The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-11

| Talk for the Cutter-But Those Who
Do Expect Her TO Win in a Rough
Sea with Plenty of Wind-The Third
Trial TO Come on.
| NEW YORK, Oct. 9.-For the second
time, and that easier than the first, the
Americas cup defender, Vigilant, has
defeated the English representative.
| Valkyrie. The second race was sailed
today on the triangular course from
| Sandy Hook under conditions that
| could not have been more gratifying had
| they been arranged 10 order. and it looks
| now as though the international series
would terminate in three straight vic
tories for the gallant little centreboard.
In light winds and strong winds the
| Vigilant has demonstrated her superiori-
| ~ over the British boat and in all the
| tricks of the trade the men who handle
| the Yankee vessel showed they were
| quite as competent as those who sailed
| for England. And while the victory to-
day was a magnificent one only the
| strongest words of praise can be said of
| the gallant but ineffective struggle
which the Valkyrie made. She was
|
when the plaudits of thousands rang out
to speed the conqueror, the hull of the
conquered was yet far astern seen bare
| ly dipping up and down with the waves.
1t was an ideal day for sailing with
all indications that it would continue
clear and bright and that there would
be at least a strong fresh breeze. AS
the accompanying steamers moved out
| To Loft 80 L of vxrbi TO
smoke behind them. The same wind that
! bore it astern tossed the waves until the
| spray went high over the rails. All
along the coast glistening sails of yachts
went bobbing in and out of the hollows for
this was really the first day on which
their shippers had a chance TO show
| themselves, and they drew up alongside
the old red lightship as smart and as
| trim as their second cousins, the steam
yachts, and much more in keeping with
the event of the day.
The Start.
The yachts got down to the start over
half an hour ahead of the time appointed
for the firing Of the preparatory gun,
which was 11I5, and cayorted around to
the northward of the line until the first
| gun was given. Then they began busi-
ness. 1t was a pretty play on the part
| of both captains. The Vigilant wore ship
a couple times, but confined herself TO
| tacl1ing. The second wearship Of the
| Vigilant made her land at least a
couple Of lengths to leewaCd Of the posi-
ton from which she had started to do
the act, and the Velkyrie. with her quick
| going instays, was right down on the line
when the gun to send her over sounded.
At that time the wind was blowing about
| thirteen miles an hour from southwest
| by south, a half south, and it was in
that direction that the regatta commit
| tee had notified the racers that they
should make the first leg Of ,ten miles
| Of their course. 1t was, Of course, a
dead beat TO windward from the Sandy
Hook lightship to Long Branch.
| The Vigilant got quickly into the wind
after she made that unfortunate wear
ship and followed the Valkyrie over the
| line about two lengths behind. Neither
| boat crossed for the start as promptly
after the starting signal as they had
done on the previous date, but they were
| equally close together. After having
| gone over the line, the handler of the
| Vigilant evidently felt that he must gain
| in windward work, and that very quickly,
what had been lost in lateral distance.
| He began to pinch his boat high up INTO
the wind. Her head sails shook as
| though there was not enough wind TO
fill them and she dropped behind. The
| Valkyrie's sails were kept well full and
she went ahead through the water with
great speed. To the uncritical eye it
looked as though the Valkyrie was skip
so she was-in a way; but the Vigilant's
centerboard was preventing that boat
from sagging to leeward all the time.
whereas the keel Of the cutter had only
a small part of the same effect.
The VIgiIant Pulls Away.
The Vigilant also pointed higher TO
the wind by about a point of the COM
| pass. Presently the sails of the Vigi-
| liant were seen to belly out well, and
from that moment the American boat
began to win the race She passed the
Valkyrie at 1906, forty minutes after
the start, and was never afterward
headed or touched under any conditions
| Of circumstances. When the Valkyrie
saw her opponent going ahead of her
and an eighth of a mile to windward at
| that. she hauled down her big topsail
Il
with the intention Of putting up small
| one like that of the American, but
while the process Of changing was going
| on Capt. Cranfield decided to go about
| and stand up for the New Jersey shore.
No sooner had the Englishman gone
| around than the American followed suit.
AS the boats stood off on the port tack
it was seen that the Vigilant was over
a quarter Of mile ahead and just about
as much TO windward. They stood
pretty long on that tack, the center
board naturally eating up the wind, and.
strange to say, clearly outfooting. the
cutter They tried very hard orG the
Valkyrie to send her head up into the
wind and lessen the advantage that the
centerboard was making on them with
every length, but let the Euglishman's
! forestaysail shake as it would, she
could not better herself single inch.
When the Vigilant got around the first