Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-10-27
VIGILANT VICTORIOUS.
The YANKEE YACHT CON.
QUERS THE BRITISHER,

The English Contestant, Lord Dun
ravens Valkyrie, Loses Three
Straight Races and the Series
The Last Race the Most Exciting
Ever Sailed in American Waters.
The closest and most exciting yacht race
ever sailed fOrthe possession of the Americas
Cup was won by the American soop VigilaDt
in a half gale of wind The British cutter
Valkyrie was only forty seconds behind after
deduction of time allowance 1t was the
thlr", and what proved to be the
nnai race In the series of three best in five
Tor international supremacy anu was sailed
over thIrty-mile wndward and leewari
course. off Sandy Hook, N. J. Heavy
weather prevailed, and the valkyrie was
beaten, under conditions supposed to be
most favorable for her. A heavy sea was
running, and the wind increased gradu-
ually until it blew nearly half gale.
The Vigilant had previously defeated the
challenger for the cup in light and in mod
crate weather. but it remained for the third
race to prove the complete superiority of the
American yacht. The cup defender has
shown that she outclassed Lord Dunraven's
cutter at reaching, and she has outpointed
and Outfooted her in windward work and at
running before the wind.
These races represent the eighth attempt
underline British flag to recover the Americas
cup, won fOrty-twO years ago from the Royal
Yacht Squadron of England and since recog-
nlzed as the emblem of international
yachting supremacy. Lord Dunraven's cut
ter Vaikyrie represented the Royal
Yacht Squadron, the defending champion
being the New York sloop Vigilant. built by
a syndicate of wealthy young men. The
first two races We're sailed the first on Satur-
day, and the second on Monday On Satur-
day the VigiIant beat the Valkyrie over the
course at Sandy Hook by seven minutes thir-
ty-sx seconds. This was reduced by the time
allowance granted to the Valkyrie of one
minute forty-eight seconds. The breeze was
a seventeen knot breeze. On Monday under
a twenty-three knot breeze the Vigilant again
beat by twelve minutes, twenty-five seconds,
from which the time allowance of one min
ute and forty-eight seconds was deducted.
The last was sailed in what has
been called 'Valkyrie weather." i. e., wiat
landsmen would call big wind and sailors
half a gale, or, by actual measurement, from
twenty-six to twenty-nine miles an hour.
1t was a beat to Windward due east
from Sandy Hook On. j. lightship for
fifteen miles and run home before the
wind. 1t was close race from the start,
and on it's last leg or return was al
most breat HESS in its interest The English
cutter never showed her racing qualities to
such advantage, and the seamanship dis
played by her crew was something, in
yachtsmens eyes. past all praise What
in fifteen minutes of the finish split her
spinnaker it is hard to say, but few English
men will doubt that this was toe only reason
for her losing the race.
The English skipper out-maneuvered the
Yankee at first, and got over the starting line
thirty-f1ve seconds ahead. In the beat to the
outer mark, fifteen miles away, Valkyrie
gained one minute. thirty-twO seconds, turn
ing the stakebOat two minutes, seven seconds
ahead of her opponent.
On the run back to the Sandy Hook light
ship remarkable fast time was made. Old
yachtsmen agreed that it was the most excit-
ing run ever seen in these waters. For miles
the boats were within a few lengths of each
other. and it was only at the risk of the safety
of her spars and rigging, if not of her hull,
that Vigilant managed to cross the finish line
ahead of the British cutter.
Two of Valkyries splnnakers were torn
into ribbons on the home run by the fierce
wind, ard she undoubtedly lost some time
by the delay. On the other hand, Vigilant
got the block on her balloon-iibtop hal
yards TANNED, and a delay of fully twenty
minutes was caused in setting the sail.
The Vigillnt people complain, too, that
they had great trouble with their centreboard,
for it was damned in the trunk for large
mart of the race, and could not be raised or
lowered. This held her back many seconds
ION the last leg.
HI Yigilant made the fifteen-mile run home in
lbne hour, fifteen minutes, twelve seconds, an
Il average speed of twelve knots an hour. She
Il tnished at three hours, tif;y-one minutes
thirty seconds, just two minutes, fifteen
Eeconds ahead of the VaIkyrie. Deducting
he corrected time allowance Gone minute,
Shirty-three secondsl from these figures,
Yvigilant wins by forty-two seconds Her
time over the course was three hours, twenty
-four minutes, thirty-nine SECONDS. That OF
Valkyrie was three hours, twenty-six min
.S9tes, fifty-four seconds.
4 Mr.. Iselin and his crew risked the safety
Eof their craft and. for that matter, their
personal safety, too--in one desperate at
itempt to win the cup. 1t was "neck or
n netting"