The Portland daily press., 1893-10-10
VALKYRIE NILES ASTERN.
Beaten Almost Out Of Sight in
Halfa Gale of Wind.
OUTSAILED BY THE VIGILANT ON
EVERY POINT.

A Glorious Race in a Rattling Breeze
How the Big SIoops Tore Around the
Sides of the Triangle-The American
Almost Certain of Winning tho seriei
Now-The vigiIant Won With Bowsprit
Sprung.
New York, October 9-The flagship
May steamed down to the lightship at
TO- 30 this morning flying at her starboard
forespreader signal signifying that the
course in the Vigilant-V Valkyrie yacht
race was to be a triangular one, ten
miles to leg. At II she anchored about
200 yards to the northward and eastward
of the ightship and ten minutes later
the course signals were huttering from
the triatic stay. The wind being then
light from the southwest, the first leg
was to be dead beat to windward; the
second run with the wind on the star
board quarter and the third a broad reach
on the port tack When the preparatory
gun doomed the breeze had freshened
bit and the prospects for close and
exciting contest were very encouraging
Both yachts were then manoeuvering
around the flagship under nainsails, club
topsails, jibs and staysails. At II. 25, the
and the red ball was lowered from the
triatic stay The Valkyrie and Vigilant
had both been little over to Westward
but were then beating down for she line,
the Valkyrie trifie in the lead. When
the echo of the starting gun died away,
both boats put down their. helms, shot
up into the wind and darted for the line,
and little to windward. Both of them
hoisted their jib topsails as they crossed,
the Valkyrie an intermediate and the
Vigilant small one Despite the seem
ingly great advantage that the Vigilant
enjoyed by having the weather gauge of
her antagonist the English cutter walked
right through the American boats lee
and gained more than three lengths in
the first ten minutes. Both yachts
seemed to be pointing equally high, but
the Vigilant's people were pinching too
much, for her head sails were shivering
in the breeze, and the weather leech of the
set topsail was fiat aback at times. The
sails of the Valkyrie were rap full, and
she seemed to be outfooting her rival with
ease
By noon the wind had freshened con-
siderably and the American boat accord
ingly began to hold her own. At 1905
the Valkyrie was forced to take in her
jibtopsail, but the Vigilant held on to-
hers. This heeled over the American
boat considerably, while the Englishman
seemed to stand up as stiff as a house.
The Vigilant rapidly closed the gap be-
tween herself and the Valkyrie. When it
1rol e,1,r to
her to windward, the Valkyrie went on
the port tack at 12.07. So rapidly had
the American boat overtaken the Eng
lishman, that when the latter went about
he could not have crossed the -Vigllant's
bow. The Vigilant, being on the star
board tack, had the right of way. Instead
of forcing his rival to go astern Iselin
tackled TWENTY-FIVE seconds later than the
Valkyrie. Both yachts now stood to the
westward. At 1916, the Vigilant, heel
ing well over to leeward, was forced to
take in her jibtopsail. Both yachts now
began to watch each other closely. The
rivals held to each other quite as close in
beating as they did in making and taking
in sail. They were determined not to
split tacks and when at IL. 4S the Valkyrie
went on the starboard tack, she was fol-
later. Again the Vigilant tackled at IL. 81,
followed Immediately by the Valkyrie.
At IL. So the Valkyrie stood off to the
southwark ON the starboard tack, while
the Vigilant stood inshore for the first
mark on the port tack. At 1.01 the
Englishman tackled again and stood for
the mark. The American was then lead
ing by three quarters of mile. At 1.04,
the Vigilant, when about 200 yards north
of the mark, went on the starboard tack
and headed for the first turn, which she
passed on the port hand twominutes and
thirty-fve seconds later At 1.10 the
Valkyrie came bounding along for the
mark having gone on the starboard tack,
passing it also to port, ONE minute and
the official time of the first turn: Vigi-
liant, l hour, & minutes, 35 seconds;
Valkyrie, hour, IL minutes 30 seconds.
These figures show that in the reach to
windward from the start to the first
mark, the Vigilant beat the Valkyrie
minutes and IS seconds. On this leg the
wind was blowing at the rate of twelve
miles an hour, the sea being comparative
ly smooth with swell setting from the
southwark and westward.
Both yachts eased their sheets as they
rounded and bore away for the second
mark, with fresh breeze on the star
board quarter, setting their big jibtop
sails as soon as the course was shaped.
The Valkyrie also set a balloon forestay-
sail, and for brief instant seemed to
gain little on the Vig1lant. At 1.25,
the American boat took in her jibtopsail
but the Englishman held on to his The
run to the second mark was without in
cident except that the breeze continued
to freshen and the Vigilant gradually in
creased her lead. The racers ran for the
second mark with the booms broad off
to port, gybing around it to the port tack
and shaping their course for home with
the wind almost on their port beams.
The following is the official time around
the second mark: Vigilant, l hour 56
minutes, 55 seconds; Valkyrie, 2 hours
5 minutes, so seconds. In the run on the
second leg from the first to the second
mark, the Vigilant gained minutes and
10 seconds over the Valkyrie. The wind
was bit fresher than it was on the first
leg, blowing at the rate of Is or 20 miles
j 4la., ,Ac,eaa, NIL