The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-10-09
The Most Beautiful Start Ever Seen
In American Waters.
VALKYRIE BEATEN BY 5M., 49,.
After the vigIlant Tool h Lead She
Was Never Hesded-Ths Course from
the Outer Turn Had No windward
Work In II, Bat was . Close Reach.

all the patriotic citizens who went down
the bay to sss the FIRST Of the International
yacht races, came back shouting them
selves hoarss over the performance OF the
cup defender. The day was q beautiful
one, the race was prettily sailed, and while
Lord Dunraven's valkyrie came In second
by five minutes and forty eight seconds,
abe showed qualities which make her .
dangerous antagonist in = stif breeze and
. windward race.
Both boats started even. The vigilant
turned the outer mark eight minutes and
six seconds ahead Of the British boat, but
the latter reduced this thirty seconds In
the run home and would have cut il down
q couple Of minutes had the wind not left
her when the vigilant finished. Yachting
experts said that the showing made by the
valkyrie on the run home should make
her win the next race over the triangular
course II there Is a stif breeze.
The vigilant was taken in tow Of Bay
Ridge by her tender at 8 o'clock, and the
valkyrie q few minutes later. About 6:l5
the rival racers were well under way.
At 9:l5 the v~igilant's head was brought
windward 20 that she might hoist her
huge midsail. II was fully fifteen minutes
before the sail was taut and fat ~ the
traditional board, after which the lib was
run up in stops. At 9:20 the valkyre
also came head to wind, and ran mp main
sail. The Vigilant was the first to follow
with her jib stayssil and big club top sail
filling away on tho port tack and standing
for the lightship.
At II o'clock the flagship May steamed
down the harbor and tool her position
about one hundred yards to the norrhward
of the Sandy Hook lightship to establish
the line. At her fore cross trees fluttered
q red iaG to announce the fact that the
contest was to be fifteen miles 70 leeward
or windward and return, leaving the mark
TO the starboard hand.
At IL ;03 notice to steer an east by south
courss was given. The wind had fresh
cred . bit by this time, and blew from the
Vest.
When the preparatory gun doomed
across the sea, both Of the racers were to
che northward of the flagship heading west
on the starboard tack. Each carried her
mainsail, club topsail and jib, while the
American boat had her jib topsail hoisted
IN stops. The valkyrie was the first to 60
over to the port tack, and lower her spin
maker boom to starboard, followed by the
vigilant a few seconds later.
They stood to the northward with the
vigilant In the lead. aud then maneuvred
around awaiting the starting gun. When
this was sounded and the red bali lowered
from the Mays tristic stay, they were still
TO the north ward and westward, With the
visilant close aboard the May and the
Erglishman keeping of a bit In order to
get on the weather quarter OF the Ameri-
can. Scarcely had tho echo eied away be-
fore the vigilant broke out her immense
~spinnaLer, which seemed to almost en-
shroud her, put her helm to starboard, and
swung around for the line. The English
man was close upon her heels, hosting
his spinnaker on the weather quarter and
going over almost bow and bow with the
American boat. The start was tho most
beautiful ever seen In American waters,
and to the spectators il seemed as though
both boats had been simultaneously shot
out of q cannon.
As soon as the yachts wore we'll clear of
the line, they began to pay close attention
TO the trim Of their sails-The vigilant
seemed to have trouble with her spinnaker,
which for some reason got afoul Of the
starboard shroudA After clearing this,
she hauled down her jib topsail, and set
balloon; while the Englishmsn, following
the example set by the American, hoisted
his balloon jib topsail, still holding on to
his jib. The position of the yslkyrie of
the weather quarter OF the visilant, gave
her an Immense advantage for she shot
ahead and for q time 10 looked rs though
the American was a beaten boat. At the
end of five minutes the Englishman
was fully Two lengths ahead and appar-
emily gaining at every moment. This dis
couraQing state Of affairs continued for
fifteen minutes, when the American boat
seemed to gather Roadway for some unac.
countable reason, and gradually closed up
the gap until she overlook and passed the
Valkyrie, placing at least one-third OF a
mile between them at the end OF the ifst
hour.
About 1915 the wind began to houl to
the southwark, bringing the breeze a little
on the starboard quarter. This forced the
vigilant to take In her spinnaker, followed
ten minutes later by the valkyrie, who
had already hauled down her jlb and tore
stayssil in It's place. The vlgilant continued
70 gain 30 rapidly that the valkyric set her
spinnaker again, hoping that this increase
OF sail spread might help her along. II
undoubtedly did do some good, but just as
abe began to pick up, the Yankee sloop