The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-21
FIRST RACE OF THE DEFENDER.
SHE BEATS THE vIGILANT BY A
CLOSE MARGIN.

Prised in the Course and the Win
ner Covers IL Only Two Minutes
and Forty-Ffve seconds Faster
Than the VigiIant-The Time Al
IoV.nnce to Be Given the VigiIant
Not Figured out Yet.
New York July 2l.-The Vigilant made
good showing to-day in her first race
against the Defender and was beaten on
elapsed time only minutes 45 seconds
on a tnirty-mie run. II was practical
victory for the Defender, although 1t is
possible that when both yachts have been
measured the time allowance TO the Wig
liant may be sufficient 20 wipe out the
Defenders small advantage. After the
race to-day the officials would not say
that either boat had won. but contented
themselves with saying that the Defend
er had out-sailed the Nigilant on elapsed
time. From the best unofficial measure
ments so far obtainable however, Il IS
though. that the time allowance viii be
between one and two minutes, so that, in
all probability the Defender has put
victory to her credit in her first race,
though by an exceedingly narrow margin.
The official measurement Will probably not
be made public for some time, but the
judges may announce after Mondays race
which yacht is the winner.
While all the yachtsmen are congratula-
ting each other that the new American
champion is apparently faster and bet
ter than the old one. they feel pride, too,
in the fact that the cup defender Of 1898
IS still in racing form and able TO give De-
fender so stiff an argument.
Opinions were freely expressed after the
race that either boat could beat Valkyrie
III. in anything like a good sailing breeze.
The full official time was:
start. Finish. Elapsed Time.
Yigilant 49,. 1850 2.52I5 8:a:25
To-day's race was the first Of two con
tests arranged by the New York Yacht
Club for a special $500 silver cup.
The course was outside Sandy Hook,
where the trial races and the great inter
national contest with the Valkyrie will
take place. 1t consisted Of a beat of IS
miles TO winWard and a run home to the
starting point.
The second contest win take place on
Monday, beginning at II o'clock, over
triangular course Of 10 miles legs I'm order
that the qualities Of the two yachts may
be tried under all the different racing con-
ditions.
Commodore Edward NJ. Brown Of the
New York Yacht Club, when asked by
New York Tribune reporter on Friday his
opinion of the relative merits of the De-
fender and the Nigiant. and what he
thought would probably be the result of
their race of Sandy Hook on Saturday and
Monday, replied: That's pretty diff
cult question to answer The two yachts
are Of radically different types and the
contest will be very interesting on that
account AS 10 the races to be sailed
Saturday and Monday, they viii simply
be mere preliminary canters over the
course to give the big sloops a chance TO
stretch their sails, and tune up generally.
The trial races will demonstrate the rel
alive merits of the two types II wind and
weather are suitable to that purpose.
They will be for $500 cup, offered by the
New York club, II only two yachts start;
500 cup being offered as a second prize
should there be three or more starters.
AS IL is designed to test the yachts on ev-
cry tack, both triangular and straight
away courses will be sailed, thereby Civ
ing opportunity for each yacht to dem
onstrate her ability in windward and lee
ward work and reaching. The contest will
be of great interest under any conditions
of weather. and VIII be an exciting one
should there be q stin breeze and heavy
sea, as each contestant Will then be put to
a crucial test as to both her racing and
sea-going qualities. The test viii not,
however, be decisive in the selection Of a
cup-defender, as the formal trial races for
that purpose will not be sailed TIL Aug.
10 and p when 1t is hoped that the Co
lonia and Jubilee will also contend for the
honored position as defender of the gall
liant old Americas Cup, which the prim-
tive schooner racing yacht wrested from
large British feet over forty years ago.
Speaking to a Herald reporter, of the
Defender, W. G. Rocker, a leading law
yer and near relative of Mr.. Iselin of
the yacht syndicate, said: "She is all
right. and she will wis." Mr.. Rocker
further said: You can say that the De-
lender is now in the hands of the syn
dictate, and that she is all that the own
ers expected. In building the yacht the
syndicate backed the Herreshoffs, with
out a limit on the cost, against the world.
Many new features are found in the
Defender which have never been tried in
sailing craft of any sort or size, and the
different experiments have all proved sue
cessful and of the greatest advantage to
a racing yacht.
There Will be more mainsail and more
sail altogether on the Defender than she
has yet carried, and a great deal more,
in fact, for it has been found that she
can carry a large amount OF additional
canvas. The mainsail now being made
will certainly be a wonder to the yacht
ing world.
There is one thing that no one wants
to take any stock in whatever, and that
is the story about the alleged tenderness
of the Defender. There is no truth in any
statement to that effect She is the stiff
est boat imaginable, and her upper works
are strong enough and firm enough for any
seaway that ever rolled up in a yacht
race, international or otherwise
The reports which We're sent out to
New York and the western newspapers
that the aluminium plates used on the
upper works of the Defender had been
strained or sprung, are all nonsense; not
q word of truth in any of them Had
they been found unsuitable in the expert
mental runs off Newport they would have
been ripped off at once, before the yacht
was turned over TO the syndicate Tuesday
night.
mr.. Iselin," continued Mr.. Rocker
''has the yacht now, and he does not
hesitate to talk about what he expects.
AS the experiments on a keel boat. new
lines, upper works and a gigantic sail
area are all a success, why, Of course,
he expects to hold the cup in America,
md he saws he can do it with the De-