The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-01
.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.
I The closest and most exciting yacht race
over sailed forth possession ofthe Americas
Cup was won by the American sioop Vigilant
In q half gale Of wind. The British cutter
Valkyrie was only forty seconds behind after
deduction of time allowance. It was the
third, and what proved to be the
final race, in the series OF three best In five
for international supremacy, and was sailed
over thirty-mile windward and leeward
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 9
cutter at reaching and she has outpointed
hnQ OutlOOlSQ n6E III WluuWdru "OIh dAN at
running before the wind.
These races represent the eighth attempt
underline British flag to recover the Americas 8
cup, won forty-two years ago from the Royal
Yacht Squadron of England and since recog-
nized as the emblem OF international
yachting supremacy. Lord Dunravens cut
ter valkyrie represented the Royal
Yacht SquHdron, the defending champion
being the New York sloop Vigilant. built by
. syndicate of wealthy yo~lg men. The
first two races were sailed the first on Satur-
day, and the second on Monday. On Satur-
dav the Vigilaut 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
q seventeen knot breeze. On Monday under
ntwsnty-three knot breeze the Vigtlant again
beat by twelve minutes, twenty-five seconds,
from which the time allowance of one min
uta and forty-eight seconds was deducted.
The last race was sailed in what has
been called 'Valkyrie weather" 1. e., what
iandsmen would call a big wind and sailors
halt gale, or, by actual measurement, from
tyenty-six to twenty mine miles an hour.
1t was beat to windward due east
from Sandy Hook IN. J.) lghtship for
fifteen miles and q run home before the
wind. It was close race from the start,
and on its last '1eg" or return run was al
most breathless In its interest. The English
cutter never showed her racing qualities to
such advantage, and the seamanshlp dis
played by her crew was something, In
yachtsmen's eyes, past all praise. what
woula have been the result had she not with
In fifteen minutes OF the finish split her
spinnaser it is hard to say, but few English
men will doubt that this was tae only reason
io- her losing the race.
Tae English skipper out-maneuvered the
Yam :es at first, and got over the starting line
thirty-tye seconds ahead. In the beat to the
outer mark, fifteen miles away, Valkyrie
game one minute, thirty-two seconds, turn
iny ,e stakeboat two minutes, seven seconds
ahead OF her opponent.
"a the run back to the Sandy Hook light
Slit, remarkable fast time was made. Old
yacatsnen agreed that it was the most excit-
ins 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 spnrs and rigging, II not OF her hull,
that Visilant manaSedto cross the finish line
ahead OF the British cutter.
Two Of Valkyrie's spinnakers were torn
into ribbons on the home run by the fierce
wind, and she undoubtedly lost some time
by the delay. On the other hand, Vigilant
got the block on her balloon-iibtopsail hal
yards iammed, and 8 delay OF fully twenty
minutes was caused in setting the sail.
The Vigilant people complain, too, that
they had great trouble with their centreboard,
for it was janmed In the trunk for q largo
part OF the race, and could not be raised or
lowered. This held her back many seconds
on the last Leg. ........
vigilant made the ffteen-mile run home in
one hour, fifteen minutes, twelve seconds, an
average speed OF twelve knots an hour. She
finished ut three hours. flfty-one minutes,
thirty seconds, just two minutes, fifteen
seconds ahead OF the Valkyrie. Deducting
the corrected time allowance Gone minute,
thirty-thres seconds) from these fgures.
VigiIanr Wills Gy ic11..yy-swo seconds. Her
time over the course was three hours, twenty
four minutes, thirty-nine seconds. That OF
Talkyrie was three hours, twenty-six min
utes, thy-four seconds.
Mr. Isalin.an his crew risked the safety
OF their craft and, for that matter, their
personal safety, too-in one desperate at
tempt to win the cup. It was "neck or