Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-10-19
WON BY FORTY SECONDS.
1t Was a Close Shave, But the Cup
is Still Ours.


Is Still ours.
1t Was Real VailSyrie Weather, But the
Nigilant Proved MS Good Rough
Weather Craft as the British Gutter.
New York. Oct. 1.-THE American
| yacht Vigilant and the English cutter. Val
kyrie started out to-day to settle the inter
national question 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 ex-
piration of the time limit IL WAS long
after dark when the crack yachts aban-
doned the drifting match off Highland
Beach and hailed their tugs. They were
fully seven miles from the finish and they
had been sailing fo- six hours. The peer
less white cup defender Vigilant had turned
the outer mark seven minutes ahead of
the English cutter, and was leading about
half mile when the time expired. The
fortunes of each had varied during the
day, and the British boat had the best of
it during the first part of the race.
NEW YoRK, Oct l8.-The America cup
is safe. Once more has American genius
triumphed over English science. Once
more has America lowered England's
colors and beaten her at her own fayorite
game.
The third and last of the series of races
between the Vigilant and Valkyrie was
sailed off Sandy Hook Lighlship this
afternoon and resulted in glorious victory
for the American centre-board sloop. It
was great race from start to finish and
there was only a difference of 40 seconds,
corrected time, between the two yachts as
! they crossed the line. The Valkyrie gave
| the Nigilant stern chase over the first
half of the course, which was to wind
ward, and turned the stakeboat two
minutes ahead of the American champion
and it was not until about five miles had
been covered on the homeward Journey
that the cup defender was able to catch up
| with her English rival. II was now nip and
tuck for several knots, with the Vigilant
| slightly gaining, until about five miles
| from the Sandy Hook Lightshp, when
she finally managed to gain the lead
Gradually the defender pulled away from
the challenger and finally crossed the line
over an eighth of mile in the lead.
Though the beat 30 windward was excit.
| ing in the extreme, it was nothing COM
| pared to the run home. The wind seemed
to freshen and the sea became angry and
turbulent. Still both boats carried their
flying kites. Scarcely had the Valkyrie
cleared her skirts Of the outer turn before
the set her heavier spinnaker big lib top
sail and balloon staysail.
The Nigllant though trifle slower than
the Valkyrie in setting her kites, carried
many more yards of canvas, and, TO the
surprise of the Englishnen, she shook out
| the reef in her malnsail and set her large
| club topsail over the working one that she
mad carried all day. This great area of sail
seemed to completely enshroud the peer
less cup defender, and seemed of itself
| more than enough to blow her to victory
The Vigilant almost half mile behind
| at the turn, managed to pick up handily
her English rival and closed upon the
| weather quarter.
| As soon as he did this he, Of course,
blanketed the leader, took away all of his
| wind, and then managed TO crawl up and
| gradually pass him.
| The Englishman showed that two could
play at this game, and gave the Vigilant a
dose OF her own medicine. She also took
away the wind from the American and
| then in turn shot ahead.
1t was just in the midst of one of these
battles that an unfortunate mishap, or
| rather series of unfortunate mishaps,
took place. The Englishman was leadin Z
| the Nigilant by several lengths when q
little split appeared on the inner leach
of the cutters spinnaker.
Longer and longer the rent seemed to
| grow, and when 1t had extended 10 feet
cupboard, Captain Cranfield was forced to
take it in.
| In two minutes another spinnaker OF
Light Irish linen was taken out of the hold
and quickly run up to the masthead. 1t
was all in vain, however, for the wind was
| then blowing nearly half gale, and this
light piece Of canvas was soon torn into
shreds.
Ihis crushed forever the hopes of an
English victory even for one brief day,
orthough a balloon jib-topsail was hosted
in lieu of q spnnaker, the English cutter
fell rapidly astern and crossed the line
ABOUT 900 yards behind the yigilant.
| Following is "A summary Of the race:
Course, 10 miles to windward and return.
Wind, east.
| ValkyTie-start, 1227oO; finish, $685.;
elapsed time, 326.52; corrected time, 8. rs. -,
Vigilant-Start, l2.27.0O; finish, S.5i 3y;
elapsed time, 8. 24.39; corrected time, 8. "A 39,
Yigilant wins by 40 seconds.
Outer mark-Valkyrie, 2.33.4o; elapsed
time, 2o6.4O.
Vigilant. 1855; elapsed time, 2.0s.35-
l.55 seconds favor of Valkyrie.
Outer mark to finish-Valkyrie !. 20. IL;
Vigilant, 1.l6.O4-4 minutes seconds favor
of Yigilant.
Nigilant's gain over outer course was
2,l3 seconds, less allowance of minute 80
seconds, wins by 40 seconds.
THE vGeILAST TO BE SOLD.
The syndicate which owns the Vigilnnt
has decided that at the close of the con.
tests Tor the American cup the vessel
should be offered at private sale, and that
II she is not purchased at private sale
within limited time she shall be sold by
public auction to the highest bidder. The
original amount subscribed by the syndi
cate 10 build and run the Vigilant was
100000, which it was then thought would
be sufficient for building the yacht and to
defray the running expenses till the close
of the contest. This amount however,
was all expended before the trial races
were begun, and it was found necessary to
assess the members of the syndicate
heavily in order to keep the yacht in com,
mission until the close of theinternational
races.
JOHN JAMESON THE NEXT CHALLENGER.
LONDON, Oct. 11.-A dispatch from Clvdt
says that John Jameson, owner of tht
yacht Irex, will build yacht and chul
lenge for the Americas cup in 1891 in cas-,