The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-21

5tlu breeze DROWS ana rays Sucu u8SOC
with the Rigging that Defender Can
Only Go on at the l:isk Of Losing = Mast
Postponed for y week-C onditions All
Eight for just Such Test as the Com
mittee Desired visIlxnt is Declared
Winner.
New York. Aug. 29.-The first formal
trial race between Defender and Vigil
liant to give the Americas cup commit
tee an opportunity to decide which boat
shall be named to defend the cup. was
held today outside of Sandy Hook in
the same waters that the cup race will
take place in, but ended very unsatis-
factorily.
The yachts raced not only to give the
committe line on them but also for
cup that John Jacob Aston offered to
the winner of the majority Of the races
that the committee should order. The
winner Of the cup, however. viii not
necessarily be the defender OF the
Americas cup. One boat might beat
the other three straight and still the
Americas cup committee will have alb
solute power and discretion in picking
the Defender. The committee might ig
more these trial races altogether, If they
SO choose to do.
IT IS believed among yachtsmen that
the committee orederd these trials more
in the hope that they would see De
fender in good still breeze if not in a
hard, win, condition of things IN
which she has not yet had a chance to
display her power. They came very
near having the desired view today. but
they were forestalled by an accident
that prevented Defender from really
showing what she could do in a breeze
that went over the water probably at
the rate OF twenty Knots an hour. In
fact there was very stiff breeze and II
brought dire injuIO to the fin-keeled
boat. The breeze stirred up her rig
ging so much and played such havoc
among ii. that it loosened it to a mater
ial extent up toward the masthead and
caused such damage that Defender had
to withdraw, or take liberal chance
at carrying away her topmast. II was
afterward found that the stacking up OF
the rigging was so extensive that the
yacht would not be able to compete in
the second trial race for a week
The committee having learned this
fact decided at the New York Yacht
club house tonight that the next two
trial races would take place on Tuesday
and Wednesday OF next week. II is a
mystery to yachtSmen, especially those
who have given the closest attention to
the rigging of boats. why Defenders
stays weakened under a breeze which
enabled her to still carry her club top
sail, which she did when she stopped
and continued to do all the way up the
bay TO the anchorage off Bay Ridge.
Vigilant, too. was prevented from GO
ing over the whole course but from a
different cause. After she had made her
first round Of ten miles to Windward
and return, she hauled down her club
topsail and then ran up against a wind
that burst her jib into shreds. Nothing
daunted, however, she ran up another
jib and was proceeding on the course
the second time. when the committee
boat Luckenbach ran up alongside OF
her while she was lacking and informed
her that she need go no further: that
the Defender had Withdrawn and that
she, Vigilant, had been decided the WIN
ner Of the days race.
When the yachts were ordered to
start on their trial journey there was
nice little breeze of nine Or ten knots
blowing from south-southwest When
the races were sent off, at lbs there
was a good sized fleet OF steam yatchs.
sloops, schooners and even catboats
loaf1n about the line. Among them was
the Eugene with blind boatbuilder
John B. Herreshoff aboard.
There was no possible occasion for
protest at the start. When the racers
came about and headed down to the
line there was fully three lengths of
clear water between them, the vigilant
for the first time being in advance.
They came scurrying along to the bow
of the lightship. mainsail, club topsail
and jibs set. Defender probably never
showed such a fine setting suit of can
vass, but Vigilant's were even better.
Both were on the starboard tack, hav-
ing been told by the signal that their
course would be dead against the wind.
AS they went over, Vigilant set the
baby-jib top.ail and in doing 80 lufYed
into the wind long enough to make her
lose probably fifteen seconds. il not
more. AS usual Defender went about
almost as soon as she crossed the line.
She stood away on the port track while
Vigilant continued on long board.
Defender stood on the port track for
couple OF minutes and then went
about TO overhaul Vigilant For some
time il looked "a though Vigilant was
outpointing Defender, but the appear
ance was doubtless due to the fact that
Defender was pointing higher into the
wind
1t was 12:15 when Defender got hon
estly abeam of the Vigiiant a good
sixteenth OF a mile to windward. Wig
liant fearing Defender would pass her
came about on the port track and
tried TO cross the bow of the new boat.
AS she did so. she took in herbaby jib
topsAil. But even that Improvement
did not enable her 10 split tacks with
Defender. for Defender went about al
most at the same time.
When they stood back for the Jersey
shore, Defender was fully half a mile
in the lead. both yachts having made
the outer mark on this tack. Defender
gaining right along At the rounding
she eased her mainsheet and took no
less than seven minutes in dropping her
spinnaker and getting that sail on the
port side The handling OF the boat
was vretched.
The vigilant rounded finely. The
wind had run up 20 about fifteen knots
by that time. and the center board
kaeled well over TO the port tack 10 a
very sharp angle before she gibbed her
boom over to port and got ready 10 set
the spiansker on the starboard tack.
On the ten mile beat to winward De-
fender had gained six minutes ar4l
thirty-tErea seconds
Then came the tug before the wind
home Within a mile Of the finish hre.
Defender hauled down her spihnaker
and balloon Jib :opsaii running cons'd-
siierabIy 20 westward IN doing -.
Then she made a reach for the home
line and got there az 2-s4 -. She rurn-
ed Sandy Hook all right s-silan'
made her rounding in much the same
style By this time. the wind s7f N
creased 20 eighteen or twenty knots 81
hour Defender stood awaT on the por-
tack for proba bly, two minutes. io-S
enough 70 Jet the onIooksrs think tAsi
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