The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-10-06
VIGILANT vs.. YALKYRIE
The First Contest Between the
Two Fruitless of Result.
THE SPEEDY YACHTS BEoALMgD.

the Time Limit. and the Contest Was
Declared On-vaIkyrie Forged to the
Front Through Superior Handling.
NEW YORK, Oct. 6-The greatest fleet of |
boats that ever passed through the Mar
rows passed through on its way to the |
Hook yesterday to accompany the great
racers Valkyrie and Vigilant in their in
ternational race from the Sandy Hook |
lightship for the America cup. Thousands
of enthusiastic citizens had delightful
days outing, but the first effort to pull Off
the international race was a failure. This
was mainly due to a lack of wind; but
Americans saw Lord Dunraven's Vnlkyrie, !
the pride of Great Britain. sail past yigi- |
LIANT the pride Of America, and.were COM
pelled to acknowledge that the English
boat had outgeneraled the American at
every point of the compass. When the |
wind held steadily the Vigilant held her
own, but when IL became u drifting match
the Valkyrie gained the advantage.
Throughout the contest it was more of
drifting match than race. The wind at
no time reached the dignity of sailing
breeze
At ll:15 a gun doomed from the flag
ship May, and red ball was hoisted at the
triatic stay. II was the preparatory signal,
and the yachts had just ten minutes to
cross the line, for the start was to be
single gun one.
At 1l:25, when the gun again sounded,
the Vigilant was leading the Valkyrie
about two lengths Before the echo had
died away both boats broke out their
spinnakers and the Vigilant her balloon
lhtopsail hauling down the other at the
same tune. Booms were broad off to port
and spnnakers to starboard when the
.l.N. T.. a
they would make speedy run to the first
mark.
The wind, however, had scarcely started
them on their fifteen mile journey before
1t died away almost to calm. Whatever
air there was, could not reach either yacht
owing to the numberless excursion boats
which crowded in upon the racers The
valkyrle was the first to hang out a sign
keep further astern," followed by the
Vigilant, with more emphatic demand
to keep off" These requests had tine
desired effect, and as the attendant craft
stood of, the racers seemed to forge ahead
q trihe faster
For the first hour of the race there was
scarcely any perceptible change in the
relative positions of the two yachts. The
Englishman did his best to crawl up In
the weather quarter of the American. and
thus steal away his wind. He was not
steady enough, however, and though he
steered course a little to windward,
failed to close the gap; but gradually fell
further astern until at the end of one hour
and n half he was at least twice as far be-
hind the American as he was at the start
The Valkyrie seemed to have made wise
move in not setting her balloon jib topsail,
for the Vigilant's was doing little or no
good.
AT lil5 o'clock the wind began to haul
10 the sonth' ard and west'ard, and the
Yigilaut took in het spinnaker and lib
topsail, and seemed to lay to right in the
winds eye. The Valkyrie hung on to her
Bpinnaker, however, and rapidly overlook
the Vigilant, passing her at les, just two
hours after the start. While tho Vigilant
seemed to be dead on the water the Val
A~A4kiu hauied by the wind on the starboard
tack, set her lib and staysail and shot
ahead, steering to the southland and west
'ard. The Vigilant for some unknown
reason made no effort to haul by the wind,
but retained all OF her head sails, while
she eased off her main sheet until every
one believed that she had mot with an nc
nident and had decided to give up the
race. There was evidently strong tide
under her weather how, for it threw her
head off to tho enst'ard and she drifted to
ieeward. After losing almost a mile the
american tdule up III tHe W1Hu ana headed
after her English rival. This gain OF the
VHlkyrie's was probably the turning point
Of the rnce, and the seamanship displayed
on the American boat was lamentably
po0r.
As the stranger approached the turning
mark II was impossible for him to distin
guish it, so closely clustered were the excir
sion craft Perhaps IT, was owing to this
that the .lkyrie displayed poor judg-
ment in going on the port tack. The Wig
liant at this time seemed almost hull
Gown, about five miles astern and it looked
then as though the Valkyrie would make
asorry spectacle of her
As the American boat neared the mark,
she made also the same error of Judgment
As the Englishman, and went on the port
tack. As the Vigilant doubled the turn
Ing point she broke out her balloon jib
topsail, and hauled down the medium
aiEed one. 10 the surprise OF every one,
however, she did not set her spinnaker,
for the wind had begun to haul little
brward, and there was danger Of its be-
saming the other head snils.
Following Is the time around the QUITE
mark. distant fifteen miles from the start:
Valkyrie, h, 81 min % sec; Vigilaut,
ah min. 40 sec.
AS the start was a single gun one, both
yachts were timed from lies, and this is
practically their actual crossing time, as
they were only few seconds after the
gun. 1t therefore took the English boat
h. l2 min. 20 sec, and the American h.
B5 min. 40 sec. to make the run of eight
miles and the close reach of seven-a diff
ference OF % min. 20 sec II the allowance
of min. 4S sec. which the Vigilant must
forfeit owing to her greater sailing length,
be added TO this difference, it will be seen
that the English yacht beat the American
rs min. sec. ever the fifteen mile course
from Sandy Hook liEhtship to the first
turn.
After the yachts had doubled the marL
and easel away for home the wind beeamt
much lighter, and when the Walk yre took
In her spinnaker she seemed to be almost
in the doldrums. Two miles astern camc
she Vigilant with her sails quite full, ap
parently bringing up fresheninR breeze.
This gave new hope to her friends, and fol
q time 1t looked as though she would ne
tually oyertake the English boat before
the finish. When the gap had been closed
TO about ons-half the Valkyrie seemed to
feel the impulse of the breeze which the
Vigilant was bringing up with her and
rapidly shot ahead, keeping about one
mile away. About 4:30 the tug Lucken-
bach snme alongside of the Englishman
and kept company with her for about n
half hour. This told the story of the race,
VIA; That the boats being unable to finish
within tina time limit Of six hours would
give 1t up before crossing the finish, and
that the Luckenbach had been Instructed
10 tow in the visitor.
The Vigilant was the FIRST to announce
her intention Of giving up the unsatisfac-
Aory contest, which she did by hauling
down her jib topsall and taking line from
che tug Commander. The Valkyrie did
likewise, being taken In tow by the tug
Luokenbach. At this time the English
enan was leading the American bv one