The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-09-12

ing to the sailing regulations of the re
gatta committee of the New York Yacht
club, under whose immediate supervision
the race was sailed. few minutes had
to be allowed the racers to find out what
the course would be by compass before
the preparatory signal was given.
Therefore it was 1910 when the pre-
paratory gun was fired.
Immediately the yachts, with top sails,
| forestry sails and jibs set, began to
jockey for the most favorable position.
They made mo short tackS in this bust
ness, and when it came near the expira-
ton of the 10 minutes that they were al
lowed, both yachts were to westward and
northward of the line, both heading for
! it.
| Valkyrie was ahead, and it seemed as
though she was trying to force the De-
fender, which was to windward, to close
up against the committee boat so that
the latter would have to make a tack
before crossing.
| The Valkyrie was certainly pinehed
high up in the wind, but the Defender
was almost, if not nearly as close. Yet
the Defender refused to be driven out
of her course and with an extra pull
on her main sheet, she was enabled to
follow the Valkyrie until the course was
begun, and almost to maintain her wealth
er position.
The shippers had done their timing
very well, and it was only 46 seconds
after the starting gun was fired Mt 1920
that the Valkyrie crossed the line. As
said before, the Defender, on her oppo-
nents weather quarter, was only four
seconds later.
AS they went over the Valkyrie shook
out of her tops baby jib top sail. The
Defender people were not satisfied with
so small sail on their other stay and
spread a number two. The wind was
then blowing about five miles an hour.
There was something of swell on the
sea, but the weather could not be called
| rough by any means.
The weather conditions at the time
were pretty nearly those that have been
described as most fitting for Valkyrie.
The challenger slipped through the wa
ter beautifully, throwing some spray from
her DoWs 1t is true but surely sliding
ahead faster than the Defender. The
latter was held very high up, but for sew
eral minutes was outfooted and ont
pointed. 1t was now the time when was
gwen birth the apprehensions of the
Yankees.
The Valkyrie, it was plainly seen. was
uolnS ihe Iaster work, and as she slipped
past the Defender the sharps who had
neeh Dettlng ON Defender to win the
iha!ch came nearly to an opinion that
lneir money was gone. Even the most
enthusiastic admirers of Defender and
Captain Half, such as for instance. Cant
Harry Denis of the tug Fred. Il. DaI.
Zell, VINO has been on steamers for nearly
4O years, remarked:
I'VE will be dome up today sure. rbot
Valkyrie is a marvel in this kind of
| going" A'i' VI
Both yachts were handled in the most
aulnlraDle manner and it can not be said
| that the sails on the Briton, much ms hos
| Deen boasted, set a whit better than
those of the American boat. In fact
II may be said that no flaw could be
seen in any bit Of cloth on either boat.
Inc impression which some people have
that hatsey was the only perfect canvass
cutter in the world was dispeled when
| Defenders sperad was seen In her really
hrst race. The yachts stood on the
starboard tack until 12.39, when De-
tender was first to go about. AS soon
as she saw this move, Valkyrie did the
same. Valkyrie continued to gain nd
yantag ge and Defender was held up yery
close to the wind and by so doing became
Dlanketed: When Captain Haff saw
tne trouble he was getting into he at
| lz:4I eased his ship off and gave her the
good full that her friends had been
| noplhg TO see for many minutes. AS
soon. soon as the Defender had eased off, she
Degan to increase her speed. She caught
up. on the Valkyrie and her apparent
gain was less in reality that it looked to
| be. When the Valkyrie saw the De-
| lender ease off she did the same thing.
thougn not to so great an extent, and she
maintained her lead. Now the breeze
| freshened to about seven miles an hour.
| Valkyrie, on feeling the breeze again
stood up high, while the full rap on De
tender was continued. Defender, with
Rer sails chock k full of wind, went ahead
very fast, but she was not better than
an eighth of mile to leeward.
| 1t was beautiful race up to this point.
Dut 1t was not pleasant one for the
patriots. to gaze upon; for Valkyrie was
surely In the lead. On this tack the
vessels encountered head seas from the
southeast. Both bounded a good deal
Vhlkyrie was first to come about. She
rounded to starboard at ] % and De-
tender followed her example at once.
The Defender was still an eighth of a
| mile away on Valkyrie's weather quar-
ter On this tack there was an effort
TO get in some windward advantage by
| defender and she was pinched very much
but Valkyrie held her ground and De-
fender could get no nearer to her.
| AT 1:4S Valkyrie, evidently believing
that she could cross Defenders bow II
the latter would split tacks with her,
came about. The challenger, however
was unable to weather the Defender and
when she passed under the Americans
stern there was shrieking by the steam
| whistles of the yachts and excursion
boats in attendance that will never be
forgotten by those who heard it. Val
kyrie, on finding that she had not vet
gained enough to weather Defender, came
back again to the starboard tack, after
one minute on the port. AS she did so
Defender came about to port. 1t was
| now Valkyrie's turn to refuse a splitting
of tacks and she followed Defenders lead
in going about to port.
AT 200 the contestants began a long
reach to starboard. During this tack the
wind hauled gradually to east soutbeas ST
by east and finally to southeast. The
breeze Stiffened, too, up to aborlt eight
miles an hour, and with that increase
the defender began to overhaul the
enemy. She picked up her rival with n
burst of speed that vas as remarkable as
delightful to the inhabitants of the float
ing city that was looking on.
So quickly did she overhaul the cbal-
lenger that more than one observer re-
marked to bis neighbor to the effect that
old Hank Haff had only been jollying