The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-12
Six Hours Spent by the Contestants for
the Americas Cup in Sailing
Twenty-Three Miles.
VALKYRIE LED AT THE START
But the Yankee Center-BOarder
Soon Overhauled the Cutter,
And Was Half a Mile in Advance When
the Time Limit Expired-Tug-
boat Struck by Yacht.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
NEW YORK, Oct. lit was no mans
race to-day. The Vigilant and Valkyrie
tried hard to settle the international ques-
ton as to which is the queen yacht of the
world, but after alternate spells of racing,
drifting and waiting for wind they gave
up the contest at the expiration of the
time limit. 1t was long after dark when
the crack yachts abandoned the drifting
match off Highland Beach and hailed their
tugs. They were more than seven miles
from the finish, and they had been sailing
for six hours. The Vigilant had gained the
outer mark several minutes ahead of the
English cutter, and was leading by about
half a mile when the time expired. The
fortunes Of each hao varied during the day
and the British boat had the best of it
during the first part of the race. The race
was to be fifteen miles to windward or
leeward and return.
There were perhaps few less boats In the
excursion fleet than usual, but the decks
of all that went out to the were
black with people. The sea had hardly
ripple on it's surface, and one venturesome
naphtha launch accompanied the feet. The
many kinds Of craft assembled about the
red hull of the Sandy Hook lghtship made
miral Gherardi on board John Jacob Astor's
yacht Nourmahal, William K. Vanderbilts
Valiant, Ogden Goelets White Lady, and
Lloyd Phelps intrepid were conspicuous.
The two yachts left their anchorage at
Bay Ridge few minutes after O'Clock.
They were lowed down through the Mar
rows, the Vigilant in the van. Lord Dun
ravens daughter was on the Valkyrie again
to-day. Lord Dunraven and the Marquis
Ormonde, Captain Cranfield and III. Matt
land Kersey were on board, as were also
designer Watson, sailmaker Ratsey and
pilot Martin Lyons. On the Visilant were
c. Oliver Iselin, August Belmont, Nathan
lei Herreshoff, DR.. w. Barton Hopkins.
Herbert Leeds, Nswberry d. Thorne. Ed
ward A. Willard, Charles Kerr, Captain
Hansen and Captain Terry.
The wind Of the early morning did not
hold, and when all the fleet had assembled
ready for the start, the racers lay be-
Gained. By mutual consent the owners
agreed to postponement until later in the
day. and so the boats were started on a
beat to windward and return at Las p. m,
in a light south by west wind. Both were
under the same canvass, except that the
Vigilant had up a baby jib topsail which
much smaller than the the Eng
lish yacht carried The British boat pointed
higher and footed faster in the light air
that stirring. For hour she held
c the lead and worked to windward OF the
. white sloop which kept up a stern chase,
without lessening the gap After racing
nearly three hours with the small jib top
sail up the Vigilant took it in and ran up
a larger one. Then she began to pick up.
Half hour after she made the change
in sails she had cut down the lead of the
black cutter and crossed the bow of the
latter, to the music of a hundred whistles
from the fleet of escorts. From that time
on the American led with the race I'M
finished.
Twice during the day shots from the gov
eminent proving grounds at Sandy Hook
struck near the Scotland lightship. Both
threw columns of water in the air, and one
shot came within few hundred yards of
little sloop.