New-York tribune., 1895-07-21
VICTORY FOR THE DEFENDER
Continued from First Page.

Ind at the starting point as the new Cup de-
.,der. The early comers had time TO gaze
..on the scene presented by the gathering Of
Its bringing visitors TO see the race while
~.ung for the conqueror of Valkyrie II to
..ne TO the line. Among the vessels steaming
" sailing about were the Morrill, steam yacht.
.. Vamoose. with merry party aboard: ex-
rnmodore D. Morgan's Shearwater. A. l..
,.rber's Sapphire II. a. Hutchin's Viking, the
s.,onda the schooner Lasca. belonging to John
6 Brooks the Washita and score of others.
nth mansail. jib. staysail and club topsail
~ 10 the breeze. the Vigilant came the
Zane towed by the tug Aeronaut The Vigilant
-ss as altogether natty and dazzling in her
vh,te paint and spotless sails as her opponent.
rho yigilant appeared in her latest and best
.t Of sails. her mainsail fitting so well and
.rer,ng such perfect resistance to the wind that
.,+ention was called at once to the fact that
che Defenders mainsail was not so well
.,retched as it might have been. The club
.onsails and staysais of both boats seemed
liant equal although the Defenders are in
.suty the larger. The Vigiant appeared to
Ave the better mainsail and the Defender was
well ahead OF her rival with a superior jib.
,.w minutes before the signal as to what course
would be sailed the VigilaIt came about on the
nort tack quickly followed by the Defender,
and both ran close to the excursion steamers.
A moment after the chances for critical exami-
nation that these tactics gave. the signals were
nut UP on the Sylvia informing the yachtsmen
that the course would be fifteen miles beat
10 wndward down the Jersey Coast In the
freshening southerly breeze and return.
charming trip even if no race stimulated the
interest Of the spectators.
PRETTY MARINE JOCKEYING.
Before the preparatory gun doomed out over
the water and put the last strain on the enthusi-
astic spectators the wind freshened. as 1t had
been promising, perceptibly. Then came the jock
ewing for the start The swiftly moving sloops
twisted and turned like racehorses at the post.
and it seemed almost as speedily First the De-
fender luffed into the wind with hattened sails.
then she turned with that marvellous pivot action
OF hers as If 10 wait for her adversary. Yachting
experts know that in going to windward II is
sometimes an advantage to be behind In getting
over the line The Luckenbach went ahead steam
ing down to the outer mark 10 plant the nag.
The Vigilant was to the south of the flagship
when the starting signal was fired. while the De-
fender was some distance TO the north They
came down toward the line together, both bury
Ing their noses in the water they lurched for
ward throwing up showers Of white spray
that IN streams from the decks. IL was d.
ll:3O that the final starting signal was gwen Al
l1:3l 42 the Defender slid over the Nhe' loio"eu
by the Vigilant at 1l:32.0I
OFF FOR THE RUN ON THE sTARBOARD
TACK.
Both were on the starboard tack. The Vigi-
liant hcd the weather position. " nile 'he De
fender was ir the lead actually some experts
said that the Vigilant had the better OF the
start The tactics of the Defender in the beat
I'd led al I'M Immediately.
Those in charge of her knew how well She couId
point up in the wind. and almost before the
spectators knew II she had gone ABOUT anu was
standing away over toward Atlantic Hlghiahds
on the port tack. This was before the Two
minute signal-gun. and both were OH Wen. sne
Vigilant staying on the starooaro tack' as Hea
specialty in a run TO windward is not tacking
but footing The tide. which had been az nooo
all the morning. was now ebbng ana IL was
thought by many that II was TO take aaVaheasse es.
OK the receding waters that the lsen yacnt
went over SO far toward the Jersey shore. 10
the inexperienced the appearance ana posi.,ons p..i
-of the two boats for some time was indicative
OF anything but a race between them TO point
fifteen miles away, toward which nel'her
seemed to be heading. The yachts were travei-
ling in almost directly opposite directions. Inc
Defender seemed bound to make the Jersey
shore in the neighborhood of Navesink. while
the Vigilant might have been going out 10 sea
In search of a fresher breeze.
TAcKING SHIP TOGETHER
The first turn for the Vigilant and the second
FOR the Defender the former going on the port
tack and the latter on the starboard took place
almos, simultaneously at 1871 The Vigilant had
brought out her jlbtopsa on getting over the
line and now both boats were sailing unoer eA
actly the same canvas. The Defender 10"
moments after took IN her Jibtopsai ana was
able to point even higher in the wind. Inc lea
ture OF the turn was the opportunity II ahoiu.u .
OF studying the Quickness of the boats IN stays:
II was perhaps as well that the Vigiant cohiheo
her efforts In beating 10 windward 10 'r!ihs " w
outfoot her opponent. The Vigilant iost e'siH
time she tackled, while the Defender oeauuiui
shifting and her pvot-like turns were the reniaiK
Of every spectator Of the race. 1t was lesson ia
sailing a boat, too. the way Mr.. lseln kePt
crowdng the Defender up into the wInd Inc
new champion was pointed SO close that every
now and then her jib topsail could be seen u, 10
shake In the wind. 1t developed into iresh
ciubtopsail breeze about TINS time ana LII rnc
yachts scudded under the santing influence. Tne
spectators on the excursion steamers cohgraeu-
lated themselves more than once tnat they were
IN less skttish craft as they saw tne racers nov ",
turned over so far that they showed long lines Oh
bronze bottom, now on the other tack presentine 3
a deck wet from starboard 10 port ana seemingly
half under water.
FINE wINDwARD WORK
The Defender came about on the windward
quarter of the Vigilant at 1l37. and soon ai'er
the Vietlant executed the same manoeuVre'
There could be no question about H. the de-
fender was going to take advantage OF her pet
ter capacities for sailing close TO the wind ana
her .uperiority In stays while the Vigilant mad
determined to see If she could not foot enough
faster than her opponent to make fewer tacks
and longer runs. and turn the outer marx hfst, N
Both boats were running peautiuhy Oh 'me
atarboa rd tack twenty minutes after the start.
the Vigilant to ieeward and apparently in the
lead. When next they came about the fne pc,n,.
ing Of the Defender together WIN ner th
IN .tavs had begun to tell its tale. With the
next tack Of the Defender. the Vigilant stu
footing fast the Defender appeared to be IN the h
yachts seemed 10 hold each other level as they
dew before a breeze blowing easily twelve KNOTS
an hour both on the starboard tack ,,
tions changed her tactics a little. and was
jammed more into the wind 1t was seen tna'
the Vigiant was capable OF pointing oettei