The sun., 1893-10-06
THE RACE IN DETAIL.
A Drowsy Contest In Witch the viEiiant
Ens Caught In the Doldrums.


Wns Caught In the Doldrums.
The flagship May dropped anchor about an
eighth Of mile east OF the red-hulled light
ship. and at II 10 o'clock set the international
code signals indicating that the course would
be south. or dead before the gentle northeriy
breeze that barely lifted pennants from
masts and fagstafrs The code signals were
broken out from halliards bent on the main
topmast stay They were set perpendicularly.
and. read downward. were thus translated by
the experts in the sign language OF the sea :
I'D. +. b." The first letter was expressed by
blue pennant with white ball in the middle.
the second by rcd pennant with a white ball,
and the third by plain red burgee. These
bits OF bunting, thus combined. spelled south.
The preparatory gun doomed from tho May
at II 10 and simultaneously big red hollow
sphere OF canvas was run up on the maintop-
mast stay. Just forward OF the code signals.
The yachts had ten minutes to get In position
to cross the line. They manRuvred cautious
ly to the north OF it. When seven minutes OF
the time for preparation had elapsed the yachts
bore down toward the line.
The YiGilant had the advantage OF the sleek
looking Briton. 1t seemed for a moment as IL
the centre boarder had been little previous
that she would cross the line before the
starting gun was frei and be compelled to
return and probably lose several precious
minutes In beating back to try it over
But she headed to the westward thus get
ting the wind abeam. and checked her forward
movement Just enough to allow her n fow sec
onds to spare before the bang OF tho starting
gun. Then she squared away. breaking out
her dusky spinnaksr that had been linked in
stops. and crossed the line at :25. The Val
kyrie followed on the weather quarter OF the
Nigilant.
FEW SECONDS LATER
AS both yachts were timed in the English
fashion. from gun fire. the American got sew
erai seconds to hor credit by being frst over
the line. and they might have been essential
to her success il the wind had held. There
was less than two boats lengths be-
tween the duelllsts. A moment be-
fore tho Falkyrie croased. her snowy.
raw silk spinnnker burst from her
forward hatch. looking for an instant like a
shaft of marble. Then 1t unfolded. as It was
hauled out to the end Of the boom. and bellied
to the breeze. a wondrous fabric. tho Ike OF
which has never before beon seen in this la,i-
tude. But despite its spotlessness. it did not
seem to draw as we'll as tho yelowish
Yankee sail. The run out. so long as
il was run. was against the tide through
placid seas. without the fnintest suspicion OF
n crest. 1t was drowsy contest. The yachts
to the sweils indolently and grace
fully. Never have the seas appeared more
slumberous In an International race. Yachts
men who attended tho nukes Of other years.
when the spectacle was mostly inside Sandy
Hook, shook their heads gloomily. There was
little hope that the yachts would nmish the
race within tho time limit Of six hours.
The Valkyrie took the Yankees wind for
moment Just after the start. but the Yankee
headed to the southwest n bit and escaped u
bianketipg. She then began to draw ahead.
not very rapidly. but enough to chcor tho
patriots. and convince some ofthe sharrs with
n bias for centreboards that she will prove
botter boat In light airs when tho air is astern.
After the yachts had been drifting for about
an hour and three-Guarters. the breeze shifted
from north to northwest, and got around
finally to southwest. heading them of. The
Nigilant took in her spinnuker Rt 10. and
few minutes later lowered her intermediate
jibtopsail. This was apparently q little prena-
ture.
minutes after the Vigilant took hars in. ant
also kept up her libtopsail. She closed the gap
aGs fSh 9t s ,se
floating multitude, passed to tarboard OF her.
and with marvellous swiftness. onsidering
the llght9e%ss % Sf the breeze drew ahead on tho
Meanwhile the visiept had drrted into the
down her intermediate iibtopsnll. which had
been draw wing well. too soon. and had lost so
m uch headway that. owing to the light breeze
and tho strong Hood tide, she could not get
around. Whatever, may have been the real
s0s hss % h head Sa t @
wind. For more than ten minutes she lay
to the breeze and tide as II she were
anchored. She got around at last at !: :37. and
moved laZily TO the southward on the star
board tack. more than half mile asterR OF
.hs slippery cutter
Part Of the advantage gained by the Briton
vas due to superior seamanship on the part
II the British skipper rather than to superior
model. The increase OF that advantage,
Monday Will, b. chicago Day a. IN. world. Far