The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-06
Yachts Sail Over Point Ju-
dith Course.
Signal Gun for the Finish Fired After
First Round.
Defender won-Vigilant Crossed
Minutes and 10 seconds Later.

NEWPORT, r. l., Aug 6.-The crack
sloops and schooners of the big New
York Yacht Club fleet today S,ntested
for the cups offered by Captain j. X.
Drexel OF the New York Yacht Club.
Eight 500 cups We're offered, four for
schooners and four for single-stickers,
and the prizes, with the honors they con-
veyed, were sufficiently attractive to
bring out a large number of starters.
The chief interest of the yachtsmen, and
the hundreds who watched the race
from shore, centered, of course, in the con-
test between Defender and Vigilant,
although in the opinion OF the
majority, there was no doubt as TO the
conclusion, barring accidents, as the
faith of all the enthusiasts Is now pinned
on Defender. Lack of wind was the only
complaint sailor-men could make against
the weather when they turned out this
morning. The sun was only partly OBJ
gCuTed by light clouds, which were
burned away at an early hour, and at s
o'clock there was everything TO indicate
that the day would be clear and warm.
At O'Clock there was barely wind
enough to fiutter the flag on Fort
Adams, and the surface of the harbor
was too smooth and placid TO suit the ex-
actions OF the yachtsmen. The breeze
freshened slowly but surely, however,
and when the gun ON the flagship Sylvia
doomed forth at s O'Clock, the pennants
on the yachts were stirred by an encour-
aging breeze from the southwest when
they were ra ised for the day.
An hour later the wind still held good
and all was life and activity aboard the
yachts. Shortly before 10 o'clock the
flagship Sylvia gave the signal for the
start out of the harbor and soon alter led
the feet around Brentons Point The big
sloops and schooners were ready to go out
when the signal was given and soon fol-
lowed the example OF the graceful black
steam yacht end headed for Brentons Reef
Lightship. BY IL O'Clock craft of all
kinds had joined the procession and less
than dozen yachts were left in the
barbor.
BRENToNs POINT, Aug. g. - About
1880 the Nigilant put In an appearance
around the end of the Point, coming
down under mainsail, two headsails ana
clubtopsails. She was followed half an
hour later by the Defender under similar
sails, but the Jubilee at 1850 had not app
peared and the race started off with the
| two Herreshoff boats on y. The wind at
| 1850 was about southwest by south and
blowing steadily six miles an hour, but
the weather conditions were almost ex-
actly similar TO those of last Friday and
there were nearly as many boats at the
start as on that day. At minutes OF ii
| O'Clock the boats were still waiting Tor
| the Jubilee. AT exactly II O'Clock the
| preliminary gun was fired from the sylvia
| and both boats at that time were consid-
| erably to the leeward of the mark. The
! Vigilant, however, came about and stood
over toward the lightship for the fayorite
position.
THE COURSE.
The course is Point Judith, thence
| outward 10 miles and back to the light
ship 10 miles, and repeat
| II :0S. The Defender was still standing
for the line on the port tack, while the
of the lightship.
11:1o. The first gun was fred for the
small boats, and they started with the
| Q-een Nab in the lead. The schooners
| strated at IL: :15 the Emerald going ovei
the line first. Five minutes later the
small scbooners started, and the big
| sloops swung around for the final
maneuver for positions.
The Defender, however, got the better oil
IL, and cutting in by the Niiglant was
well up to the line when the gun fired al
| IL :25 The Defender crossed at ii :25:bO
while the Vigilant was late getting ovei
the line at IL :26 40. Both the beats
started over the line on the starboarc
tack with ba -jibtopsails set.
IL :29:20 Both boats came about or
port tack and stood over toward the Mar
| ragansett shore. The Defender was KEEP
a good fun and reached rapidly by tn,
| Nigilant, blanketing her and at ll:N
had passed on and was fully quarte
of n mile in the lead.
IL :57. The Defender came on the por
tack, and the Vigilant followed suit, bu
fully a mile to leeward. AT noon botl
boats were standing toward the Nara
gansett shore, but i'm the light wind wer
making but little progress.
1901. The Nigilant came about agar
on the starboard, and at 1923 the DE
fender did the same In this last hitcl
the Vigilant seemed to pick up little ol
the leader.
1905. The Vigilant tackled again {
port and one minute later, the Defende
followed her.
12:11-The boats made another hitch Z
starboard and the Vigilant seemed TO b
holding the Defender well
N12:16. The Wig liant made another hitc
TO port, but the Defender kept on.
~; The Defender is reaching rapid
down toward the outer mark. Dut tn
Vigilant has taken n tack inshore. de
fender has Just followed the Nigilan
and Is making the tack 10 porti she WI
soon round the outer mark and has lea
apparently OF over mile, having In
creased II rapidly in the last fve minutes
12.2L The Nigilant again swung roun
ON the starboard tack, headed out TO IN
mark.
1928. The Defender came round agai
on the starboard tack, the wind at tn
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