Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-24

cup. The two sloops subsequently, sailed three
trial races at this port The Puritan won the
hrst and third; the Priscilla the second The
Puritan, having proved to be the better all
around boat, was wisely chosen TO defend the
cup.
THE RACE.
The Puritan and Genesta first met on Sep
TENDER z, 1885, but light winds prevented them
from making . race. Another attempt was
made the next day. but the Puritan fouled the
Genests at the start and carried away the
latter's bowsprit. The judges promptly ruled
out the Puritan and gave Sir Richard Sutton
the privilege Of sailing over the course and
taking the race. With true English sportman-
like spirit. he declined to avail himself of this
right The first race was sailed over the New
York yacht club course on Monday, September
a. The wind at the start was southeast, very
light. and the tide on the last quarter of the
food. The preparatory signal was given at
10 .25 am, and both yachts were handicapped
at 1882. It was dead to windward through the
Narrows, aud the Puritan. by not setting jib-
topsail, outwinded the Genesta. When they
| made their first tack, at 1887, the Puritan was
| hundred yards to windward The wind sub
sequently hauled to the southwest. and the
Puritan, passing through the narrows ahead Of
her opponent, got the breeze first and OBJ
| tanned a commanding lead. The steamboat
men, who have always treated the racing yachts
with scant courtesy, now began to annoy the
Genesta. The two yachts had all kinds Of
battling winds going down the bay, but finally
rounded buoy 10 as follows: Puritan, I:16:22;
Genesta, l:l9:25 The Puritan had gained
minutes seconds on the Genesta in the beat
down.
As soon as the yachts passed outside the Hook
they got good breeze. 1t was the old story
plenty of racing weather outside, but only
Gains on the New York yacht clubs favorite
drifting ground inside. The Puritan rounded
the Sandy Hook light ship at 2:l4:54; the &C.
nesta at 2:19:16 The Puritan had made the
run out in 50 minutes 80 seconds, and the
Genesta in SO minutes 81 seconds the Boston
sloop gaining l minute 10 seconds. The dis
lance is about 8s4 nautical miles. Going back,
the yachts had their sheets lifted little, but
the tide was against them. The Puritan rounded
buoy 10 at 3:3S05 and the Genesta at S:46:O5,
the former having gained 3 minutes SO seconds
on the reach in. The finish up the bay
was made with a very light wind on the
quarter and strong opposing tide. The Puri-
tan gained minutes AZ seconds on her oppo-
nent in the run up. The following is the ofi-
cial record Of the race:
Start Finish Elapsed. Cor
h. M. g. H. M. 8. H. M. S. H. NJ. 8.
Puritan. 10 80 90 4 80 05 OF O5 6 O6 O5
Genesta.. 10 81 90 4 "a 81 % 50 6 % "A
Thus the Puritan beat her opponent is min
utes Al seconds actual time, and 16 minutes 10
seconds corrected time. The second race was
sailed 20 miles to leeward and return on We'd
nesday, September l6, in q fresh wind from
west-northwest, which at one time blew 81
miles an hour. Beauforts scale rates a wind Of
from Is to 40 miles an hour as fresh gale, and
calls for three reefed topsails on a ship The
Puritans people made that day the only mis-
take have ever seen made on any yacht that
had Gen. Paine aboard. They set their spin
maker on the wrong side. Being anxious to
avoid jibing at the outer mark, they doomed
their malnsall out to port and set their spin
maker to starboard The Gsnesta followed suit;
but before she had gone far she took IN her
| spinnaker, jibed her mainsail to starboard,
and set her spinnaker to port. The mainsail
did far better work on this side, and the
Genesta walked past the Puritan, boating her
to the outer mark minutes 6 seconds. The
Genests rounded at l:05:30 and the Puritan at
l07:36 On the beat in, with freshening
wind. the Genesta made a mistake. She car
ried working topsail, which did her no good,
but on the contrary, caused her to bury her
self too much. The Puritan housed her top
mast and went to windward beautifully. When
both yachts were about miles from the outer
mark bound in. both being on the port tack,
the Puritan a mile nearer the Long Island
shore than her opponent, the wind shifted
little farther northward. Both yachts at once
tackled and laid their courses for the finish NY
brother yachting writer's held that this was an
advantage to the Genesta, because it put the Puri-
tan a mile farther to windward than she needed
to be, and gave her a longer distance to sail,
while the Genesta was on the shortest possible
course to the light ship. l have never been
able to agree with this view. The Genesta GER
tainly did lay her course, but she close
to the wind as she could go. Allowing the
Geuesta to have been from Is to II miles from
the finish, and the Puritan mile to windward
of her, the latter must have sailed not more
than three-eghts OF a mile farther, but she laid
course which gave her the wind half point
freer. Any sailor will admit that this is a very
great advantage. 1t certainly proved to be SO
with the Puritan, for, after getting on even
terms with her opponent she lifted sheets,
kept away, and ran down in trout of the
| Genesta, holding that position till the line was
| crossed. and winning the race and cup by /
minute 80 seconds: The following are the
official figures:
Start. Finish. Elapsed Cor
u. N. g. z. M. 9. II. N. g.. 4. ~ O..
Puritan. IL O6 Oh 4 % l5 S O3 IA 5 O3 IA
Genesta. ....... IL 05 l6 10 80 s 05 % 8 "a 50
PREPARING TO MEET THE oALATEA.
The following season preparations were made
to meet Lieut. Henns steel cutter Galatea also
| designed by J. Beaver Webb. The wooden
were built. The former was designed by Philip
Ellsworth for a syndicate OF members Of the
Atlantic yacht club. The latter was designed
| by Edward Burgess for Gen. c. j. Paine OF
Boston. The Mayhower did not make q good
showing in the early regattas. Her mast and
| boom were taken out and reduced in diameter
some Of her inside ballast was removed and
more lead put on keel. After that she show
her true pace. The Atlantic was a failure from
start to finish as compared with the Burgess
| yachts; but she could have beaten the Galatea,
and, in fact, always did when they subsequently
| met IN the regattas of 1887. Two trial races
| were sailed to select the cup defender OF 1886.
starters being the Mayfower, Puritan Priscilla
and Atlantic. The Puritan had been purchased
| by ]. Malcolm Forbes OF Boston and the Pris-
ella by A. Cass Garfield, commodore of the
| Seawanhaka-Cori yacht club Of this CITY,
| The first trial race took place on Auyust 81
over the New York yacht club course, with a
moderate southeasterly wind.
| The Mayfower defeated the Atlantic by 10
| minutes 81 seconds. The second trial race was
sailed 10 miles to leeward south-southwest and
| return from the Scotland light ship The
breeze was moderate and the sea comparatively
smooth. The starting signal was given at 1904
ami two of the yachts were hand capped the
Priscilla by 20 seconds and tho Mayhower by Z
minutes rs seconds. The yachts started before
! the wind under spinnakers. At 1903 the Puri.
tan rolled her spinnaker-boom under water
and carried it away. A few minutes later, how.
ever, the mark boat was found to be little to
| windward OF the course, and the Puritan, haul
| ing up, was able to do well without her spinna.
kerr Going back from the out mark the yachts
did not have their work dead 10 windward, Blu,
were nevertheless well tested in sailing close
hauled. The Mayfowcr fully proved her SUI
periority. In the windward work she beat
the Puritan minutes Al seconds; Atlantic
minutes seconds; Priscilla. minutes 10 sec
onds. The cup committee announced immedi
ately after the race that the Mayhower had beer
| selected to meet the Galatea.