Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-07-15
FASTEST AFLOAT.
Defender OutsaiIs the VigiIant
With Greatest Ease.
Shows Her Superiority Over the Old
Hero at Every Point.
Square Test, Sunday. in the vislant's Own
We>ther and Sea.

Newport, r. l , July 1.-THE long
looked-for contest between the big sloops
C une OFF, t'day, the Defender defeating
the Figilant on her own ground with light
air and calm seas. The Defender out
> allied her opponent In almost every par
t.cular. But once did the Vigilant show
any supernrity-in runping-but this was
to be expected of a centrebuard craft when
competing with keel. So positively was
the Defender showing better work. that
Mr.. Willard, when he saw a squat COM
ing up in the south, wore ship and lay to
while the head and topsails were taken in.
q The forenoon had well passed when the
two contestants got up sail and after tax.
Ing a few tacks about the outer harbor,
started down tho channel. A breeze was
blowing about 10 miles an hour from the
northwest, the sea was almost fat and
the northern skies were filled with wind
clouds The start was from off Castle
Hill
Both craft rugged out their spinnaker
booms. It was II 10 when the Vigilant
b'oke out her sptnnaker. five minutes
later, when the Vigilant had caught up
with her Both set their balloon topsails.
The course was S. s. f., and the De-
fender at first appeared to forge slowly
ahead, but there was some difficulty with
her spinnaker and 1t was taken in and
directly was out again. The course was
not south by west. Both boats were in
perfect trim. The two boats ran off shore,
the Vigi!ant making slightly better time,
the estimated speed being about seven
miles an hour.
At IL 08 the Nielant took in her spin
maker, followed sharply by the Defender,
whose crew worked quicker and had the
lib in the stops before tho Viglant's boom
was in. The sheets were trimmed aft, and
the two boats laid off On the starboard
tack, their course being west by north In
coming about, the Defender had the ad-
vantage of about two lengths, and as the
two boats settled down to work, she readily
increased her lead to some quarter of a
mile.
At 1924 the Defender broke out lib and
staysail to windward and took in balloon
lib. At 12.2 8 the Defender broke out her
baby jibtopsail and came about, heading
northeast. The Vgiilant followed
naturally and bad the better position.
The Defender pinched across the Vigilants
bow and then when eased off, readily drew
out good opening. Captain Half was at
the Defenders wheel, and Captain Barr
was sailing the Nigilant.
AS the Defender drew ahead of the Vigi
liant, the latter was forced to take the
formers back wind, so she tackled ship
and laid her course east by south, but
there being no laidoff course, splitting
tacks could not be attempted If compari
son of the two boats were to be made, SO
Captain Half gave his command and Is
seconds were consumed in coming about
For about 20 minutes the two craft stood
along so that they could be easily COM
Jared. The Defender was readily out
footing and outpointing her competitor.
1t was 0S when the Vigilant threw
up the contest. Down by Point Judith,
the Defender was hard on to the Vigil
hnt, when the latter dropped her tug and
started to let ont for herself, having ap-
parently decided that she had enough and
would not be drawn into another contest
She then plodded on toward New London.
The Defender was loath to give up and
chung on until out of sight, The last seen
of the Vigilant she showed indisposition
to further engage in sorapping.
About clock the Defender returned
ana aDCnOFeu Ddtk Oh V1e bOTpcUO SptblOD
The Defender has not yet been turned
over to the syndicate, as there is yet con-
siderable work to be done on her, so she
will return to Bristol.
The test, today, was sufficient to prove
the Defenders qualities for light weather
The Vigilant carried much larger jib
topsail than the Defender, which is the
possible cause for her failure to point up
as finely as might be desired
The Defender will undoubtedly be ready
to meet the Vigilant to race off New York,
Saturday next when heavier wind will
probably bring out more good qualities
As to the work of the foreign and Yankee
crews, today's work showed the superior
fly of the latter. They worked quicker
and with more vim, though the former
we'll knew they were being tried as well
as the boats.
Today's trial was composed of short
tacks not sufficient to give the Defender
any great leads. though on the actual
course she would have shown herself some
minutes better.