The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-10-14
THE CUP REMAINS HERE
Vigilant Defeats the Valkyrie for
the Third Time.
TIE CONTEST A VERY CLOSE ONE

THE OONTESr a VbhY ULUSb UNh .
TT = 2 =. -t,-.s.r----
uhs American Yacht Won by Only Forty |
Seconds, and but for a Series Of Acci-
dents to the valkyris Would Proba-
bly, Have Been Defeated.
NEW YORK, Oct. 14.--America wins. In
. gale that split two spinnakers on Lord
Dunraven's Valkyrie the Vigilant won the
third Of tho international yacht races, and
the cup 10 ours. For another ysnr the
trophy remains In this country. and Lord
Dunraven goes home without race to his
credit. He goes with the satisfaction, how
ever, of knowing that he led the Vigilant
by almost two minutes In beating to the
windward fifteen miles, and would In all
probability have Won yesterdays race but
fcE the accident to his canvas. AS it vas
the vigilant won by forty seconds.
1t ws~-A,.day long to be remembered.
The weather bureau had predicted that
che wind would blow great guns, and that
the storm which had caused havoc on the
southern coast would get here before the
race was over 1t came on time The
yachts finished In the edge OF it, and all
the accompanying feet raced home before
IL. No grander race was ever sailed off
this port, and the spectators on the excur-
sion boats were amply repaid for their trip
and incidental discomfort, duo to the
thrashing Of the boats in the heavy sea.
1t was day of reefed mainsails, day
when life lines were out n day when the
strength Of spars and toughness Of canvas
counted as much as lines below water.
II was day to test seamanship as we'll as
yacht architecture. 1t was just the day
thEt Lord Dunraven and all the British
4. Al Ii. -
q day, he still claimed, that his yacht
could sail with the Vigilant.
He had been beaten in two races easily
in light wind, and still moro easily in
what Americans call a stiff breeze. His
only hope was in gale, and the gale split
his sails, while the stanch Vigilant came
home under big cloud Of canvas with tho
wind piping through her shrouds and
without mishap of any kind.
There were not as many excursion boats
out MS usual The smaller craft that have
ventured out on other race days were ab-
sent. The ocean steamers that carried
passengers were the most comfortable, as
the steamboats, rolled and pitched in a way
that gave the passengers some concern as
30 their safety.
The course was a beat to windward If
teen miles, and return. At 1907 the flag
Au1p up lH6 blkuhi,
and fired gun to attract attention to 1t.
Ten minutes later the preparatory gun
wRs fired. A few seconds before the start
ing gun was fired both yachts were flying
for the line, close hauled on the starboard
tack. The Englishman crossed a few Sec
ends ahead aud well to windward.
After crossing the line both yachts were
besled we'll to leeward The Valkyrie was
Atrife stiffor, and seemed to carry her can
vas with more ease. 1t was a wise move
TO have reefed mainsails, for the sea was
Increasing at evory moment. and the baro-
meter falling rapidly gave every indica-
tion of an approaching storm. Once over
the line, the racers settled down to their
work.
The Increased ballast attached to the
Vslkyrie's keel appeared to do her a
world of good, for she sat right up to
windward, and in less than an hour was
fully 300 yards off the Americans how,
while the Vigilant was fully one-quarter
Of point further away from the wind.
They were plunGing their bowsprts deep
down into the sea, and decks were awash
more than once.
At ld0 the Vlgilant, being pretty close
70 sh1re, went on the port tack, and headed
in the direction of the Vslkyrie, then
Hing over on the starboard. Two and
minutes later the Vigilant, seeing
she must pass astern of her rival, went
Int again aud stood In shore. Both
time @Rsn 10 tss tas vfsSFSasrd e tack 70,
al ih8s6. followed by the Vigilant five sec
onds later.
They ow stood off shore, and one hall
hour afterward they went In stays, tn,
Valkyrie- had gone 100 yards further tc
wtndward, and was outfooting the Ameri
san.
The ViRilant though almost a hall
mile behind at the turn, managed to picA
up handlly her English rival and closed
upon the weather quarter. As soon as hi
did this he, OF course, blanketed the leader
took away all Of his wind, and managed
to crawl up and gradually pass him. But
chs Englishman gave the .Vigilant dos,
of her own medicine. She took away the
wind from the American. and in turn sho
ahead.
1t was just in the midst of one of thes,
battles that an unfortunate mlshap. Of
rather a series of unfortunate mishaps
took place. The EnRlishman WAS leading
by several lengths when little split ap
peared on the inner leach of tho CUTTER
apinnaker. Longer and longer the rem
seemed to grow, and when 1t had extended
ten feet outboard Captain Cranfield wa
forced TO take Ii in.
IN two minutes another spinnaker o
Hight Irish linen was taken out of the holt
and quickly run up to the masthead |
mas all In vain, however, for the wind wa
thsp blowing nearly half gnle and thi
light piece Of canvas was soon torn Int
shreds
This crushed forever the hopes of al
English victory, even for one brief day, 70
slough balloon iib topsnil WINS hoistet
IN lieu of a spinnaker the English cutie
fell rapidly astern, and CROSSED the lin
about five hundred yards be hind the Vigi
liant.
Tho ViGllant covered the distance In 8 h
d min. 80 SEC. The Valkyrcs time wa
Oh. % min. 80 SEQ. Deductlng the time al
iowance, Vigilant wins By 40 sec.
In the run TO the outer mark the Val
kyrie led tho Vigilant by min. o5 sec.
In the race back to the city the Vigilan
close reefed her mainsail dropped her top
sails and scudded home so fast that he
ang could not overtake her, The Vnl
kyrie also ran up to Bay Ridge unde
sssfed mainsell and jib. The outer edg
Of the gale had just arrived, and the OK
cursion boats reached the upper bay jus
- 1t broke on the city.
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