The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-10

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pected or else had had one down in tn,
sail locker all OF the time, and hat
Just broken 1t out 1t was observed further
that the spirit Of the new topsaii rose higher
aboveher truck than did that OF tho yigilan
above hers. while the club set down SO neal
the gaff OF the main that worry little wind
| could leak through the crack. The setting o
that sail was to the sharps the rrincipa
evont Of the day before the start
THE FLEET AT THE LINE.
After spreading nat the grea. topsail. the
valkyrie set her plain forestayssil, and Their
went reaching and yawinG about to eastward
| OF the hulk. while tho Vigilants forestaysai
| came down and another was sent up In stops
| Under these dresses the two awaited the com.
| ing OF the flagship May with the Racing Com.
| mittce.
! The May came promptly on time. and so. too
| did the mass OF the excursion fleet. among the
| latter being the white war ship Dolphin. with
| Secretary OF the Navy Herbert on board. The
| excursion boats scattered about for the main
part to the north OF the lightship. There was
not 80 much crowding in about the line as on
Saturday. although. OF course. too many oil
them were found there.
At about II o'clock the May came to anchor
nearly east southeast OF the red hulk to mark
made haste to gather in her lee. The pretty
signals that told the racing shippers their
courses Guttered aloit Tho two tugs to mark
the corners OF the triangle were sent skurry-
ing down the line. putent logs In tow.
The Vigiiant with both head sails now set.
drove south across the line. and with q mag
nifcent burst OF speed fed away to westward
and north again around the red hulk. her crew
the while rustlinG about the deck setting taut
preventers and shaking the jibtopsail up on
it's stay.
Close in her wake. like o hound on a hot
trail came the sleek black cutter. Northeast
OF the hulk the Vigiant turned around to
westward. and the Talkyrie swept down once
more toward the line. Then she turned back
again under the quarter Of the flagship and
flashed away to the north.
THE START.
The preparatory gun shot flame and smoke
from the dagship's side. The flaming red ball
ran up to kept company with the tiny cloud
OF futtering signals at the fagships stay. The
white sloop came from the west to meet her
rival of the east. and this done turned once
more and chased the yalkyrie clear around the
fat red lightship and north across the line.
The time for crossing was at hand. and the
racers reached toward the black hulled flag
ship so close together that to some spectators
1t seemed that the sloop's bowsprit was sure
to poke the black stern Of the cutter. The
space between the cutter and the flagship
narrowed down and down. The tiny itbtop-
Fail OF the white sloop began to futter from
its stops. The final signal doomed on the
air. and down went the helm OF the cutter and
the wheel Of the sloop together. Turning like
Gulls in air the black and white side by side.
the sloop on the weather quarter Of her Brit
ish rival. crossed the line.
The honors OF the contest for position rested
with the Yankee boat, for she had the weather
gage Of her rival at the line.
PLEASING SPECTACLE.
The wind was from southwest. and the boats
headed away to south'ard-the wind came in
over their starboard bows. In the language
OF the sea sharps they got away on tho star
board tack. With their crews slowed away
under the weather rails. with bit Of futter
in the head calls. heeling away slightly from
the weight OF the breeze. and with flashing
gush OF foam from under each bow at every
nod to the seas. the picture of the racers was
faultlessly beautiful in the eyes OF all who
saw it.
1t was as pleasing to the technical eye OF the
yacht sharp as it was to the poetic soul of the
excursionist. The breeze held its course and
weight. The excursion boats after ten minutes
or SO. kent fairly clear OF the racers 1t was
fair fight with decent wind over sm Doth sea.
What more could the yacht sharps ask2
And so the sharps with one accord turned to
see what the boats would make of their
chances 1t was found within q ships length
beyond the line that the Valkyrie was pulling
away from the Yankee sloop- 1t seemed that
she was properly anxious to get out from
under the lee of the sloop's big sails and was
g. a. H.
held hard up to the wind. and when the cutter
had gained an offing OF Q couple OF lengths
she. too. drew close up But 1t was observed
then that she did not point quite so high as
the csntreboarder did.
THE vALKYRIE GIVES ANXIETY.
This may have been due to the fact that the
Yankee was pinching the wind till 1t squeaied.
ss the barnacles said. The luffs of jibtopsail.
lib. and forestayssil wero all shaking. while
the whole head OF the staysail was In futter
that was painful to all patriotic sharps. es-
peeially as the Valkyrie was opening up the
space between her and the sloon In fact.
something was seen to be wrong with that
staysail
sailor In boatswain's chair was hoisted
UP pretty soon along the leach. and was seen
working at something. say fifteen feet below
the peak. That was matter to disouiet the
most hopeful OF the patriot sharps. but after a
while the man came down. and then the sail
acted little better.
Nevertheless. the Valkyrie continued to
draw ahead Whether 1t was a real gain none
could say because she appeared to sag off to
Toward. The patriotic sharps remarked that
they had said all the time that her forefoot
was cut away too much and she couldn't hold
on to windward, but not all the patriots were
satisfied that she was getting In any way the
worst OF 1t.
ALL DOUBTS SETTLED.
Three miles or so away from tho homo line
however. the doubt as TO which was getting
the better Of 1t was settled beyond all ques-
ton. The wind had actually freshened bit.
and the Vigilant was doing better under the
increasing weight Of wind. Not only did she
point higher. but she began to overhaul the
back -huled cutter. That was O mighty con-
ISOLATION to the patriots.
For about two miles the British skipper
stood to 1t, and then. because his jibtopsail
was heading him off too much. he took it
down The spectators looked to sec him set