The Portland daily press., 1895-08-21
A DISAPPOINTMENT.
Defender Quit in Middle Of the
Trial Race.
VIGILANT TO CAPTURE
RACE AND CUP.

She Had Lead of Over Five Minutes at the
Necessitated Withdrawal = The Races
Are Postponed Until Next Week.
New York, August s0.-The first of
the appointed trial races to decide wheth-
er the Defender or the Vigilant shall be
selected to defend the Americas cup.
which was sailed today resulted in a
disappointment all around. The Defen-
der after outsailing her rival decisively
over the fist round and continuing to
increase her lead for several miles on the
second suddenly withdrew from the race
and stood off for run back to her an
chorage. This was due apparently to a
disinclination to risk the sloop further
in the strong and steadily increasing
breeze This made 1.-THE Britishers who
watched the contest jubilant, as they
believe the Valkyrie can stand nearly
any kind of weather.
After the Defenders retreat the Vigil
ant kept on her course. beating up into
a 40-mile breeze and pounding through
rolling and.tumbbing sea. Even after
she had. split her new Herreshoff jib he
set another in a few minutes and contin-
ued sticking to her work. When she had
captured three-quarters of the second
windward beat she was recalled by the
Judges who assured them the race was
Nini1ont tho yUlnnar
Then the old champion ran for her ancho
rage.
The unprecedented result was of an i'm
portant race .and sS2000.cup being won
in the contest in which neither of the
contestants went over the -courseIor fin
ished The vac htsmen were feeling rath-
er gloomy tonight over the resultsof the
race, as it would seem to show aaweakness
in the Defender in one important point
in which heretofore she had not been
thoroughly tested. ssThe Vigilant's vic
tory will not necessarily affect the De-
tenders claim to represent@America in
the coming races. Cmomodore Smith said
before the race that the winner OF the
series might not be the yacht selected to
meet the Valkyrie. 1t is not unlikely.
however. THAT more than two trial
races lne today and another on Thurs
day. Today's contest was also for the
handsome cup offered by John Jacob
Astor The course was ten miles to
windward and return. 1t was arranged
that signals should be displayed from the
judges boat in case double round was
decided upon after the race had started
If it had ended with the first round the
Defender would have put a decisive vic
tory to her credit. In the first ten miles
beat to the windward she gained six
minutes and 33 seconds on the Vigilant.
She lost one minute and 53 seconds OF
this advantage on the run back owing
largely to slowness in getting out her
five minutes in the 20 miles.
Both yachts spent last night in the
horse shoe at Sandy Hook
THE START.
The Vigilant was first to get under way
this morning for the Scotland lightship,
and as she SKINNED along it was evil
dent that she had been tuned up to the
top notch. Soon afterwards the Defen-
der set out in tow. Her set of sails was
not quite as snug and taut as her rivals,
but she SKINNED through the water in
mastery way. On board the Defender
could be seen Mr.. and Mrs ,Iselin, d. A.
Morgan Nat Herreshoff and H. G. Leeds,
and Mr.. Willard was in charge of the
Vigilant.
At TO- 45 the judges's boat reached the
Scotland lightship and signalled that the
start would be made from the Sandy
Hook Iightship The change was made
because of the light breeze .withsa view
to laying the course further seaward
where 1.-The wind would be freslier. The
two sloops and all craft then headed for
the other ligh tship. The judges boat
was at the Sandy Hook lightship at II. 20,
and ran out the signal for the letter G,
which indicated that the race would be
beat to the windward and return. This
meant a trip on the New Jersey coast and
| back. The breeze which had already
| freshened to about 10 knots was roughen
ing. At 11.35 the preparatory signal
| was hoisted. One minute before the
signal, the Vigilant headed for the line
| on the starboard tack The Defender
closely followed. The Vigilant crossed
at II. 49, So, breaking out her baby jib top
| sails as she went over. She Immediately
| luffed up to get a more windward posit-
The Defender shot over the line at
| II. 49, 80. She was also on the starboard
tack and was under the same sails as
the Vigilant excepting that she did not
| use jibtopsail. The wind was freshen-
| ing and the.-Vigilant, with her jib top
with large club topsail than the new
boat. carried, was heeling we'll over, but
footing at a tremendous pace The De-
| fender with less canvas stood UP better
and pointed higher. The rattling breeze
made the sailsIdrawtor all they were,worth
Both racers drew away from the fleet
and for full half an hour the two con-
tinued on the starboard tack. The De-
fender began to gain after the first five
minutes, and soon the 81 seconds that
the Vigilant had at the start melted
away. AT 10. II the Vigilant went about
and the Defender went about at II. Is 30.
The wind was working up quite sea
and both dashed clouds Of spray over the
decks. The wind had increased to q
3O-mile blow and both yachts had the lee
scuppers buried most of the time. The
pounding of the heavy seas added to the
severe strain on the sails. spars and rig
ging, and gave both boats severe test,
| but they stood it we'll
AFTER TEN MINUTES OF WIND
WARD WORK