Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-07
DUTCH" DIAPERS NERVE.
The Remarkable Record Of the VAL
kyrie's Skipper.

Il
| From the New York Morning Journal
There are good many frst-class yacht skip
pers in England, men who know Just how to
| take the last inch out of a vessel; among the
cracks of Great Britain and Ireland there are a
| few who stand out as pre-eminently good.
Lemon Cranfsld, Harry Thompson, Charles
Diaper, John Barr, W. O'Neill, Duncan and one
or two more are picked men. To this choice
| set belongs Tom Diaper, who il to handle VAL
kyrie this season, and try to surpass with her
| the performances of Yarana first and Thistle
next
Dutch" Diaper had Q particularly good
| training, first as hand, then as mate on various
yachts manned or commanded by Itchen ferry
men, and he belongs, besides, to q family
which has for years been a nursery OF success
fui yacht captains says a writer in the Boston
vto6e. His reputation as q bold, skillful, and
dependable skipper was made in the famous
Norman. Acton cutter, built in 1917 by Dan
Hatcher for Major Ewing, who owned the rae
ing schooner Gwendolin. Diaper very soon
showed what he could do with his ixty-footer,
for in June of 1862 he sailed Norman in q strong
breeze and heavy sea of Dover against such
vessels as Fiona, the great yacht of the day;
kriemhilda, new 100-footer just turned out by
Ratsey, and the giant Oimara. 1876 tons. She
was beaten, Of course, but only by Oimara, as
the others all gave up. Two months later his
splendid handling of the little beauty brought
her in within fourteen minutes Of Arrow and
close on top Of Vanguard and Garrion in the
X. Y. s. race, saving her time and securing
first prize, the day being ono Of those provok-
ing ones when strong breezes are interrupted
by inexplicable lulls and Gains, and a man
needs patience and wisdom to san his boat to
advantage.
HIS GREATEST TRIUMPH.
1t was in 1874 however, that Diaper gained
his greatest triumphs, in Norman. The class
was then perfect. Norman, Britannia, Blood
hound and Myosotis were in thorough shape.
and all four boats were so evenly matched that
sheer good handling a big piece of luck de-
cided the prize. Admirable handling and the
greatest speed were Norman's and she easily
headed her class that year. In July, at Kings
town, Britannia, Myosotis and Norman raced
into the harbor on the first round so close to-
gether that the one mainsail would have COW
cred them, but Diapers skill took his ship
right out, and he finished five minutes ahead Of
Bloodhound. In 1875 the sailing between the
parties was as close as ever. the Diaper clan
handling three Of them-Tom having Norman
Dan sailing Britannia, and Charles, who
afterward distinguished himself SO much in
Vol au Vent and Latona, commanding NV
osotis, while Bloodhound was ruddered by Ben
Harris, Lord Ailsa's skipper. Tom made a
particularly happy hit on the first day of the
Royal Clyde, when in a good breeze he won by
six seconds from Bloodhound by sheer skill i'm
screwing Norman up to windward in the last
turn home. He repeated and improved on this
performance at the Royal Victoria; there was a
single-reef breeze and a sea; Bloodhound got
the lead on the first round, but Diaper sue
ceeded in going to windward of her in the run
from Cowes to the Spit. and a most exciting
struggle ensued The yachts came on a wind
make hitch to weather the flag, she scraped
IN twenty seconds ahead of her feet opponent.
THE TABLES TURNED.
The tables were turned at Bournemouth in
backyard topsail breeze, when Norman just
led Bloodhound at the third mark; indeed, it
was merely a question of inches there as to
which would have to bear away and give ROOM
Myosotis and Glance were right on top of the
pair. and at the next mark Norman was COM
PEELED to jibe or foul Bloodhound and be dis
qualified. She jibed. naturally, and this al
lowed Harris to take the wind OF her and secure
first place. But the boats fairly hung together,
crossing the finishing line almost neck and
neck.
Diapers ''indomitable perseverance" came
out strong ut the K. Albert in 1876, when six
forties came to the line. Bloodhound, Britain
MIA, Christine, long, lean racer that went by
the name of the Main Spinnaker Boom" and
which reached tremendously fast; Myosotis,
then in the hands Of O'NeiIl, whose perform
ances in Cuckoo. Samona and Trek are ''house-
AOlu anu COIdile, another hatcner
forty. At the Lepe buoy Myosotis and Norman
were leading close together, when Olga, a 265-
ton schooner, and Gertrude a 63-ton yawl, got
mixed up with them, each sailing in a different
race.
Myosotis bore MP under the yawls stern and
just took the mark from Norman, which was
ahead OF both, but which Gertrude was at that
moment engaged in running. And 50 success
fully that she ran her bowsprit clean through
Norman's mainsail. tearing it badly. Diapers
grit told; he cleared his boat losing of course
a lot of time, hung on to the race, and worked
wind. tide and yacht so wonderfully well that
he actually won the race, finishing three min
utes and twenty seconds ahead of Myosotis.
II would carry one too far to even name the
numerous brilliant races sailed by Diaper, in
all Of which he exhibited his rare skill
Last year, when Petronilla could not be got
to beat Yarana, Tom Diaper was called upon
to try her, and though he did not conquer
Watson's flyer his rare handling pointed him
out as Enthusiastically the man to take charge of
the new cup challenger.
The combination OF Valkyrie and Diaper will
certainly prove an interesting one, and as it is
announced that the new yacht is to enter the
Thames and Irish regattas there will be an ex-
cslent opportunity OF judging Of what she is
likely TO do on this side of the Atlantic.
A summary of the races sailed by Diaper in
the Norman and Marguerite shows that out of
100 starts he won Sc prizes.
e. A wealthy London merchant gives the
=