The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-12
CRANFIELD WAS AT FAULT.
The Committee Compelled to Gire the De-
fender the Race,

The Committee Competed 10 Gtre the De-
fender the Race,
NEW YORK, n. Y, Sept. 1.-THE re-
gatta committee OF the New York Yacht
Club rendered decision, late this after
noon, sustaining Mr.. Iselin's protest
against the Valkyrie and awarding yester-
days race to the Defender. This result
was reached after deliberations and con-
ferences lasting practically all day. AS
the occurrence was directly under the eyes
OF the committee, and was also witnessed
by thousands of spectators, there was only
one decision possible.
Every one conversant with the racing of
Yachts and rules of the road at sea agreed
mat the British yacht was at fault. Lord
IDunraven and his friends, however, held
4 that his boat was crowded by the De-
fender and that the accident was unavoid-
able.
The committee gave each side ample op-
portunity to state its case, and took the
testimony of the crew of each yacht and of
others who were on board. David Hen
derson, who sailed on the Defender as the
representative of Lord Dunraven, and ].
R. Bush, who represented the New York
Yacht Club on the Valkyrie, each reported
on the occurrence. All the interested par
ties were at the yacht club house until late
in the afternoon. With Lord Dunraven
were Rear Commodore Arthur Glennie of
the Royal Clyde Yacht Club. Saimaker
Ratsey, H. Maitland Kersey Captains
Cranfeld and Sycamore. In Mr.. Iselin's
party were Woodbury. Kane. Newbury
Thorne and Herbert G. Leeds.
1t was 80 P. NJ. when the decision was
announced. 1t was in the form of reply
to Mr.. Iselin's protest and reads as follows:
Mr.. c. Oliuer Iselin: We beg to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of yesterday protest
ing Valkyrie. We have given the matter our
careful consideration and believe that the foul
occurred through the miscalculation of dis
tance between the two yachts at a critical mo-
ment.
From our observation, sustained by that of
others who were in a good position to see, we
find that the Valkyrie, in contravention OF sec
ton 2 of racing rule 49, bore down upon the
Defender and fouled her by the swinging of
her main boom when lufing to straighten her
course. We also consider that the Defender
allowed the Valkyrie sufficient room to wind
ward to pass clear OF the committee-boat.
Your protest is therefore sustained.
S. NICHOLSON KANE,
Chairman.
IRVING GRINNELL.
CHESTER GRIsWoLD.
The racing rule referred to is the follow
ing:
yacht shall not bear away out of her course
so as to hinder another yacht in passing TO
leeward.
Section of the same rule says:
yacht free shall keep clear of one close
hauled.
q The rule covering disqualifcations is:
fla yacht in consequence of her neglect of
any of these rules shall foul another yacht or
compel another yacht to foul any yacht, mark
or obstruction or to run aground, she shall be
disqualified and shall pay all damages.
AS stated in these dispatches yesterday,
tie Defender gave the Valkyrie plenty of
room to cross the line, and it was only the
Valkyrie's bearing away to prevent cross
ing before the gun fire that caused the
fouling. The Valkyrie was to windward
and close to the committee-boat end of the
line. She was running freer than the De-
fender and was leading slightly. She was
Iapping the committee-boat, and going to-
ward the line at a pace that would prob
ably have carried her over before the
signal. To avoid this she bore away to
Ieeward and eased out on her sheets in or
der to spill the wind and check her head
way.
The change of course brought her with
in a biscuit-toss of the American boat.
The latter held her course. The British
skipper, to avoid collision which seemed
inevitable, luffed up, and the Valkyrie's s
boom did the damage to the Defender. He
violated the rules by bearing away and by
failing to keep clear of the Defender, a
vacht close hauled. Such is the verdict of
the committee and also of all competent
Judges on the attendant feet.
Captain Cranfeld of the Valkyrie holds
that the fault lay with Captain Half OF the
Defender, and insists that he could sail no
closer to the end of the line without foul
ing the committee boat. Lord Dunraven
Aaccepts the decision, and will have the
Valkyrie. at the line tomorrow for the
third international race.
The regatta committee posted the foi-