The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-09-07
First Of the Battles Between the
Defender and Valkyrie.
TIME ALLOWANCE OF 20 1-1O SEC
ONDS GIVEN DEFENDER.
General Expectation Was That 1t Would
ments of the Yachts-Betting Brisk at
Odds 10 to 7-Thirty Thousand People
WIN wv fnI, tho r. anaa


Will Watch the Races.
New York, September 6.-The New
York Yacht club house was the scene of
much activity this evening. The club
houue was crowded with members, and
the merits of the two bigsraoers were dis
cussed with considerable animation by
the yachting sharps. At 7.35 p. m. Mr..
Hyslop arrived at the club house. He
was ushered upstairs to Secretary Oddie's
office and at once turned over his
measurements. Shortly afterwards Mr.
Oddie came down stairs and announced
that Lord Dunraven's challenger would
have to allow the Defender 20 1-10
seconds. The assemblage present ex-
pressed considerable surprise ut the
figures. 1t was generally believed in
yachting circles that the difference in
time allowance in favor of the Defender
would be from 1-2 to 2 minutes and
consequently there was some disappoint-
ment when the announcement was made
"It will take pretty stiff breeze to save
us at that rate" said one member joking
ly. ''Oh we don't need those 30 seconds, -
said another The regatta committee ex-
pressed themselves as being perfectly
satisfied with the result of the measure
ment and several members declared they
would be better pleased if both yachts
went to the line tomorrow on equal
terms. Mr.. Hyslop'S official report is as
follows: Length on load water line
Valkyrie 8S 85; Defender, 8S. 45. Length
from outer end of main boom to forward
point of measurement, Valkyrie, 7S. "a;
noFo ,rSth WI of
spinnaker boom, Valkyrie, rs. "a;
Defender, 73. 36. Length of main gaff,
Valkyrie, $3.50; Defender, 64.94. Length
of topmast, Valkyrie, 55. 5S; Defender, A.
Hight upper side of main boom to top
sail halyard block, Valkyrie, 129. 80; De-
fender, 1875. 4S. Square root of sail area
as per rule, Valkyrie, ia. IA; Defender,
1926. Sailing length as per rule,
Valkyrie, 101. 40; Defender, 100, 36. Time
allowance, 80 1-10 seconds
On the eve of the contest the betting
has become quite brisk. English and
Canadian money has been held back for
better odds than has been offered Small
bets have been made at varying odds of
three to two on the Defender, but in
large amounts the odds have been six to
five and ten to seven. The latter were the
latest figures tonight at the New York
Yacht club, and the hotels. On the Stock
Exchange today it is said S36 600 was
placed. F. T. Adams placed $1,000 on the
Valkyrie at odds of seven to ten. The
wager was laid for an English client.
Betting opened and closed at seven to ten
with wages in interim of eight to ten.
The Valkyrie end of the betting has
been principally by Canadians. The
weather outlook for tomorrow favors the
Americans rather than the British boat.
Local Forecaster Dunn, after carefully
going over his reports said "The con-
n 1iEnlv nraUa11 fOmnrrOVy
will be favorable for the contest. There
will be brisk wind OF from twelve to
eighteen miles an hour. 1t will come at
first from the northeast, shifting to a
southeasterly quarter. 1t is bound to be
an on shore wind. The Indications are
day. There may possibly be light
| showers, but it is not likely that there
will be any heavy rain. "
YachtSmen and mariners who have
records as prophets agreed substantially
with the government weather bureau.
Tomorrow promises to be a Defender day.
1t is only the most rabid rooter for the
Yankee boat, however, who claims that
defending the cup is easy this year.
Yachtsmen who have seen the Valkyrie,
both in the dry dock and under sail de-
clare that the English men have q better
chance for capturing the cup than they
have ever had before. That the contest
this year is to be a race of we'll matched
boats is so generally conceded that
greater interest in the result prevails
than in any of the former international
contests. The hotels are full of people
from distance and New Yorkers have
made an early return from summer re-
sorts in order to witness the races. 1t is
estimated that thirty thousand people
will witness tomorrow's race. Sixty five
excursion steamers are advertised to leave
this city, and others will start from
Brooklyn, Newark, Jersey City and other
points.