The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-24
THE ETHEL WYNN WINS
the LITTLE DEFENDER EASILY
DEFEATS THE ENGLISH
YACHT SPRUCE.
BY 7 MINUTESTANDY4l SECONDS

The Englishman Accepts the Result i'm
Good Nature and A Acknowledges that
He is Beaten--Though the Ethel
Wynn Crossed the Line First She
Was Soon Passed by the English
BOat--But the Yankee acht Proved
the Better Sailer Before the Wind.
OYSTER BAY, N. Y, Sept. 23.-The
first race of the match, the best three
out of five, between the half raters Ethel
Wynn, of the Indian Harbor Yacht Club,
and Spruce w, of the Winima Yacht
Club of England, was sailed to-day after
Saturdays huke. Ethel Wynn won very
easily. She beat Spruce IV by seven
minutes forty-one seconds, over a
course that began with run
to leeward for three miles and
included a beat back on the second
leg, and a repetition of those legs to
make the full distance of twelve miles.
After the race Mr. J. Arthur Brand,
owner Of Spruce ", said to a reporter
of the Associated Press that he had
changed his mind in one way, if not in
others. He bad believed that Spruce ~.
was more clever in a breeze that blew,
but he discovered to-day that the
stronger the wind the better was Ethel
Wynn.
Mr. Brand had no possible complaint,
he said, to make against the steam
yachts, excursion boats, schooners or
sloops that were following the racers,
except in one instance, when Mr.. Col
gate Herts' steam launch got in his way
just before the start and interfered with
his crossing the starting line ''But,"
said Mr. Brand, Don't think for q
moment that | am making a claim that
the incident would affect the result. |
was beaten and well beaten"
The preliminary whistle was blown at
1890. A preparatory signal was given
at 1910, and after that the yachts had
five minutes to make a start. 1t was a
one gun flash start where the contestants
had to figure on the time that the gun
would be fred and get over the line as
soon after the designated time as posi-
bic. This kind of game always gives
shippers a chance to jockey about the
line and to outWit each other if they are
smart enough.
Ethel Wynn got ove2 the fue first and
went away on her business without
waiting for her challenger. Spruce was
not lazy and she came upon the weather
side of the American boat before an
eighth OF a mile had been covered and
blanketed the yank. More than that
the Britisher went by the Yankee, but
that was the only time that England was
ahead of America. On crossing the
line and running before the wind,
both boats set their spinnakers.
The breeze at that time was blowing
about four knots an hour and the
racers sped before it. Going down to
the outer mark on the first round, Ethel
Wynn Overhauled Spruce ~ and made
her turn at 80 40 or II seconds ahead
of her antagonist. Coming up into the
wind the boats stood away over to the
Long Island shore under the point that
is known as Lloyd's Neck. On the first
tack over toward the Lloyd Neck sands,
Spruce failed, but when the wind be-
gan to haul, as it did to the Southwark
and Ethel Wynn was enabled to ease
sheets, the American boat ran away
from the Britisher before the former
passed out into the open water of Long
island Sound.
The boats turned the home buoy as
follows:
Ethel Wynn, 3:02:O2; Spruce, 3:O915.
On the second run out to the mark,
Ethel Wynn was first turning that buoy
at 3:35:3S, while Spruce did not get there
until 3:42:03
After going round the outer mark the
second time the contestants again stood
in along the Long Island shore under
LIoyd's Neck and there was good deal
of reaching in getting home, the wind
having hauled well to the southwark.
Ethel Wynn passed the line first at
4:47 Is. She was greeted with the usual
shrieking and tootings of the assembled
fleet of observers. But the good game
Spruce, who came along at 4:54 6,
seven minutes and Al seconds behind,
received as royal welcome as the win
v,np