Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-19
Trial Races to Be Sailed Tomorrow
and Monday.
INGENUITY AND EXPENSE Put FORTH
The Defender Expected to Be
VaIkyrie's Contestant.
VARIOUS SPORTING NOTES

tween the successful defender OF the
Americas cup in the '03 races-tne Vigil
iant-and the new sloop Defender. which is
looked upon as being the yacht which will
uphold Americas yachting honors in the
races with Valkyrie III next fall. The So
called races. SO far. between the Colonia
and the Vigilant with the latest HERES
HON creation have been in nowise true
tests. The Colonia Is in far from racing
form, her hull being very foul. while the
Vigilant in the single run on last Sunday
for a few moments was in an equally bad
condition. No time was taken, nor was
there a start or finish. Except for the fact
that ii was learned the new boat was re-
markedly quick in stays, and that even
with the enormous spread Of canvas and a
tremendously long main boom she was re-
markedly stiff the general public Is as
much in the dark as eyer regarding her
true form. The race tomorrow will be the
first opportunity for getting line on the
real merits Of the new boat.
Tomorrow's Race.
The two races to be sailed are to be held
under the auspices of the New York Yacht
Club. and are to be over the course outside
Sandy Hook. A cup valued at $500 is Of
fered for the winner. with 500 cup for
the second boat, If four boats or more
should start
The races will begin at II am. and the
start will be made off Sandy Hook or the
Scotland lightship, as may be signaled
The clubs regatta committee have issued
the following sailing directions:
Course No. From the starting line to
and around a mark fifteen miles to wind
ward or to leeward and return, leaving
mark on the starboard hand.
Course No. 2-From the starting line
ten miles to and around a mark. thence
ten miles to and around a second mark;
thence ten miles to the finish iine turning
the marks on the outside of the triangle
to port or starboard. according as the
yachts are sent around.
Starting and finish lines will be between
a point on the flagship Sylvia, Indicated by
a white flag, and the mainmast of the
lightship. The starting and finish lines
will be at right angles with the outward
ana nome courses, respectively"
Cost of the Defender.
The new boat. the Defender, without a
doubt Is the most costly racing craft ever
constructed. Everything that could in any
way suggest itself to the ingenious mind Of
her designer and builder to further her
chances as defender of the most valued
yachting trophy In the world was provided
by the syndicate that owns her.
The crew that will sail the Defender are
all Americans, from Deer Island. Me-, and
intelligent body of men, and they lave
been In active training. under Capt. Half
for several weeks. English racing crews
have been invariably better drilled than
ours, but Mr.. 1selin and Capt. Half feel
that this year it will be otherwise. The
most remarkable feature of the many on
the new yacht is the extent to which weight
has been reduced not only in the hull, but
also aloft, and yet withal, not particle
Of strength has been sacrificed. The plat
ing below the water line Of manganese
bronze gives wonderful strength, weight
where 1t Is needed, and a surface capable
he
Her top-sides of aluminium combine the
requisite strength with a lghtness here
tofore unthought of. Up aloft the blocks
always before this source of great
their frequent breaking down, are marvels
Of strength and lightness. They have been
tested up to strain far beyond anything
that they will be likely to endure. When
first launched various parts of her stand
ing rigging were tried in a lighter metal
but on developing weakness they were re-
placed with steel forgings. She will be
steered with wheel which is a novelty
on craft Of this kind inasmuch as 1t Is a
double one. and therefore. many think her
builders expect her to be hard on the helm.
This wheel Is fitted with bevel instead
of the usual worm gear.
General View of Her.
To stand aft of the wheel and observe
the broad range Of deck forward, with
only the fewest possible distractions in the
way of skylights and matches, is assuring
of comfort for the crew handling the sails
There is only the barest possible rail. but
in place of 1t on each side long cleat is
secured to the deck to afford the crew a
foothold when working the craft.
Below decks the Defender is a mere shell.
floor Is laid down. two bulkheads are in
place, and a few state rooms fitted up. The
crew live aboard the tender, Hattie Palmer.
The best possible dimensions for the new
craft at present obtainable-for the owners
and builders still refuse to make the actual
ones public-are: Length over all, i26 feet
9 inches; beam, % feet; draft, 10 feet; lead
water line, 80 feet; total sail area, about
1900 square feet.
As there has been scarcely day within
the past week that some new measure
ments are not said to be the correct ones
for the spars, 1t is scarcely worth while
publishing their several lengths, excepting
that Of new main boom, which Is to be
1O7 feet long. feet longer than the one
row in use.
The Sails Provided.
The outfit Of sails is most liberal, no less
than four mainsails being supplied for her.
The sails are all made with the cloths run
ling from the huff to the leech, and are of
duck, especially woven for this purpose.
That the Vigilant is in true racing trim
there can be no doubt. Whether the boat
has been improved by the recent changes
that have been made in her-namely, the
frightening of her bow and the cutting out
from her keel aft of a section weighing
1000 pounds and substituting a piece of
oak in place of the leads a subject Of
speculation.
Mr.. Gould, her owner and Mr. E. s. Will
lard. who has charge of the boat, claim
that the recent alterations have improved
the boat from fifteen to thirty minutes in a
thirty-mile course.
The amount of money that has been ex-
pended on the Vigilant to fit her for the
trials Is said to be 100000. When it is re-
called that $4,000 was the highest estimate
Of the expenditure by the Boston syndicate
that ran the Puritan in 1885, 1t will be
seen that yacht racing nowadays-at least,
the racing of yachts for the Americas cup
costs good deal more than 1t did a few
years ago. It may be that the races of to-
morrow and Monday between the Vigilant
and Defender will do away with The neces-
sity of formal trial races later on.
Should the Defender beat the vigilant
easily in both races under conditions that
satisfy the Americas cup committee, the
committee may decide that no further tests
between these boats shall be necessary
THE DEPARTMENTAL LEAGUE.
Standing of the Clubs at the End of
the First Series.