Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-07-10
TO RACE THE DEFENDER
The Vigilant Ready For a Brush
 With the New Boat.
THE TEST TO BE MADE THURSDAY.


 Racing Trim and Has Been Much Inn
 proved, So the Meeting will Be Most
 Interesting Event. -...
 PROVIDENCE, July 10.-The Vigilant, looking quite as natty as she ever did, came smoking into the harbor under low CT sails and club topsail. It was with a sort of defiant swing she rounded to and dropped anchor of the Herreshoffs', with in 200 yards of the Colonia and Defender. Her run from Newport, about Il nautical miles, was made in 45 minutes, the wind being fair, from the southwest, and blow ing half gale.
 Her appearance indicates improvement since she has been in the hands of MT. E. A. Willard, who now has her in charge. Both boom and gaff are longer by four feet each than the old ones with which all her racing was done, and 15 tons of lead recently placed outside on her keel, to- gether with other alterations, have mado her a very different boat, both MT. Willard and her officers say.
 With Mir. Willard there were on board MT. Oswald Sanderson of Pyxie fame, MT. William Nye of New Bedford and Eugene and Augustus Willard, sons of the gentle man in charge. Captain Charley Barr, her skipper, speaks quite enthusiastically of the old cup defender and is very sure that she has still astonishing speed. So the presence of the Vigilant in Bristol harbor is an important matter.
 Came For Sails and Q Race.
 ~Shc has colue in part to obtain a suit of sails being made by the Herreshoffs, which she is expected to bend in few days. The mainsail is finished. She has also come to have the first of her races with the De- fender. This arrangement was made months ago. In fact, her owner, MT. George J. Gould, assured the America cup committee last winter that she should be brought back from England in good time for such purpose.
 MT. Willard said: "We have come &C., cording to the arrangements made months ago to have the first of our brushes with the new boat. Considerable has been done to the Vigilant, and l am satisfied with the alterations made.
 "We shall get our new sails as soon as possible, that we may try them. It has been my determination to await the com pletion of the Defenders work here at the Herreshoffs' before bothering the firm. Now they are nearly out of the woods with the new boat and shall ask them to do the little we want done on the Vigilant. We shall be ready as the Defenders trial horse at any time.
 The race may take place on Thursday. Every effort is being directed toward that end. The rain interfered seriously with the rigging of the Defender, but the car penters were busy below, doing all that was possible in the matter of finishing the interior.
 Much headway was made, it is report | ed. So it is probable, if the weather is pleasant, the important trial will be had on Thursday. Should matters not work h0NSoUnr hn 6nfe m. | til the following day.
 Advantages of the Test. It is known by MT. Iselin and Captain Half just how the Britannia and Vigilant compare both in breezes and in light airs and they have some idea of what the Val kyrie and Britannia have done this sea- 1 son, although there have been very few | races between them. So if the Defender proves very much superior to the Vigilant there will be most promising outlook. l If she is not-well, there may be some | trouble in store for all concerned but that | is not very probable.
 Few men have worked harder than MT. c. Oliver Iselin in this matter, and he ad- mits that his work has just begun. Fig | ures prove that the new boat is fast, but | really she has only had half 8 trial, as it were. She has been sent to windward and | not found wanting. She has moved along down wind in surprising manner, but | she wants to be tried in a reaching breeze, and many other points want to be satis- factorily settled before the gentlemen re- sponsible for her design, construction and condition are thoroughly satisfied. They | will be in good time, I am sure, and the coming race with the Vigilant, in which
 the Colonia will join, will be an impor- | tant step taken in that direction. The meeting of the big cutters off Sandy
 Hook lightship for the cup offered by the New York Yacht club has been fixed for
 the goth, 22d and 23d of this month-three
 races, one of which will be over triangu-
 lar course. The Defender, Vigilant, Colo
 mia and possibly the Jubilee will be in the
 tussles. The club will have a steamer for
 members and guests. There may be an
 other days racing if it can be arranged,
 for a cup given by Commodore Gould of l the Atlantic Yacht club.