuarely,
and when the switest keel that ever was launched
swooped with her great wiito wings around the red
hued lightship. even the yachtsmon the defeated
boats must have felt a thrill OF admiration.
1t was about o'clock IN tile morning, with every
prospect of good breeze, when the tug scandinavian
took the Atlantic and Priscilla Ia tow OF Bay Ridge and
Luther c. Ward took the lines OF the Puritan aud
Msyhower to tow them to the Sandy Hook ghtshI.
from which point the race was to scarf AS the two
white soops were being towed down the Lower Bay,
carrier pigeon was liberated the tug Ward. Ths
bird flew around in circle for while went little
toward where the Atlantic and Priscilla were being
towed down and then back and circed around thu
of the white sioopa Every eye the yachts
turned toward the brd. The sailors all stood
breathess and motionless, looking with the superstition
Of class clearly defined their faces to see
which Of the yachts the bird would ahght. Slowly the
pigeon flew down aud aghtei the sarboard spreader
OF tho Mayaower. 1t rested there aud then
flew around and rested the port spreaier. as II
to emphasize It's omen. Then 1t few away TO
the city with Its From that time there was no
thought Of defeat on board the Mayhower
When the tugs dropped the yachts OF the lghtship
the Electra with the committee board was already
there. Commodore Gerry had Lieutenant Hem on
board as his guest anu the flag OF the
Royal Northern Yacht Club was flying as
the fore. When the yachts arrived at the line good
breeze blowing from the north-northeast and ID
found impossible to lay windward course so lee
ward decided upon, aud the scAndiHa-
Wan was sent of to log of fifteen miles AMI
IA
lay in order to give tho tug fair start,
and the yachts sailing the northwaid. Three
of them kept somewhere near the lightshp, but the
Mayaower sailed away and kept sailing away until 10
o foregone conclusion that she would DO handt-
capped aud 1t looked II she wanted to In the
meantime the wind was dying out and every ono wac
inpatient Finally ar 1l54 the Electra blew the pre-
paratory whistle ard nOisted the blde potter. The
yachts all began to edge toward the line. Tue May
flower miles away. turned lesurey and came down as
IL matter of perfect indifference to her whether
she started that day or some other day.
At 1904 tho starting signal was given
and the Atlantic, Puritan aud Priscilla came
down with o rush. The Atlantic went over first, the
Puritan second Priscilla third They had ther
bal loon lib topsas set, and broke out their spnnakere
as they went over the line.
The course was south-so outhwest but the wind had
hauled more TO the eastward. and tho yachts were
Obliged TO keep off leewsrd of the course in order
to make their spinnsksrs draw The morning hal
been thick and threatening but tue sun sbiu-
ing glittcrng towers OF canvas rocked to ant
fro by heavy swes that rolled in from the scuta-
east nOdding and shining away to the southwark.
Tho whistle which announced that the time allowed
for crossing the limo had expired was
blown l2O9 but 1t had no visible
eGccr on the Mayaower The ordinary landsman woaIi
have Thought that would have broken ber spin.
crossed the lfne soon az possible, Du sho
down to the start rs the other yachts
mad done and broke out her spinnaker as she
crossed. Tho Priscilla rather slow In crossing
and got q handicap OF twenty seconds. Tho
Mayaouer seemed determined to Guido the Priscilla and
succeedsd, getting Q handicap Of two minutes and
seconds The times of the yachts In crossing
were follows:
Atlantic l2os'Ss Priscilla 1909 2o
rhe time allow for the were these; Nay
flower allowed Atlantic As seconds; Puritan, minute.
So seconds. and Priscilla 81 seconds.
Tns ghtened Atlantic with every inch Of ter canvas
drawing wont sliding away and got . good lead joe
Ellsworth sailed and sailed her usual for al! she
was worth. The Puritan, on the contrary had hard
work for a while to keep her spnnaker drawing Every
roll she made shook tho wind out OF ON seabrlxhs
tue Puritan ran up abreast OF tho Atlantic
and tho Priscilla drswup on both. Away behind the
Maynower leisurey sailing along The Priscilla tcsu
began lose her mold on the leading yachts and the
Maynower ran uD on her AT lo3 the P1tan was bold.
snapped of close nDoard. Tho wreckage was CLEARED
away aud an attempt made 10 get the balloon
b-topsail to port But that failed and she sailed
TO stsrbosrd. This enabled her to hold bet.eI
position than the yacht. which CARRIED tSs M
her JiO-topsai the Atlantic had got b.ysn f'9s "a
overhaul tho highsiernst boat ana ~ was
eviiout that loss OF spnmakei was not serious
thing. fact did better without IL than sue di9
with IT, Tho Puritan set her forsstaysa ana hoaaeo
for the turning buoy. a.. ..,..,.
The Maydower and Priscilla drew up ON the Atlantic.
The May flower began to get awake ana pssse1
IN. Priscilla All tho yaohts TOOK IN thcu
akers and headed up for the buoy Tnc Maynowcr
ard passed. the Puritan ana poth dTs uP on
aamr mn To- the req buoy which, tossing on the swell.
,o.rved dft.en miles the sandy Hook Lixhtsbip
nj IN. turung point Tho breeze was iroshsnng now
and white caps began to dance on tho surface OF the
wa,or The Atlantic rounded the buoy hrst. closely
t,Inwed by tho MaynOwer AMI Puritan. Then caua
,Sa prisc,lIa Fac tunes Of rounding the outer mark
wrr. follows:
.,,ap,,c .... 220O2 Puritan ............... 222S0
Maynower ........ 22l3l Priscilla. 223lI
Now came the big thing OF the day. the wind ward
wark Tie Priscilla aud Atlantic carried small jiDtops
sails but white sloops had up only forrsaysAi
head stOOd on