Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-10-21


board the big steamers AT 49, 8 the
attention gun rang out from the flag
ship, and the Blue Peter went to the
foremost truck, signaling the yachts
to get ready. At I2.I5, when the
preparatory crack sounded, the Vigi-
liant was under single reefed nainsail,
working topsail, forestaysail, and iib
The Valkyrie had the same canvas
aloit, but her head sails were much
smaller than the cup defenders.
The two shippers INDUCED in some
inarvelously clever play for the start,
which ended in Captain Cranfeld get
ting the better position and crossing
the line we'll to windward of the Wig
liant. The advantage won at the
start the Valkyrie never lost until
after the mark was passed and the
home run begun. Once over the line.
the two cutters stood off on the star
board tack, the Valkyrie doing the
best work and outpointing the Vigil
liant. The wind was piping up fresh
ly, and the sea, running in curling
cumbers, struck the speeding racers
fiercely on the weather bow. Valky-
RE rushing eagerly forward, shot her
snaky black bow into the air with
every lift of the wave, and then crash
ing down on the sweeping onrush OF
white crested seas, piled the foam in
seething masses as high as her sheer
poles.
Vigilant, slightly astern, was also
feeling the full force OF the wind as
she shot forward.
At I.I2 the Yankee skipper, finding
he was falling off made short tack
on which the white cutter held for
two minutes. When Vigilant went
about again on starboard tack it was
seen that she had not gained foot on
the flying Englishman. 1t was at
I.IS that Vigilant again tried the port
tack, and this time Valkyrie mo-
ment after.
The wind was making things lively
on the racers. Keeling over until the
round of their bilges showed for six
feet or more they rushed on, the whole
forward portion clouded in a smother
of flying water that swept aft along
the decks and wet the recumbent
crews to the skin. Valkyrie was al
this time 500 yards ahead, and slight
1y to windward. The mark was
plainly in sight at 2.I3, when Valky-
RE went on the starboard tack the last
time. Vigilant followed minute
after. The cup defender was being
pinched by her skipper, but the head
sea was too much for her and Vigilant
refused to point with the Watson boat
The white defender heeled tremen.
dously, her spire of canvas leaning
over at a much greater angle thar
that of Valkyrie They appeared tc
have spread about all the sail they
could safely carry.
Valkyrie made the mark in splen-
did manner She tackled at 2.33 and
then rounded, leaving the flag on hei
starboard hand thirty seconds later
AS soon as the English boat was
round her crew broke out her spinna
ker on the port side. This they die
in the quick time of one minute and g
half. Vigilant tackled for the mark
and with a long huff rounded it al
2.35. so, two minutes after the speedy
Englishman. Her crew were rather
slow with a spinnaker, that sail not
bursting out of stops until AL. Val
kyrie was now two-thirds of mile
ahead, and going down the wind like
race horse. Things looked rather
blue for the cup defender. To win
Vigilant had to recover the lead ant
gain one minute and thirty seconds
the time allowed the English clipper
Could she do it? The yachts were
now making twelve knots or a mil,
in five minutes. At this speed the
lightship would be abeam in one hou,
and quarter. 1t was the grandest
yachting struggle of the century
Under the pressure of enormous spin
akers that rounded out ahead like gi
gantic balloons, the cutter seemed t.
leap out of the sea and speed along il
its tossing surface.
At J O'Clock the Vigilant's crew
finding their gain too slow, began t.
grow desperate. More canvas!
was the cry. Up went the grand ole
race winner, the balloon jib. Nov
the Yankee was gaining. Slowly
slowly, did the white defender appea
to creep up on his flying leader. Nor,
canvas! This time it was the hug,
club topsail that was sent aloft, anC
the Yankee was now mass of curvet
canvases. Valkyrie was losiny
ground. The extra sail was telling
At 2SS Vigilant was close astern
Two minutes after she blanketed tn
English clipper Valkyrie down b.
the head, owing to the changes in he
trim, was unable to carry any NOR
canvas; she was rushing bows under
AS the Yankee clipper threatened t
capture the Britons wind the Valky
RE took roll and sent her spinake
pole flying in the air, and the hug
white sail over the topmast stay Thi
was a pretty mess, and while Captain
Cranfield's crew were getting thei
vessel out of it the Vigilant slipped t
windward
Down came the Briton's spinnaker
and her crew hustled bigger one on
Of the hatch, and sent it swiftly alofl
but, as it broke out, it caught on til
forestry and ripped. In twenty SCI
audS fine ,,tauuiflrent call xvac Alvin,