The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-07-31
WON BY THE yIGILANT.


NEW LONDON. Conn.,, July 30.-vigilant
beat Defender. to-day. in run OF sixty-four
miles from Eaton point. on the Long island
shore, four miles from Huntington harbor.
TO this port. The cup defender gave up the
race not far from this port. because her
steering gear became deranged. A strong
southwest by south breeze, varying in
strength from eighteen to twenty-five knots,
blew throughout the greater part Of the
race. which was broad reach starboard
tack from start to finish, and with hardly
the shift Of sail. When Defender dropped
out 1t was estimated that she was fully five
minutes ahead Of vigilant, and the new
yacht was looked upon as a sure winner.
barring accidents; but the unexpected ac-
cident occurred. and Defender met her first
defeat.
A better day for racing could hardly be
imagined. The wind was strong and true.
and increased In strength until this port
was reached, when a. stiff twenty-two-knot
breeze was blowing. and Just as the last
yachts made New London a severe rain and
wind squall. lasting about an hour, sprang
up. and set the people at Bridgeport and
New Haven wondering whether the smaller
yachts were caught out in IT.. Happily, such
was not the case, and. barring the damage
10 Defenders steering gear the splitting of
one or her club top sails and jib and the
loss OF boat from on board the schooner
yacht Mont2uk, there were no casualties TO
record.
The yigilant had little the best Of the
start and kept well ahead for some time.
match with Defender, the latter pressing
her closely. and Defender walked up ahead
and to windward. pulled gradually away.
and, IL is estimated, was about five minutes
ahead when nearing New London. Then
she suddenly luffed up, lowered her top sail,
signaled for a tug. and was eventually
towed TO her anchorage in the harbor. The
general opinion expressed after the race
was that Defender would undoubtedly have
won the race had she been able to finish.
vigilant thereupon sailed grandly across the
line and up the harbor. winner. in four
hours, forty minutes. thirty-seven seconds
elapsed time over the sixty-four-mile
course.
The race across the sound was one of the
finest sights ever witnessed by the Oldest
yachtsmen here. The breeze was strong
any yacht afoat, but they all chung on to
the full sail from first 10 last. and made a
strong notwithstanding passage. with rails
churning the water into foam and bows
throwing the spray high up the masts Of the
many competing yachts. The result of to-
days race demonstrates very little unless
1t is that, in a broad reach of over sixty
yigilant but not by quite wide margin
as her admirers would like 1t to be.
The Constellation, of Boston. IN the
covering the course in four hours, thirty
six minutes and thirty-four seconds. a really
remarkable performances. She was the first
yacht to reach this harbor, and her time
compares finely with the Vigilants.
After the race the Associated Press tug
Alert went alongside both the Vigilant and
Defender and the reporter asked Captain
Barr and Captain Half for their views Of
the race. The former would only say that
the race spoke for itself and the latter
simply admitted that the Defender had
"split few sails" but the Defender peo-
pie did not look happy. veteran yachts
man, who saw the race from the schooner
Iroquois. which also made remarkably
fine run, said that the stiffest OF the
breeze was at about II a. M. when he esti-
mated IL was blowing fully twenty-five
knots and the Defender. during the worst
OF II. slowly crept away from the Vigilant,
both yachts standing on grandly. consider
ing. he added. however. that he hoped the
Vigiant had been greatly improved. other
wise, he was OF the opinion that the cup
was In danger
Another expert yachtsman said that the
Defender was undoubtedly the best boat,
and that she can beat the Vigilant in any
weather by a good margin. but, he added,
she will have to be much faster when she
meets valkyrie I'LL
This evening the Defenders damaged
steering gear was taken ashore to the Nor
gan iron works, where several men were
put TO work on 1t. IL Is expected that the
defender will be able TO start with the
rest of the fleet tomorrow.