The evening world., 1895-05-17
YACHT AILSA BEATEN.
Britannia Outsailed tho SCOTCH
Gutter of 0ravesend.
Their First Encounter Of 80 Miles
In English Waters.
0h walker's Boat Led at Half the
Distance by . Minute.

0RAvEsEND. England. May 17.-The
llrst important yacht race Of the season
WAs started here this afternoon. under
the auspices Of the New Thames Yacht
Club The course was from Gravesend
to q buoy beyond Southend and return,
0 distance Of about fifty miles.
In the race for the large yachts. Ailsa.
Britannia, Isolde and Carcss started.
There wa0 also . contest for the smaller
yachtA A strong breeze was blowing
at the start.
Rounding the buoy beyond Southend.
about half the course. Ailsa was leading
Britannia by nearly q minute. and both
Of these yachts had from six to seven
minutes' lead on Caress and Isolde.
In the second race Audrey had the
lead when rounding the buoy of South
. end pier
On the return journey Ai;sa led at
oouthend. where Britannia pulled up on
her counter.
Caress was leading the forties and
Audrey was leading the twenties.
Britannia won by I'm. 42s.. in spite OF
the fact that Ailsa rounded the Mouse
Buoy, half way over the course. I'm. b3s.
ahead Of the Prince Of Wales's cutter.
The times at the finish were:
II. NJ. 9.
6Titannie .......................3 ~ DO
AiIsa .......................3 80 %
Ai,sa's performance during the latter
part Of to-day's race dumfounded the
cnlookers. 1t was the unanimous opin-
ion OF those who saw her race in the
Mediterranean early during the present
year that she was not up to her proper
form.
Tie yacht started about equal with
Britannia In the windward position.
Ailsa soon took the lead and continued
to Increase the gap until she was about
half = mile ahead at the lightship.
The two new forty-raters. Donaldson's
Isolde and Walkers Caress, were left
far behind owing to their Indulgence in
. lufiing match. which drew them of the
course
The wind increased In strength just be-
fore reaching the Mouse. and Ailsa
found II necessary to lower her topsail
aaA jib-topsail. Even then she heeled
over considerably. while Britannia. re-
tanning her topsail. was much sitter
than her opponent.
After going round the lightship for the
beat home. Ailsa seemed to grow tender
The wind became more shiity and Bri-
tannia gained perceptibly on every leg.
A pretty duel then ensued between
Ailsa and Britannia. the former taking
several short boards to prevent Bri-
tannia from taking her wind Ailsa's
foresail sheet carried away during
these manoeuvres, and as her fOresail
tapped about Britannia went ahead.
After that Britannia had all her own
way and Increased her lead until she
finished.
The general comment was that unless
Atlsa shows better form than she
ehowed to-day her chances OF crossing
the Atlantic to compete for the
Americas cup are very meagre and that
British yachtsmen would be ill-advised
to depend upon her.
o. In q not too strong wind to-day and
with little sea on she showed herself
very tender. though carrying only her
mainsail and two foresails. while Bri-
tannia stood UP like II thrce-decker
with topsails In addition.
Atlsa was rated at 1863 and Britannia
At 162. The latter received I'm. lis. time
allowance.