New-York tribune., 1890-08-09
THE GOSSOON WINNER.
so CLEvERLY SAILED THAT SHE BEATS THE
MINERVA.
AN INTERESTING RACE CLOSES THE CRUISE OF
SHIP ELECTRA LEAVES NEWPORT
FOR NEW-YORK.
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Newport Aug. 8.-Tlcrc is JOY on Boston Common
tonight and TIE gdei done Of the state House rises
proudly above p"Ouder city. The Gossoon has
beaten tho Minerva. and burgess turned double
somers1ult her decks she crossed the finlNhlne
TO no one except Bosoaian, however, does The race
Of to-day prove that The longsoughtfor boat that IS
better than the Minerva has been found. As has
been said before in tAssc columns the GossOOn is
almost good a boat the Minerva, but not quite
good. Therefore in a review OF all the races which
tho GossoOn has sailed against The scotch cutter:
unpreudced observer cannot but that the palm
Is stl with the Minerva. Yet. so much has Burgess
defined OF Fife thoroughly has he Incorporated that
knowledge with his idea of power, that he has pro-
duccd a boat which is every now and then likely to
win a against the Minerva. In sport Is the
unforeseen so likely to happen as In yachting Winds
and tide nckle and walt the bchcSt Of no man.
\ slight advantage gained at Opportunc time may,
where two boats of nearly equal merit, give the
to the less deserving onc STILL boat that
beats the Minerva under any circumstances Is boat
to be proud Of and shows the handwOry Of great
naval architect. No one who watched the Gossoon
come In victor believed that she was better boat
than the Minerva yet all rcjoced in her victory.
1t a close fight all through and the victory Of
the GoSsOon well earned. IL looked before the
outer mark rounded If IT without doubt
the Mlncrva's race, but when that mark had been
passed, the GOssoOn and Marquitl with great spinna-
kcrs set Oh the port hand, and towering manssil
and club topsail the starbOaM hand cam5
upon either side Of the Minerva giving her double
blanket. The pace too much for the Marlqa.ta
but the GOssO0n, working we'll to windwitd of tho
Minerva, had her under control and kept her for
the rest Of the II this position of vantage
which won the race struggle the scotch cutter
would. she could not release herself from the grasp
Of her antagonist. on board the GossoOn the
Adams boys and Edward burgess. No better yachts
men III America England than these and they fought
the little fortyfootcr if the stake had empire
Instead Of glory and 5000 cup.
1t looked in the morning as If there would not be
enough wind for There not breath 10
stir tho signals and ensgns that splendid fleet OF
yacht, which rested the placid bosom Of the inner
harbor. Down by Lime Rock Light, where f. d.
Morgans stately steamer Clarna l1y mCorei OF the
great stone castle which he building The rocky cliff,
came now and then faint PUT Of wind. Bat COmmo.
dorc Gerry is atast, in that he believes In what has
to be known in the New York Yacht Club the
COmmodorc's luck" and about 10 O'Clock he steamed
down by Fort Adams, ont BY the crumbling walls Of
Fort Dumpling, and dropped his anchor oil the
Brcnton's Reef LiGit-hp, and wind came up as the
commodore came down. II came from the south
southeast, and a signal up which said in
varegatcd flags:
The will be south southeast
Tho course for the 40 fOotcrs nine miles TO
windward and return and for the schooncrS thirteen
miles wndward and return. The wind was light,
but 1t held steady throughout the The entries
were large In number had been expected.
but the race proved most interesting one. In tho
schooner class there entered the Irquos,
ouicks,cp aud Ocnone in the 4O-foot class were
entered the Minerva, Mariquia, Gossoon, Liris and
Moccasln.
1t about IL O'Clock when the Electra'S guns,
barking over the water gave the signal for the
schooners to start. The Iriquos crossed first. fol
lowed by the Quiclsstep, and Oenonc, in the order
named. Whoever handling the Iriquos seemed
think that he could sail her dead In the winds
without the aid Of auxiliary lie
mistaken lie could not do II. and the other two
schooners quickly passed HIM. The Quicksep led the
>chOOncrs the course.
When the schooners were well away the forty
lootcrs were started The Minerva went over hrst,
making a beautiful start she always docs and call
ing forth cXclamaoas Of admiration FROM the spectn-
tors on the decks Of the Electra al the manner in
which she handled. After her the Mariquita,
then the Llrls and then the The Lirls. for
the second time IN her existence. was ht1dled by
professional All Interest now centred in the race Of
the forty yiootors. The GoSsOOn passed ahead OF the
Lirl, and then ahead of the Marlquta. but tho
Minerva went away from them all. The Marquita
fought hard TO keep up with the GosSOon. but II was
oi no USE. As for the Liris. she nowhere 1t
wa, too bad. but all the hopes that have been enter
tanned Of her were deep in the bosom Of the
Brine The time OF the forty footers. counting tho
outer mark. was as follows
Minerva 20 -
AlAriauita , 20 90
Up to this time 1t seemed impossible that another
boat than the Minerva could win. but BostOn's pride
and urgcss's pet spread her groat white spinnaker
and came on the port quarter Of the scotch cutter.
while on her saiboard quarter lOomci th' towering
mass Of canvas which oycrtoppcd The white hull Of
The Mdrlquta. The wind was taken from the sails
II the Minerva. She knew which her real Antagonists
wa. >corning the Mari0ulta she bent all her ener
gle, TO getting away from Tie clutch Of the Go,Soon.
MHiHs match Gn,lea ait away to the westward
the two boat, worked themselves. II was an exciting
spectacle. Now and again The Minerva would seem
10 draw ahead, but 80 surely a. she went on mo
Go,>oon would blanket her. II wa splendid dis
TOW cring above the narrow ms. seemed 70
tc living thing, lighting IN a death 1t stru;gie' s BHt
finally, the two boat' stood well away Tor the leat
ship. the Gos,oon lei the Minerva down the wind at
a pace whicG put the victory into her hands
.is the whistle # the Electra sounded which an
nounccd the passage Of The victorious GoSsoon across
the line Mr. Burgess forgot his science and his
dignity. aud tgrnel most remarkable somersaut on
forty Tnf ooc c@'"T he 'p% Scp in aGf Ss time S after tnS nG
and easy. .yiet9r The ,ec2nd l,I, ;chosnrr
The forty fcoicr Moccash which had started late.
with handicap OF fifteen minutes, did not 20 over the
course. The following is summary Of the race:
IarS ]. OO :l3 i:2% Is A;l6:OJ :lO :OJ
NHlquita .........l2 900 II 10 10 30 1o;2D
tO~sOun .-..... l. pb III Ol 80 3;bD % 3;1i 10
MOruasln ..........12 ,cs pO Ne, finish d.
Minerva ........ Z o3 - % s i:oo:a5 3:5s:
....... II 60 52 :32 81 q 81 80 q 81 80
Ouick-tr IL 30 - 0:11 80 G:l7 80 6:11 ~
ilOquOis ..-.....ll 90 % u 80 IL u 81 %
In the 10 dav the Go>SOOn boat the Minerva
3 minutes and 81 seconds the The
Minerva beat the Mariquta II minutes 10 seconds,
and the MariqIita beat tie Lris minutes 36 sec
onds. The G0ssoon beat the LiriS II minutes 20
ondS on the run In from the ontcr mark. the Cos
coon beat the Minerva q minutes 30 seconds. The
t,o,soon allowed the Minerva minnie 81 seconds.
In the evening a meeting OF captains was h,ld on
board the Electra. az which the fleet was formally
disbandci and the cruise Of the New York Yacht Club