Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-10-01

LORD DuNRAvEN. c. OLIVER IsELIN.
A third yacht was named Jubilee IN
order to catch whatever magic might come
with the Columbian quadricentennialy year,
but this mascot also proved powerless.
The fourth yachts namo began with the
potent V, and In the trial races between
the quartet of would be cup defenders
the swift YigilAnt outsailed her rivals and
was selected to meet the challenger Thus
far IL will be seen the letter V is very much
In evidence, but what the result win To
when the two VS. clRsh-whon the Irish
Valkyrio and the Yankee Vigilant meet in
struggle for the cup--is not at all clear
Just now.
The Vigilant 10 owned by syndicate Of
rich New York ynchtsmen, the principal
members of which are Commodore f. d.
Morgan OF tho New York Yacht club and
c. Oliver Iselin, two of the best yachtsmen
In America, Iselin Is conducting the af-
fairs Of tine yacht for tho syndicate, the rc-
manning members OF which nre August
and Perry Belmont, Chester W. Chaplin,
Adrian Iselin. James NJ. Waterbury,
Oliver II. p. Belmont, Charles II. Flint,
George @. Clark and Harry Astor Carey.
The Vigllant was largely an experiment,
but thus far she has proved happy one
In at least two respects she Is unique in
the history Of yacht building, Her sail
plan is the largest ever attempted in a
yacht Of her size, and she is aheathed with
costly Tobiu bronze, rs no other yacht has
been. The bronze is much superior to
steel, for IL IL light, unusually smooth and
hard to foul,
On the loadwater line the Vigilant Is .l9
feet long, Her length over all IL tas feet,
beam 20 feet, draft u feet. In type she Is u
powerful oentorboard sloop and truly rep
resents the Yankee idea as to what a
worlds champion yacht should be. Her
boom Is 0s feet long, and there are 20 tons
of ballast on her keel to enable her TO stand
up under her immense spread OF canvas.
The Vigilant has thus fnr cost over &c.,
600, and in all probability her owners will
part with sl00, coo In all before the Amerl-
cas- cup races arc Over. The cupiS not at all
pretty and only cost about $500, but since
1851 in the nelghborhood Of q 500, 900 has
been expended by yachtsmen who have
either come after tho trophy or built yachts
to defend it,
The Vigilant ia handled by Captain VIII
Liam Hansen and large crew OF expert
enced sailors. Hansen was born In Bergen,
Norway, 10 years ago, and for Is years he
has been sailing crack yachts on this side
Of tho Atlantic.
Ho flshed with his father while a mere
boy and commenced going to sea when II
years old. Hansen began yachting IN Au-
gust, 1870, In the schooner Alice. The fol-
lowing summer he wEs In the schooner
Josephine and in 1873 in the schooners
Vesta and Sylvia.
From the time the Sachem was launched
Hansen was her master for three sessions.
She was built for racer, and among her
victories are two Goelet cups, won In 1857
and 1883. In 1850 Hansen became muster
OF the Burgess yacht Quiokstep, one OF the
fnstest schooners In New York waters.
Tho challenging yacht Valkyde is owned
by Lord Dunraven, who has shown patri-
otto desire to win hnck the Americas cup
for several years past His yacht has thus
far shown herself at least the equal II not
the superior Of any yacht in English wa
tera. She has been beaten by the Prince OF
Wales Britannia, but she has also defeated
that famous flyer in turn and honors are
about equal between them.
The Valkyrie is commanded by Captain
William Cranfeld, an old and experienced
skipper He has been In Lord Dunraven's