The herald., 1895-07-21
Defender Outfoots the Old Cham
piOn Handily
NOW FOR VALKYRIE'S SCALP
The New Flyer Excels the Fondest Hopes
of Her Builders
The Race Wss Run Over the Course Upon
Which Americas Cup Race Will
Take Place
Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
NEW YORK. July 20.-The Defender
has met the Vigilant and vanquished her
over a course of fifteen miles to the wind
ward and return in the same waters that
the cup races will take place in Septem-
ter. Tho course was one of the kind
wherein Valkyrie III. will meet ;the cup
Defender, and that Defender is boat
much superior to the Vigilant was clearly
proven. The new boat not only outsailed
the old champion to remarkable extent,
but she outfooted her as well when sailing
to the windward. Moreover, on the run
home before the wind, with the Vigilant's 8
center board hauled she gained on the
champion. an advantage chat she most
enthusiastic admirers did not anticipate
The weather was about what it is to be
expected during the season IN which the
cup races will take place. There was a
good breeze OF twelve to fifteen knots an
hour blowing throughout the day and the
sea was smooth.
Taking everything into consideration the
trial was everything that could be asked
for in the results. The Vigilant has i'm
proved from five TO ten minutes in a
course Of thirty miles over her form OF
1893, and If this is the case the Defender
must be marvel. The public seem to
understand that the race of today and
that of Monday may do away altogether
with the necessity of formal trial races.
Therefore the very interesting race was
witnessed by a comparatively small num-
ber of people.
A yachtsman who has witnessed all the
races during the last twenty years says
that in his experience he never saw any
thing prettier in the way of start tn an
that of today. They were both of them
over and away SO quickly after the start
ing gun boomea that every onlooker knew
that the fight was to be to the death.
The Vigilant was in perfect trim. 1t is
thought the owner OF the Vigilant has
spent anything from $4,000 to $75. 600 in
getting his boat ready either to defeat the
Defender and in that Say enable him to
carry out his cherished desire. or to con-
vince the American cup committee that
in beating his boat, the Defender will be
well worthy OF her name. There was no
doubt in the mind of any expert who saw
the race today that the Vigilant was sail
ed for all that was in her. That she was
beaten can be explained only one way,
that is, the other racer was the better
boat.
The programme called for a start at II
a.n,., and it was only twenty minutes al
ter that hour whe1the regatta com mittee
of the yacht club who had arranged the
races and who were on Commodore
Browns steam yacht Sylvia. ordered the
firing of the preparatory gun.
The Sylvia took up position to the
eastward of Scotland lightship and noti-
fed the yachts by signal that the course
was to be on an imaginary line OF the
flagship and the main mast of the light
ship to windward out into the open sea,
or down tho New Jersey coast. and return
before the wind.
The wind at this time was blowing
about ten miles an hour. almost due fiom
the south. The same breeze held all day.
1t ev IN increased during the afternoon,
but the sea was at no time rough.
They cruised around to the eastwa rd OF
the starting line until the word was Civ.
en-. When that did come both were stand
ing in toward the New Jersey coast, with
the wind coming over their port sides.
They lacked down. che Defender always
in the lead and getting through the water
at very rapid rate. The Vigilant ap-
peared to be rather sluggish. even as ear.
~ In the day as that. But when they
aa .I