The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-20
THE BIG YACHTS READY
ONLY A STIFF BREEZE NEEDED FOR
DEFENDER-FIGIL Ant CONTEST.
start To-day nj ll;10-Most Yachtsmen
Believe Defender VIM in Easily

Start To-day AT llnO-Most Yachtsmen
Believe Defender VIM in EaslIy,'
New York, July 19.-All is now ready
for the big race tomorrow, Saturday,
between the sloop Defender the new
cup defender. and the Vigilant the con-
queror of Valkyrie ii, In 1898, Although
the contest is not In the strict sense OF
the word trial race, since it will not
determine which OF the two boats will
race against Valkyrie Ill, this fall,
fully as much interest is taken in it as
If it were.
The public will for the first time have
an opportunity OF seeing the two sloops
race together, with each boat driven to
her utmost speed, and when the con-
! test Is over it will know pretty well
which Is likely to win in the trial races
in the middle Of August. 1t will also
serve In that way to give a line on the
probability of our chances against the
| Englishman.
Then too, there is another point Of
| interest in the race-a point which
| seems to have been generally overlook
ed. 1t will be a race between two en-
tirely distinct types of boat, a center
| board and keel yacht, and both of
American build. Heretofore the lead
Ing competitors for the honor Of de-
Tending the cup have always been
yachts of the centerboard type.
| Improvement in them from year to
year has steadily been sought along
that line, and they have always been
successful in defeating the Keel Eng
| lishmen sent over here. This year,
however, to the surprise of all, when
the plans We're drawn for the Defender
it was discovered that she was to be
radical departure from her predecessors
that She was to be a keel boat Many
experts shook their heads at this.
Tomorrow they will be able to see
whether their doubts were Justified,
and whether the Herreshoffs have pro-,
crossed or refrigerated in their ideas
and work.
The race tomorrow will be off Sandy
Hook probably over the same course
used two years ago In the international
cup races.
4 It may be a course of fifteen miles to
| windward or leeward and return, or it
may be over a triangular course each
leg Of which will be ten miles in length.
Which course will be adopted cannot
| be told until tomorrow, as 1t depends
on the wind. Every effort will be made,
however, to sail the straight course.
The race will be for 5000 cup offered
by the New York Yacht club, and will
be started at 11:1o O'clock. The start
will be from an imaginary line drawn
| between a white nag on the flagship
Sylvia and the rnainnast Of the Sandy
Hook or the Scotland lightship, accord
ing to which the regatta committee de-
lseides to start from.
The start will be the old time two gun
start, and not the one gun start used in
| the last International races. In this
way should either yacht happen to be
Slightly behind the other when the
first gun is fired, she will have two min
utes in which to cross the line without
1 losing any time. The preparatory sig
nal, which will consist of the firing Of
one gun and the hosting of red ball
on the flagship, viii be given at IL
| O'clock.
Ten minutes Will then be allowed in
which the two sloops will jockey for po-
sitions At lilo the signal for the start,
the firing of a second gun and the hoist
ing of another red ball, will be given,
/ which means that the boats are to get
/ atross the line. Two minutes later a
third gun will be fired and both red balls
| will drop.
That Is the last signal Each sleep
thus has two nirmtes to cross the line,
her time being taken from the actual
| crossing. If she takes longer than the
1.-TWO minutes it is her misfortune Should
any gun miss fire q prolonged blast Of
the whistle Will be given in its place.
Every preparation for Its members
and guests to see the race has been
made by the New York Yacht club. 1t
has chartered the steamboat Cepleus,
one OF the fastest boats in the harbor,
cor the event, and the members and
guests will be carried on her for small
sum. All the tickets were speedily TAX
en- up and If the weather is favorable
the Cepheus will undoubtedly be crowd
ed.
She leaves Pier 1, North river, pune
| tually at $3.50 a. m.
or private craft, both steam and sail,
there will undoubtedly be a great num-
Der. About everybody who owns steam
yacht or fast sailing yacht will be al
most sure to go down to the Hook to see
the race.
Mr. w K. Vanderbilt, one Of the syn
dictate that owns the Defender, will
>on7e down from Par Harbor on his big
! n RA1SH HHhhMn9