The morning call., 1894-03-05
THE FLASH AGAIN.
Skipper Beetle Outsails
Won Schmidt.
But the Race no Test of the Swift
ness of the Yachts, Owing to
the Variable Wind.

The question of superiority between the
yachts Flash, owned by Captain E. White
head, and the Whirlwi' d, owned by Com
modore E. A. Won Schmidt, seems to be no
nearer settled than it was before the ex-
citing race which took place yesterday on
the bay.
The time for starting had been set for II
A. NJ, but it was long past that hour be-
tore he Flash hove in sight. At IL NJ.
Commodore Blow 10 the canoe Mystic sent
the yachts off. The wind at the start wa s
from the southwest and very light. The
first of the course was made TO the east of
Goat Island on the port tack. By the time
the island was cleared the Whirlwind had
the best of 1t, being fully half mile to
windward and was out-footiDg the Flas b.,
but lost very thing by holding on thi~ tack
for FULLY mile too far. 1t was undoubt-
edly this that cost Won Schmidt the race
Captain Beetle. who was at the helm of
the Flash, had his weather eye with him
and tackled at the right place. Reaching
the channel it was found that the wind
was coming from the west. Won Schmidt,
passed the point where he ought TO have
tackled. When he went about ON the star
board tack to ease off his sheets TO bring
up to Blossom Rock and when near this
point he found the tide so strong that he
could hardly make any Roadway with his
craft in the light wind.
Beetle, in "a cking when he did. just
gagged the distance, wind aud tide 10 a
nicely, and passed around fully a minute
and a hall ahead of Won Schmidt. When
the first turning point had been cleared IL
was found that the wind had shifted again
and was coming from the northwest, which
gave them an easy reach along the city
front on the second leg of the course to
Mission Rock. The wind was coming in
mere puffs and streaks.
Off Telegraph Hill the Flash ran into a
calm spot and the WhirlwiDd caught up
and passed her on one of the streaks of
wind. Won Schmidt held this lead until
they had reached Mission Bay, when he
was unlucky enough to strike just such a
calm as had placed the Flash astern of
him. This time 1t was the Flash that came
up and passed with the wini, and from
this point until the finish she led. The
yachts went into Mission Bay OF the star
board tack. jammed hard on the wind,
which showed that the wind had again
shifted back to southwest
The Flash rounded MISSION K Ock three
minutes ahead of the Whirlwind, aud
squared away for home.
This was the most satisfactory leg of
the course. The wind blew steady but
light. [; was here also that another sur
prise was afforded for the Flash, with her
81 innaker set, was not pulling away from
the Whrlwind as every one expected her
to do, as the craft was footing IL The fas test.
On the runs home Captain Beetle made
an error in holding too far to the north
ward, which cost him fully thirty seconds.
The time of the race for the course.
which was ten and seven-eighlhs miles
long. was: Flash, hours 81 min. and 20
Sec: Whirlwind, hours "a min. and 30
Sec, which means that the Flash Won by
2 min. and 10 sec. The yachts Zephyr.
Pelgram and Blanche followed the racers.
Commodore Blow was in charse of the race.