The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-27
George Gould Awaited the
British Yacht With the
Vigilant.
READY FOR A TRIAL BRUSH.
But Dunraven's Craft Was Slow In
Bending Sail and Caused
Disappointment.


went down to Sandy Hook this afternoon
for the avowed purpose of taking her first
spin in American waters under racing can
vas, but disappointed great many people
by anchoring in the Horseshoe. and re-
manning there. Among the disappointed
ones was George ]. Gould, who went down
to Sandy Hook on the Ataianta, was trans
ferred to the Vigilant, and sailed the Tobin
bronze boat outside. Mr.. Gould may have
been out merely to try his hand at the
wheel of the Vigilant, and to see what kind
of shape Mr.. Willard has got her in, but
the way he took the cup defender of '93
outside the Hook, and hovered about until
nearly nightfall, gave grounds for sus-
picion that he wanted brush with Valky-
rie III.
The British yacht was floated at 80
A. NJ, the water having been let into the
drydock at Erie basin two hours earlier.
At 1:30 she was warped out of the dock
and made fast to the side of her tender, the
City of Bridgeport. The crew was busy all
the time putting the finishing touches on
her racing rig and making things ship
shape. Captains Cranfield and Sycamore
and Mr.. Glennie directed operations, and
Sailmaker Ratsey. saw that the prepara-
tions for stretching canvas were complete.
Just before noon the crew removed shoes
and socks and in bare feet scrubbed down
the deck and sides of the yacht. The cup
hunter then looked genuine racing ma
chine. She seemed to sit on the water as
lightly as duck and the coat of pot lead
which extended up to within six inches of
her deck gave glistening black sides in
place of the white ones brought over from
bonnie Scotland. Her polished yellow
spars shone in the sunlight, but the big
steel boom remained the color of galvan-
lied iron and was the only thing about the
boat which did not look rim and yacht
like.
Att o'clock the tug Lewis Pulver. with
II. Maitland Kersey on board, arrived.
The Pulver was given line and the VAL
kyrie started out of the basin in tow As
the yacht proceeded down the bay, the
work of bending the mainsail was begun.
The United Press tug, c. T. Raymond, and
four other tugs carrying newspaper men
and photographers were in line. In the
lower bay the Vigilant was found with
mainsail, club topsail, jib and staysail up,
cruising about in the main ship channel.
She met the Valkyrie, and going about
followed her down to the Horseshoe, in
side of Sandy Hook. Just as the British
yacht reached the southwest split inside
the Hook the steam yacht Atalanta, with
George Gould, Edwin Gould and several
guests, arrived. The Atalanta dropped
anchor and George Gould was rowed to the
Vigilant. AS he stepped aboard and took
the wheel he was given three cheers by the
crew. The Vigilant had on new
suit of clothes and no finer has been
seen on any yacht in these waters
this year at least. The sails were
all made by Sawyer, the Herreshoff
sails having apparently been abandoned.
The mainsail had clothes running from
head to foot, and the four outside clothes
being newer than the rest of the sail indi-
Gated that it is one of her old mainsalls
enlarged. The jib, staysail and club top
sail filled perfectly. The iib was without
the club which has distinguished the Wig
liant from the Defender all summer. The
baby jib topsail afterward was broken out.
1t b ad five battens in it and set as fiat as
board. AS soon as Mr.. Gould stepped
aboard the Vigilant was about to put
about, and went outside of Sandy Hook.
Meanwhile the work of bending the main-
sail progressed slowly on the VaIkyrie.
Instead of going outside she went into the
Horseshoe, but held onto her lug.
Ratsey stated before leaving Erie basin
that the mainsail could be bent in forty
five minutes. Instead the crew worked at
it three hours. Then at o'clock the hal
yards were manned and the sail was
hoisted. It proved to be handsome
piece OF canvas and OF enormous proper
tions. The forty men seemed to have all
they wanted to do TO get the throat and
peak Of the gaff well up. The sail set we'll
except at the foot. There was considera-
BILE fullness from the mast two-thirds of
the way to the end of the BOOM The sail
seemed to be about six feet longer at the
foot and four or five feet taller than the
mainsail of either Vigilant or Defender
Sailmaker Ratsey examined it closely
ming down at the foot. Mr.. Kersev
viewed the sail from naphtha launch and
had consultation with the others of the
Valkyrie. He went oyer to the City of
Bridgeport, which had arrived and an
chored near by.
The Valkyrie dropped her anchor and
dismissed the Pulver and at 5:45 the
mainsai1 was lowered and all prospect for
a sail to-day was abandoned. The lib
staysail was on deck ready to be sent
aloft, but the mainsail was the only canvas
put in place to-day. Whether the people
on board the British boat were Influenced
in giving up the proposed sail to-day by
the presence of the newspaper tugs or the
actions of the Vigilant Is not known. 1t is
pretty well understood that Lord Dun
ravens people would prefer quiet spin
when no one was looking and with no
boat like the Vigilant about to get line
on th2 cup-hunter. In all probability the
British boat will trim her mainsail, gather
her sails in place and take a sail early to-
morrow morning.
At 6 o'clock the Vigilant returned inside
the Hook, and anchored near the Valkyrie