The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-06

doubtedly She Would Have Won Had
the Race Been Fought out.
New York, October Sat lilo the
signal steer south coursen was shown
from the flagship May, indicating the
first leg of the International yacht race
to be fifteen miles before the wind and
beat back to lightship
At 11.25. when the starting gun
sounded, the Vigilant was leading the
Valkyrie about two lengths. The wind
had scarcely started them before it died
away almost to calm. 1t became
mere driftin. match. For the first hour
there was scarcely any perceptible change
III the relative positions of the two
yachts.
The Englishman did his best to crawl
up in the weather quarter of the Ameri-
can and steal away his wind. He was not
speedy enough. He gradually fell
further astern until at the end of the
hour and half he was twice as far be-
hind the American as at the start. At
1.15 the wind began to haul to the south
ard and westward The Vigilant took
in the spinnaker and jib topsail. The
Valkyrie hung on to the spinnaker and
her at 1. .25. The Valkyrie hauled by wind
on the starboard tack, set jib and stay
sails, and shot ahead, steering to south
ard and westward. The Vigilant made
no effort to haul by the wind and re-
tanned all head sails while she eased off
her mainsheet, until every one believed
she had met with an accident and would
rr,xy + oxyid q
strong tide under her weather bow, and
she drifted bodily to leeward,
After losing almost a mile the Ameri-
can came up in the wind and headed
after her English rival. This gain of the
Valkyrie's was probably the turning
point of the race The seamanship dis
played on the American boat was poor.
After paying off until she headed almost
in an opposite direction the American
managed to haul by the wind on the
starboard tack and stood for the mark.
The breeze seemed to freshen a trifie
and the Englishman increased his lead
every moment. As the stranger ap-
preached the turning mark it was i'm
possible for him to distinguish it, so
craft. The Valkyrie displayed poor
judgment in going on the port tack at
3.27, before she was to weather the mark.
At 1886 she went again, going -on the
starboard tack, which was in turn
changed for port a minute later.
The Vigilant was about five miles
astern. AS the American boat neared the
ment as the Englishman and went on
the port tack at 8. As. She was forced to
tack again at 8. 55 and 3.59 to weather
the mark The time around the outer
mark of the Vakyrie was hours, 81
minutes, 20 seconds; the Vigilant
hours 8 minutes, 40 seconds. The
Valkyrie's actual gain in making the
run of eight miles qand close reach OF
seven, was 26 minutes, 20 seconds. Ii
the allowance Of 1.4S, which the Vigilant
must forfeit be added it will be seen
that the English yacht beat the Ameri-
can % minutes, seconds, over the Is
mile course to the first turn.
After the yachts doubled the mark
and eased away for home the wind be-
came lighter. When the Valkyrie took
in the spinnaker at 4.15 she seemed
almost in the doldrums. Two miles
astern came the Viligant with sails quite
full, apparently bringing up freshing
breeze. For a time it looked as if she
would overtake the English boat before
the finish. When the gap closed to about
half mile the Valkyrie also seemed to
feel the breeze and rapidly shot ahead,
keeping about a mile away. About T. 30
the valkyrie and kept company with her
half an hour This was an indication of
the boats being unable to finish within
the time limit of six hours and would
give it up before crossing the finish.
The Vigilant was the. first to announce
her intention of giving up the contest.
At this time the Englishman was leading
the American one mile, which added to
the allowance of minute 4S seconds gave
the Valkyrie really a lead of nearly
mile and a half. Had the boats con-
tinued to the starting point the Valkyrie
would doubtless have held her advantage.
The wind was neither steady or strong
enough to test the relative merits of the
two types of boats. The English skipper
displayed far more skill in handling his
craft than the skipper of the Vigilant In
fact it is entirely owing to bad Judgment
and poor seamanship on the part of the
American skipper that the Valkyrie
gained so great an advantage.