The herald., 1895-09-08

not little, but of couse she was going
| further to leeward than the Valkyrie,
and her apparent gain was less IN reality
shan it looked to be. When the Vaikyrie
| saw the Defender ease off she did the
| same thing, not to such great extent
and she mainta her lead. Now the
! breeze freshened to about seven miles an
hour. Valkyrie, on feeling the breeze,
again stood up high against it. while the
full rap of Defender was continued. Here
Defender, with her sails full of wind,
went ahead very fast, but she was not
better than an eighth of mile TO lee
ward. 1t was beautiful race up to this
point. but it was not pleasant one for
the patriots to gaze upon. for Valkyrie
was surely in the lead. Or this tack the
vessels encountered seas from the south
east and neither one took them better
than the other. They both pounded a
good deal.
Valkyrie was the first to come about.
She came round to starboard at / :I2, and
Defender followed her at once. Defender
was still an eighth OF mile away on
Vakyrie's weather quarter. On this tack
there was an effort to get in some wind
ward advantage by Defender. and she
was pinched very much, but Vallkyiie
held her ground and Defender could get
no nearer to her. At /: :4S VallIyrIe, evil
identity believing that she could cross
Defenders bow, If the latter would split
tacks with her, came ABOUT. The chal-
lenger was, however. unable to weather
Defender, and when she passed under
the Americans stern there was Shrek
ing by the steam yachts and excursion
boats in attendance that Will never DC
forgotten by those who heard it. Val
kyrie, on finding that she had not yet
gained enough to weather Defender, ,came
back again to the starbaord tack, after
one minute on the port tack. AS she did
SO Defender came about to port. 1t was
now Nalkyre's turn to refuse a splitting
of tacks, and she followed Defenders lead
in going about to port. At clock the
contestants began long reach 10 star
board. During this tack the wind hauled
gradually to east southeast by east and
finally TO southeast. The breeze stiffened,
too. up to about eight miles an hour,
and with that increase Defender began
to overhaul the enemy. She picked her
rival up with a burst OF speed that was
as remarkable as it was delighting to the
inhabitants of the floating city that was
looking on.
JOLLIED THE CHALLENGER
So easily did she overhaul the challen-
ger that more than one observer remarked
to his neighbor something TO the effect
that old Hank Haff had only been iolIy-
ing his competitor all the time. IL was 2:55
when the Defender was on even terms
with the Valkyrie. Then she gradually
forged ahead, and at 1920 it was esti- |
mate0 that the Yankee boat was four
lengths ahead and well to winuward It
that. Defender was first to come around !
to starboard and head for the outer mark.
This was at 1925. 1t looked just then as !
f Defender was quarter uf mile TO the |
good. When the Naikyrie came about. |
fifteen seconds later. she was well away !
IN Defenders lee qua-er. This breeze /
to blow at about sight miles |
IN hour from southeast, and they came |
Along at a pretty lively gait to round the |
)uoy and square away for home. AS |
nay he seen by the table below, Defender
passed first by 3 minutes and % seconds |
| gait OF minutes and 27 seconds from !
he time of the start.
On going around they eased off sheets
IN the star board side set balloon lib TOD.
ails aud started for the inish. The Val.
lyrie took in Ger jib and staysails. while
Defender hauled down only her jib. Be-
ore long, however, Vaikyris. seeing that
re Defenders staysail was drawing well,
let hers. The few champions OF Val
iyrie who were left said that their boat
would overhaul Defender on this broad
eacn home. But she did not. The same
alls were held in both ships all the way
o the finish, while the wind gradually |
i've miles an hour. In all the reach
Defender continuously increased her lead |
'ver Valkyrie, and finished minutes
8 seconds ahead.
iOST INTERESTING RACE OF ALL.
1t was, taken altogether, especially the
oncluding part OF it, after SO much had
'een said about Valkyrie's great powers
n light weather, one of the most inter-
sting races that ever took place. The
My thing to mar the Gays pleasure was
he action Of the excursion boats, notably