The record-union., 1895-09-27

tnlrQ race IN the SeaWannaka CIuD'S 1u~
ternational challenge for small boats
sailed to-day, resulted in handsome
victory for Spruce ~, the challenger.
Owner c. J. Field Withdrew the Ethel
wynn, the American defender, at the end
of six miles, half the distance.
As far as the contest was competitive, the
English half-rater was winner by nearly
nine minutes, being handsomely sailed
in wind that made yachts like The forty
foot Norota put double reef in her main
sail in order TO travel comfortably while
viewing the work Of the tiny fighters
which were tossed like cockleshels III
the rollers kicked up by the strong
southwesterly breeze.
The wind during the first half OF the
course. which was to leeward and then to
windward, three miles each leg, twice
around, was of twelve and fifteen knots
velocity.
On reaching the Center Island buoy. s
minutes and IS seconds alter the Spruce
~. started on the second run to leeward,
the EtheIwynn was sailed up TO the
conmittee boat, and Alr. Field declared
his Withdrawal, against the protest OF his
skipper, Captain Ball, and the advice OF
the Ethelwynn's designer, W. Z. Steph-
ems, who was acting az the American rep
resentatlve on the oneida.
Mr.. Field, when asked by your corre-
spondent the reason ter his withdrawal.
said: 1T is no lit place out here for small
boats like these, and | don't propose 10
risk my precious lie for any cup thss
might thus be won. | wish to say, also,
that pull out against the wish and advice
Of my sailmaster, MIR. Bail, and this
hp llIo "a tvv no ha
placed right IN the matter"
Later 1t appeared that from the time
the outer mark was turned there was
mutiny on the Ethelwynn. Captain Bail
explained the facts as follows: My
crew, composed Of Mr.. Field, who is also
EthelWynn's owner, was practically III u
state OF funk as soon as we began tho
windward work. OF course [ swore st
him in true shipmaster fashion, but when
in his dual character of shipowner and
crew he persisted in throwing the boat
into the wind by letting fly the jibsheet
at each heavy puff, thus rendering the
rudder useless. the skipper was power
less to keep the boat in her course. I'm
der this condition OF things, with a crew
that was not even tractable AS ballast, the
only thing LETT was withdrawal"
Mr.. Ball, before the series began. de-
sired his brother for crew. ana owner
Field has now acceded To his wish. The
row, and the WelI-Wlsuers Of the little de-
fender hope that under the new condi-
tious she viii be better able to show the
qualities that are believed to exist in the
El3helwynn.
On the part of the challenger it must be
said that prior to the preliminary signal
Mr. Brand told Mr.. Field that be would
prefer to postpone the race until to-mor-
row. To this Mr.. Field, realizing that
the series was long drawn out, said: Let
us sail inside to-day" MIR. Brand de-
clined this, and the first whistle having
blown, both went alongside the COMMITTEES
steamer and made known their prefer
ences On behalf Of Mr.. Brand the issue
was finally left with Mr. Sturdee, his
representative, while MIR. Field lett it to
Mr.. Stephens. Meanwhile the ten-min-
ute interval having expired, the time
keeper ordered the preparatory signal at
1925, and Mr.. Sturdee said: we'll race"
and Mr.. Stephens agreed.
Both boats were then bit ahead of this
committee steamer, and MIR. Brands
sailor lad hOisted Spruce IN.'s jib.
Neither had headway. and as the Spruce
forged ahead and fell Oil under the inhu-
euce of the hold sail, the Eshelwynn hay
ing only mainsall set, did not respond
when Captain Ball put the helm hard 10
weather, and result the bow of the
American hit the Minma boat under her
counter and throw her TO the wind,
neither having any appreciable headway
on. The remainder of this latest inter-
national complication came whom i'll
crossing the line Spruce IV's owner
waved protest flag. which was promptly
responded to by the answering pennant
on the Oneida,
DETAILS OF THE RACE.
The details of the race as long as COM
petitive, follow:
Commodore Beuedicps Oneida with
the Regatta Com mittee on board, gave
the starting signal at 12:30 2. NJ. before
the contestants had hardly gotten straight
ened out after the tangle, which caused
the visitor to go through the form OF q
protest, and it was I2:3l when the Ethel
wynn crossed the line for the run 10 lee
ward, and l2:3I:Z0 when the Spruce ~.
passed over. Then for the first time in
any OF these races Mr.. Brands Wivenhoe
sailor lad Wade had good luck i'll spread
ing the spinE4ker to starboard. and iE
was speedily drawing handsomely bring
ing the boom so far forward that it was
like q balloon jib in the distance.
The Ethelwynn, though st this time to
windward and ahead, did not get her
spinnaker out for fully five minutes, but
after getting it up in stops it was broken
out at 12:36;l0. This had given the Spruce
a chance to geI under great headway, and
the Brlton soon passed his competitor to
| weather and went ahead.
There was but eight seconds difference
| (otlicial time between the two tiny
| flyers IN rounding the first mark and
| hauling on the wind for the three-mile
tack TO the second mark tstarling line.
! Soon after getting around, Skipper Ball
on tho Ethelwynn decided that more sail
was needed, and, heading her up into the
| wind, he ordered the crew (Owner Field
! to shake out reef. This done, and be-
/ fore she could get any Roadway under the
steadying aid Of more canvas, there came
i IA knock-down in the shape of several
! bucketfuls OF water into her cockpit
! Mayhap this was whore the crew lost
| heart, and with faint-hearted crew no
| skipper can do justice to his boat.
| However. during this time the Mlnlma
! half-rater had made several tacks. ana
| finally started on long board port to west
ward while shaking out her sail, and 50
| Captain Ball had the starbOard leg well in
! shore. Finally he went 10 port, ana laid
| coarse that carried him clear to the finish
| line without a tack. The Spruce
/ weathered the Center Island spar at
| O'Clock minutes, and was long way on
/ her second run before the wind, when tho
| Ethelwynn passed the spar aud went to
| the committee boat, her finish OF the SIX
miles being noted by the official time
keeper at 2:l1:5S.
! The Spruce reached the outer mark, or
third stake, nine miles, at 2:34:0l. and
closed the beat to windward the second
| time at 3:2l:27, having covered The twelve
miles in 2:57:27
| To-morrow's race viii be triangular,
and if the Spruce wins the cup goes to
England.