The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-19
JOHN BULLS JEALOUSY.
Defeating BritOnS BlaCkguaTd the
Slick Yankee Skipper.

After Jockeying Her Out of One Race,
They Accuse the Vigilant Of Adopt
ing Their Tactics and Beating Them
at Their Own Game-A Melancholy
Wall From AIbion's Isle.
Totland Bay, Aug. 1S.-The original
intention Of the committee in charge Of
the match race between the Britannia
and the Vigilant for the Wolverton cup,
was TO have the racers towed to the
starting point by the royal steam yacht
Osborne and MIR Gould's ATLANTA.
There was enough breeze from the
northwest, however, TO allow the yachts
TO put out from the rendezvous here under
their own sail. The Atalanta and the
Osborne preceded the racers. They were
To have been started from the Osborne,
which was to have steamed 70 leeward Of
The Needles fifteen miles, and there
anchored, Had it not been for an I'M
usual mishap to the Vigilant the course
would have been from point fifteen
miles southeast OF The Needles, dead
against the wind, and run back with
spinnakers set
The yachts got under way at 10 80 and
passed down the Solent. The Britannia
after rounding The Needles headed to the
eastward, into Freshwater bay. The
Nigilant was then standing close to The
Needles. She suddenly luffed up. low
cred her topsail, took in her fore stay
sail and RIM down her racing flag.
IL was seen that she was disabled, and
boats put out from the Osborne and tho
ATLANTA to learn the nature of the acct
dent. Later boat from the Osborne
conveyed the information 10 the Britannia
that the Vigilant had lost her center
board and would not be able to race. The
Britannia returned to Cowes under sail,
and the Vigilant was towed to South
The sloop's ccntcrboard, an i'm
mense plate OF tobin bronze,
weighing several tons, had drop
ped out and had gone to
the bottom just after she passed The
Needles. American yachtsmen here can
not recall a similar accident in yact
race. The ViRilaut's board was not hung
on pivot in the old fashioned way but
was held in place by detachable gearing.
IL may be a week before the Vigilaht will
be able TO race again.
Howard Goulu says the Vipiant struck
the ground close to The Needles, the chain
OF her centerboard broke and the board
sank. He blames Pilot Draper for run
ming the sloop aground. Draper says that
at the time he did not know the center.
board was down Mr. Gould said he did
not think the Vigilant would get another
centerOoard here. He thought she would
race again, however before leaving Eng
lish waters, toward the end Of September.
JOHNNY BULLS JEALOUSY
1t is impossible to deny that there is a
general feeling Of disgust at what is be-
lieved TO have been a mere schemeof
those sailing the Vigllant TO avoid rae
ing. Among ydchtmen there is hardly
any one who does not think that the
Vigiant's centerboard was sacrificed for
the sake of APPEARANCES
The Needles tactics after the accident
the housing of topmast, the ostentatious
reduction Of sail, the subsequent full
sailing to Southampton, and Howard
Gould's readiness to be interviewed, are
all regarded as pointing the same moral
Lord Wolvertou's immediate with
drawal of the prize shows the opinion that
prevails Ia the Royal Yacht Squadron. A
resumption of the racing between tho
Britannia and the Vigilant is regarded as
extremely doubtful.
VIOLENT LETTER.
London, Aug 1s.-The Field to-day
gives prominence to a violent letter
against the Vigilant, which is said TO be
"A true reflection Of English comments
heard on all sides; but which have not
yet appeared in print
The writer of the letter says that inter
national courtesy has been overdone, es-
pecially as, in his view, this courtesy is
not reciprocal. 1t is asserted that the
Americas cup was defended by
construction" which in no way
conformed to British ideas of
yacht, and that shifting ballast was used
during the cup races. The letter then re-
counts certain alleged violations by the
Vigilant of the British yacht racing as
sociation's rules as TO wooden bulkheads,
fittings, etc., and says that the Vigilant
was not mared until British patience
was exhausted"
The writer in Field asks II the Vigil
liant Is TO be allowed to break every rule
with AN empty shell for hull, which is
ineligible 70 compete with racing yachts,
and with a crew OF Norsemen and En-
glish sails"
In conclusion the Vigilant's critic re-
marks that Britishers boast in their nat
ional pride "of British ship not ma
chine. with British canvas and manned
by Britons."