New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-24
AT A YACHT RACE.
FOLLOWING THE SAILS ON TIE SOUND.

rived and was brmful of good advice, as most OK
them are when they first land He was put on board
a yacht and taken up the Sound. When no had
sailed on its broad expanse from Throgg's Neck TO
Montauk Point and back again he observed: I'm sur
priscd that you fellows do go TO sea- when you
have such sheet of water thls' Not to utilize
the Sound for yachting would be to exhibit a most
reprehensble contempt for the gifts Of Providence
There is often wind and enough here TO satisfy
any rational human being. Last fall, Mr.. Prague,
who had fine contempt for the lead heel, found that
there was too much Of both to suit tho Anaconda
and had to turn tail and run for shelter
BE all this as 1t may, there Is a great deal OF
yachting done the Sound, and there many
yacht clubs established on It's shores An old yachts
declares that the best of them all IS tho Larch-
mont Club, because its members gh-spiritcd
and sporsmanlike lot OF men ever sailed on salt
water, and because 1t has a bigger clubhouse and
more yachts and gets up races than any other
yacht club on the Sound. days yachting with the
tarchmont Club, even spectator only, Is to DO
remembered as red letter day,
Try 1t, II isn't much Of race that's on to-dsy-a
match between two old sloops that were flyers once,
but have been stripped Of their laurels by the march
of progress 1t Is the outcome of some bottles OF
wine at DelmOnic0's among divers yachtsmen whom
winter still held possession of The town. There were
badnage, banter and brag assertions and denals, an
intimaton that money tails, deposit Of stakes and
the rest left TO the Larcbmont Regatta Committee.
d
in the season. Yaching bcgets early rising. The
O'Clock train from the Grand Central Depot Is the
to take. There is time to enjoy good cigar DO
fore reaching Larchmont and some very pretty
scenery too.r Larchmont - shouts tho conductor
Just the cigar Is finished. About twentyGv men
tumble out of the tran--not large number because
the contesting yachts not noted. Most OF them
yachtsmen, bronzed, iovialooking fellows, each
man in his person certifying to the hcalthfnness
OF the paStme There Is an air of repose about
them, too, that is refreshing in these days Of hurry
up" Yachtsmen have to learn how to take things
cosy. Yachting is not gambling sport. There is
feverish anxiety observable in people who attend
yacht race.
Through rents In the lcafy screen something be
observed that gstcns like polished silver 1t Is a
patch Of the Sound. a short walk and 1t bursts
upon your view in all its glory. flashing and scntil-
latlng in the sunshine like myrlads Of diamonds.
Down to the edge Of the little bay which the anchor
ago of the club stretches the carpet OF green Trees
furnish beautiful background for the darkred club
house. A score OF yachts at anchor, some with
sails up ready to get under way. A few hundred
yards from the shore IS the big ugboat that IS to
vey judges and guests over the course "An
aboard u shouts Harry Willard. of the Regatta Com
mittee. You follow the crowd and find yourself in
large boat. 1t carries freight, too, of peculiar
interest to the passengers. There crate of cham
pagne several dozen bottles of beer, few bottles Of
couple of rounds of beef several chickens, a couple
OF Wostphaan hams and numerous ctcctcras. Pro-
sale items perhaps, but the man who goes yachting
can't afford dcspse them, for salt water IS great
stimulaor of appetite.
The cstboat steals past the Dauntess, one Of tho
oldtmo crack schcOners, a handsome craft and look
Ing spck and span though launched yesterday
Her racing days are not yet all by any means,
although tricks have been learned since she
built.
The cat-boat is laid alongside the tug. Tho pas
scngers scramble aboard best they may, each for
himself. Then gently and tcnderly the stores are
handed up and the champagne IS put on ice. Those
that couldn't find accommodation in tho scat" come
out in a naphha launch. Swift and handy these
boats arc gliding through the water almost as noise
lcssly ghosts, the machinery all In the stern and
taking up no moro space than good-szed grocery
box. All that IS necessary to get them under way is
TO strike match and turn valve. But the odor Is
apt sometimes to be strongly suggestive of Green
point wherefore people with delicate olfactory organs
should always carry perfumed handkerchcfs on naph-
tina launches.
There is not much wind, but the regatta committee
wisely decide to start the boats. There they arc,
those two blacrhuled sloOps, a couple of hundred
yards apart, with malnsalls and gaT-topsas set.
They wcro regarded beauties and flyers once they
are neither Those broad chunky sterns with
hardly any ovcrhang arc too suggestive Of the canal
boat. The slooIs that Cary Smith and Burgess now
turn out have long, tapcring scrns extending far be-
yond the stern post What has wrought tho improve
mentl Cary Smith himself will tell you that the
Brton has supplied most of the points" and the
American has adopted them and bettered the in
structOn.
Up goes big white ball on the tug II IS the signal
for the yachts TO get ready. The Wizard hosts a
big single jb, the old sloOp rig. The Vivid HOSTS
saysa and lib, the cutter idea Up the topmaststay OF
each boat travels streak of white like some atenu-
ated sea serpent II IS the balloon jibopsail going
up in stops The yachts cost off ther moorings
The white would like TO call II snowy, but
It snU swells ont in graceful Slowly, gently
as the pressure of the wind IS felt the yachts heel over
hut much for the wind is Highland begin to walk
through the water, the little wavelcts gecfully ca
ressing their sides they move on.
Bangl" 1t is the preparatory gun. There is no
need of hurry yet. The yachts take 1t lcsurcly, adj
vancing and recedng, like cautious antagonists each
seemingly waiting for the other
Five minutes later Bang!' again. II is the
starting gun this time and means business. Tho
yachts have TO pass between those two stake boats,
each with a flag in its stern and moored couple OF
hundred yards apart. With stop watches the judges
stand ready in the plot house Of the tug TO tabe the
time Of each yacht she crosses to second. mo
men the decks busy now. Suddenly on Tho
stretches along the topmast-siay: As If by magic
Il expands into a bowy. cloud of canvas II Is the
balloon jb-topsdl at work The same thing happens
on the Vivid. In come the other head sails Tho
wind Is getting abeam for the first leg OF the course
and the balloon sails Will do their WORK best alone
Swiftly they approach the starting line. the water
squirting from their bows Ike miniature fountains and
foaminc I'm their wake. Oldtmcrs they may be, but
indeed they are pretty now. The vivid crosses ths
line. and from the steam whistle OF the tug an
nounccs that tho race has begun TWO minutes later
the Wizard
The tug follows them, keeping TO windward: There
Is plenty of time observe everything that Is going
on that is of the good things about yacht racing
Out of the harbor schooner tho LOtos, with
all sails set, glorious picture Of marine beauty
Those board intend to something of the race.
Further out Is the Shamrock, in snow-white suit 0i
sails, and with hull all white and pretty ana
graceful huh can be. Some think that she is the
fastest yacht of her size afiOat Contrast her with
either OF the and you get some idea of the
progress that has been made I'm yacht designing In me
last few years II IS pleasant TO note that increased
speed has been accompanied by Increase OF beauty
There is the Anaconda all white too, and built as
protest against the modern tendency toward increased
draft and lead keel but she hasn't yet been able 10
fulfil bcr mission. Here come couple of steam