The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-27
That Was the Time the Eng
lish Boat Gained While the
Contest Lasted.
AMERICAN BOAT WITHDREW
Owner Field, Who Acted as the
Crew, Caused a Mutiny on His
Trim Little Craft.

third race in the Seawanhaka Clubs in
ternational challenge for small boats, sailed
to-day, resulted in handsome victory for
the Spruce ", the challenger. Owner G.
J. Field withdrew the Ethelwynn, the
American defender, at the end of six
miles, half the distance.
AS far as the contest was competitive
the English half-rater was a winner by
nearly nine minutes, being handsomely
sailed in wind that made yachts like the
forty-foot Norota put a double reef in her
nainsail in order to travel comfortably
while viewing the work of the tiny fighters
which were tossed like cookie shells in the
rollers kicked up by the strong southwest
erly breeze. The wind during the first
half OF the course, which was to Ieeward
and then to windward, three miles each
leg, twice around, was of II and Is knots
velocity.
On reaching Center Island buoy. min.
and So sec. after the Spruce " started on
the second run to leeward, the Ethelwynn
was sailed up to the committeeman and
Mr.. Field declared his withdrawal against
the protest of his skipper, Captain Bell,
and the advice of the Ethelwynn's de-
signer, W. P. Stephens, who was acting as
the American representative on the
Oneida.
Mr.. Field, when asked by the United
Press representative the reason ior his
withdrawal, said:
at is no fit place out here for small
boats like these, and I don't propose to
risk my precious life for any cup that
might thus be won. I wish to say, also,
that pull out against the wish and ad-
vice of my sailmaker, Mr.. Ball, and this
should be said plainly that he may be
placed right in the matter"
Later it appeared that from the time the
outer mark was turned there was mutiny
on the Ethelwynn. Captain Ball ex-
planned the facts as follows:
"My crew, composed of Mr.. Field, who
is also the Ethelwynn's owner, was prac-
tically in state of funk as soon as we be-
gan the windward work. OF course I
swore at him in true shipmaster fashion,
but when in his dual character of ship
owner 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. Under
this condition of things, with a crew that
was not even tractable as ballast, the only
thing left was withdrawal"
Captain Ball, before the series began, de-
sired his brother for crew, and Owner
Field has now acceded to his wish. The new
hand will report for duty tomorrow, and
the well-wishers of the little defender hope
that under the new conditions she will be
better able to show the qualities that are
believed to exist in the Ethelwynn. Mean
while Mr.. Field will enjoy the greater
comfort he seeks by viewing the races
from the committee boat. On the part of
the challenger, it must be said that, prior
to the preliminary signal, Mr.. Brand told
Mr.. Field that he would prefer to postpone
the race until tomorrow. To this Mr..
Field, realizing that the series were long
drawn out, said: LET US sail inside to-
day."
Mr.. Brand declined this, and the first
whistle having blown both went alongside
the committee steamer and made known
their preferences. On behalf of Mr.. Brand
the issue was finally left with Mr.. Sturdee,
his representative, while Mr.. Field left it
to Mr.. Stephens. Meanwhile. the ten
minute interval having expired, the time
keeper ordered the preparatory signal at
1925, and Mr.. Sturdee said. "Well race"
and Mr.. Stephens acquiesced.
Both boats were then ahead of the COM
mittee steamer and Mr.. Brands sailor lad
hoisted the Spruce Tvs jib. Neither had
Roadway, and as the Spruce forged ahead
and fell off under the influence of the hold
sail the Ethelwynn, having only the main
sail set, did not respond when Captain
Ball put the helm hard to weather, and as
a result the bow of the American hit the
Minima boat under her counter and threw
her into the wind, neither having any APP
probable Roadway on. The remainder of
this latest international complication came
when in crossing the line the Spruce Tvs
owner waved a protest flag, which was
promptly responded to by the answering
pennant on the Oneida.
After the race was ended Mr.. Brand, in
answer to query of the United Press rep
resentative, said that the protest signal
was hoisted as matter of precaution. The
interference during the maneuvering
described he admitted was unavoidab BILE,
and the withdrawal of his competitor
ended the matter.
The details of the race as long as COM
petitive follow:
Commodore Benedict's Oneida with the
regatta committee on board gave the start
ing signal at II 80 {noon), before the con-
testants had hardly gotten Strengthened
out after the tangle, which caused the Wis
itor to go through the form of protest,
and it was 1881 when the Ethelwynn
crossed the line for the run to leeward, and
12:31:20 when Spruce ~ passed over
Then for the first time in any of the races
Mr.. Brands Iyanhoe sailor lad Wade had
good luck in spreading the spnnaker to