The sun., 1893-08-19
SPOILED BY TICKLE WIND.
CUP DEFENDERS CAUGHT Nv cALM
<ND ToWED BACK TO NEWPORT

Morgan boat, However, Had Drined
Ahead when the Race stoppod-To Re
Sailed Over To-dny-Skippers' Opiuions
NEWPORT. Aug. 1S-The three yachts that
sailed seaward this morning to engage in
thof second struggle for the Astor Cups re-
turned in tho old familiar way. in tow. under
stormy. sunless sky, late this afternoon. They
did not make q race. because the winds. which
blew from protty nearly all the points OF the
compass. and occasionally didn't blow Mt
ALL didn't give them q chance. The white-
clothed tars on the thtoe boats never worked
harder in the almost continuous setting. low
ering, and shifting OF expansive light weather
canvas
When the winds whistle and the sea shakes
ltsmyriad names OF foam there Is little work for
the sailormen. but In light battling airs they
perspire. and unlike the white wings they
help to spread. they grow very weary. But they
demon strnted to all observers to-day that
they we're admirably trained. and their almost
ceaseless labor will make the besS OF them
worthy to be matched against the smallest
British yachting crew that can be put aboard
the Valkyrie. The Yankee and Americanized-
Scandinavian yachting sailors are clever.
nimble lot. and they have made their shippers
happy
or course nothing In to-day's fuke may be
-.
tho yachts. As Gen. Paine said. when the
ocean tug Luckenbach. the New York Yacht
Clubs steamer gave tho Jubilee n line to help
her in against the brisk Northwestern that came
too late: 1T was bad day for n race. 80 1t was.
and the Gen,us OF an expert like the General
was OF needed 10 notice It
A hckle zephyr from the northeast barely
lifted pennants from stats when the fighting
trio dipping their white noses In the long
.tu
reached for the line. 1t was n start from gun
Are md skippers were on the alert for time
advantage. BY skilful manpuvring the lucky
yipilant was first across. All had their wealth
OF yellow balloon ibis bulging to starboards.
The wind was Just abaft the port beam. The
sun shone through the towering head eaiis.
making them appear almost daphanous The
attending feet of steam and sailing craft was
smaller than on any previous race OF the
cruise The side e-wheeler Frances was the
only excursion steamer out. and. as she rolled
her guards almost under in the swells. women
folks looked sorrowfully over the rails.
The Nourmahal. with her owner. Capt. Jack
kstor on the bridge directing the course Of
tho ship hovered near tho drowsy trio until
thero WAS no longer possibility OF race.
Some of the other steam yachts that cour-
tested to the long rollers were Commodore
Gerrys Electra. Ogden Goelets White Ladye.
John II. Hanan's Embla. Frederick Wander
hits Con1ueror. August Belmonts ltuna.
Perry Belmont's Satanella. w. Duponts Au
Ievoir. and ]. b. Herreshof1s Katrina.
Before the racers we're across the line five
minut ss the wind fell fiat. and the glmmering
pyramids trembled and collapsed sheets sagged
into the seas and arose. dripping sunlit water
that looked like transient icicles. Then
light air came out OF the southeast, dead
ahead of the slugglshly moving drifters. and
the light head sails came down with swish.
What had been marked out a reach be-
came beat. The breeze was so light that the
crew of each yacht thronged the Ice rails
which served as ballast to heel the contestants
to the wind to keep their sails full There was
ageneral prediction that the contest would be
merely drifting match. and that 1t would not
be finished within the six-hour limit. The
wind veered to the southwark and then nearly
to the south southwest.
Meanwhile the yachts were making short
tacks. hunting for favorable stands or for
positions that would put them to windward In
case the wind shifted in their favor. The
Colonia had the weather gauge on her rivals
when the breeze finally shifted to southwest.
as her skipper. Hank Haff who IL credited
with knowing every inch OF sea about Newport
probably guessed 1t would. Capt Haff
had the best OF 1t when the Colonia rounded
the red flag. ten miles from tho start
There was about six minutes difference be-
tween the Coona and the Jubilee. which
rounded second. and the same time sepa-
rated the Boston boat and the ViGilant. Spin
makers were then broken out to starboard.
The breeze was so faint that the enormous
yellow sails forward pulsated lko the green
swes over which the yachts glided. undulat-
ingly. To keen the boats heads up the white
jackets were massed astern. In the run for
the second mark. ten miles northwest OF the
first. the racers had several varieties Of wind.
At 5 O'Clock the sun hid itself behind a black
cloud curtain. and as thero still remained an
hour to make the race a hope arose that a
bowling wind might burst out Of the blsckness
and the yachts dash home with docks awash.
There was a fine wind In the clouds. but it was
not loosened until the yachts were coming
home in tow. The Luckenbach picked up the
for her in the morning when. owing to the de-
lay OF Citing her nsW s gatI she was the last to
% bach's W (which haWser was toe too mi much Sr for It
when the Jubilee was OIL Beaver Tail and IT
parted; The Jubilee tnen set her jb and
yacht ltuna brought in the Vigilant. and the
tug Scandinavian did similar service for the
The, flagship May reached the startin line
SSd ahead of time s. in the morning 1 hnd dropped
o'clock. The Coopia and llgilant came n few
m!nrtes later. followed at short interva! by
during The night. Tie wind Was light from
nortneast. and at, l3O O'clock Fleet Capt;
The code flags; "DFN"," ID VI" and DIG
showed that he course for the day would be
as follows: First leg o. ten knots. south by
east second leg Of ten knots northeast one
iHf cast third leg ten knots. west northwest
This meant reach on the first leg. u beat OH
the second and u reach hom" or AT least that
WAS what tn" iegatta Committee intended:
hutthe wind shifted shortly after the sta It and
th~n Hans went aSiray.
hs soon as the signals We're set. Superinten-
dent Neils Olsen. on tho tug Scandinavian.
started OF to lay the stake buoys. and at II
O'clock sEarI, IN" preparatory gun was fired.
Tea minutes later the starting gun sent tho
racers across tho line close hauled on the stur-
beard tack. in on". two three order. They set
balloon ibtnrsails ns they crossed The con-
aiiiuns OF tho race caliol for n one gun start
ani Cant. Hansen OF tho Vgilant apparently
did not cGrc tu 20 over last. or he was well to
wlniward Of the others. and got across almost
Will: the flash Of the gun. The Jubilee Which
wus to lecward Of he others, lufIed m before
She 'g"ssod. and slipped in ahead aud 10 wind
ward of tho tulonia, which crossed some thrco
nilutrs after tho gun
!h- racers had no sooner left tho line than
th"y ran into Hat calm. and for some minutes
not u hreath Of wind stirred. After moments
Al ,t., 10 MAJ