Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-09-07
Wheeling REGISTER, SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4 1895

ever, served TO maks Burgess famous
the world over as a modelmaker, and
she was also the means of introducing
into yachting history one of the most
liberal and gentlemanly and courage
Gus spOrtsmen whose name ever adorn-
ed its pages-Gen. c. J, Paine He and
Mr.. J. Malcolm Forbes, another BOs-
tonian, who has since done much for
yachting. were the principal members
OF the syndicate that built the Puritan.
Meantime, the iron Priscilla was con-
structed on plans laid by A. Cary Smith,
the popular New York designer, and
paid for with New York money, and
the new Sboats went in the trial races
with the Oracle and the BedOuin, the
latter being an out and out cutter from
designs by John Harvey, an out and
out Englishman.
THE PURITAN AND PRISCILLA
were the largest slOOps that had ever
been built in America. The former
had a load water line Length OF 81 IT.
in, and the latter one of SO II. Sin,
so constructed to meet the 81 feet Of the
Genesta.
There were three trial races aud the
new boats had them all to themselves.
The Priscilla won one, but the Puritan
defeated her twice, and was selected TO
defend the cup
The Puritan-G enesta race consisted
of the best two o - Of three races, and
il was a veritable ,est for the centre
board sloOp against the deep keeled cut
ter. The first date was September l.
the same as this year, but after the
yachts started il was seen that there
would not be enough wind to carry
them over the course Of twenty miles 70
windward and return from the Scotland
lightship, within the time limit, ana
the event was called of. On the next
gay. the Puritan fouled the Genesta at
the start, and snapped the cutters bow
spirit off. The committee promptly ana
properly ruled the Puritan out, ana IN
lormed Sir Richard Sutton that he mad
The privilege of sailing over the course
alone. Sir Richard refused to 90 this,
saving that he wanted the race ana not
q walkover, by which spOrtmanlike de-
ciSion he made warm admirers.
On September II they made a third
attempt, but were again frusticated by
the dropping of the wind On Septem-
Der II. they sailed over the n. \. !. Y
| course. from Owls Head, Bay Ridge,
Long Island out around the Sandy
Hook lightship and back, a distance OF
about SO nautical miles. The puritan
won by 10 min. 10 sec, after allowing
Genesta Is seconds. The Genesta
sprung the cap of her mast on this day.
IT WAS SEPTEMBER 16
that the Cenesta gave the New Workers
fright. The race was 20 miles down
the wind and a beat back. A good,
fresh wind was blowing at the start and
it increased so much that the Puritan
had to take in her club topsail before
she got home. The cutter beat the GEN.
tre-board l min. y sec. on the run out,
and on the beat back, the Burgess boat,
splendidly handled by Captain Joe Els
worth, of Bayonne, n. j., just managed
to cross the finish line, min. So sec.
ahead, corrected time.
r The Genesta won the Brenton's Reef
and Cape May cups from the schooner
Dauntless before she returned 20 Eng
land.
In 1888 the Boston people built the
5 MayhOWer, and in her Mr.. Burgess
turned out even a better sloop than the
Puritan. The cutter Galatea, owned
by the late Lieutenant William Hem,
r. n, and designed by Beaver-Webb,
was the challenger and she had her
turn al being beaten in two straight
races.
The trial races in 1885 were contested
by the MaytOwer, Puritan, Priscilla,
(Which has been improved since 1850,
and the Atlantic, a SloOp designed by
Phil Ellsworth, Joe's brother, and paid
for by a party of Brooklyn, n. Y, cap
italiSts. The Mayliower was easily the
best Of the quartette, and she success
fully defended the cup On September
Z, again, over the inside course, she de-
, feated the Galatea by y minutes and
, seconds, and two days later in the
open, twenty miles TO windWard and
return from Scotland Lightship the
Burgess creation won by 20 minutes
, and 9 seconds.
p THE SCOTCH STEEL CUTTER,
Thistle. was the next challenger to take
a wallcplng. She was designed by
George L. Watson, of Glasgow, who
has drawn the lines of all the recent
{ hunters of the cup. Vice Commodore
James Bell of the Royal Clyde Yacht
p; | Club, organized the syndicate that
furnished the necessary funds The
size of the challengerS had been grad
. ually increasing, and the Thistle had
= a lead water line height of So 46 feet
/, Her building was carried on with the
greatest possible secrecy, and after be-
ing launched on the Clyde, defeated the
= GeneSta and Irex in home waters by a
good margin. Her owners were very
confident when they sent their ship
over the Atlantic in 1887.
General Paine authorized Mr.. Bur
CESS TO turn out boat that would out
sail the MayfOwer, if possible, and the
now great naval architect gave his at
tention to producing that result. He
succeeded, as usual, and gave us the
Volunteer, with water line of So feet
and 10 inches The Volunteer proved
10 be wonder in windward work, and
but a single trial race with the May
flower was needed to show the
NEW BOATS SUPERIORITY.
Il was the same old 1.-TWO straight"
Notwithstanding the certainty with
which the ScOtchmen entered the con-
test There was. il may be said, Incl
dentally, more money wagered on this
race than any previous one. Well, on
the inside course on September 81, the
Volunteer won by 10 minutes and %
seconds. and two days later, the posi-
tive ScOtchmen, in 20 mile to wind
ward and return race, in the open, were
thrashed by good two miles, or II
minutes and 40 seconds.