The Portland daily press., 1895-08-03
HOLLOW GAFF BROKE
And Lost the Defender the Goelet
Cup Race.
SHE HAD A LEAD OVER THE VIGI-
LIANT OF OVER IL MINUTES.

LAM Wv II MIN
| The Emerald Took the $1,000 Cup for
Schooners on Her Time Allowance
Hundreds of Craft Followed the Racers
The vigiIant is Much Improved.
Newport, R. l., August 2.-The De-
fender lost her first race today, and great
was the pity of it, for she had walked
away from three competitors and was
at the top of her mainsail broke and she
was obliged to take a line from tug
and retire from the race, allowing the
| Vigilant to win. The $500 cup offered
by Ogden Goelet was the nominal prize
for which the new boat was racing.
Pitted against her We're the Vigilant,
Jubilee and Volunteer, and with these
three opponents she put up race that
delighted the big crowd of spectators un-
til after rounding the second turn and
sailing 80 miles of the 3Ssof the course
Then the new. hollow gaff broke near the
middle and the great mainsail became
mis-shaped bag. The spar was followed
out and bound together like barrel in
order to ssave weight. Before the
mishap the Defender had thrashed to
windward II 1-2 miles, run 18 miles W ith
wind astern and spinnaker out and
turned the second mark with II minutes
and 35 seconds advantage over the
Vlgllant and 16 minutes and % seconds
over the Jubilee, and "a minutes and 33
seconds over the Volunteer. In wind
ward work the gain over the Vigilant
was two minutes and 80 seconds, and in
the run 9 minutes and seconds. The
wind was about IA knots an hour at the
start, dropping to 10 knots at the first
turn and increasing during the run to
IS knots, at which rate it was blowing
when the gaff gave way. The boat was
close hauled at the time and there was a
lumpy sea. After the Defender with
drew, the Vigilant sailed home an easy
winner. The Jubilee not only failed to
crowd the Defender, but could not push
the Vigilant near as hard as she did in
the trial race of 1893. This is the first
opportunity given to get line on the
| terations, and it shows that she is doing
better than she did last year The per-
| formance of the Volunteer today showed
how much we have progressed in yacht
building. since 1887, she being over a half
hour slower than the Defender.
The great race of the sloops diverted the
attention from the race for the $1,000
schooner's cup, also offered by Mr. Goelet
and sailed over the same. There were
nine crack schooners in the race. The
best elapsed time was made by the L asca
| in hours 42 minutes and 36 seconds.
The Vigilant covered the distance in 5
hours, 3 minutes and SO seconds. The
/ I'm, hn to
ish and was given the prize on time
allowance. The Amorita came in third
and the others finished in the following
order: Mayfiower, Merlin, Else Marie.
Nearea, Loyal. The last. two schooners
of class s. under IS feet were racing
for a special cup offered at the New
York Club regatta June 13, and not decid-
ed then owing to a mistake in the clas-
sifcation. The Loyal won the prize today
by 2 minutes and 19 seconds corrected
| time.
The day was perfect for comfort as we'll
as fine for sailing In the early morning
there was very little air. This delayed
the signal for the racea half an hour.
When all arrived off Brenton's reef there
were present fully 100 of the finest steam
yachts a score of passenger steamers,
tugs, sailboats and launches without
number. Secretary of the Navy Herbert
with large party We're on the Dolphins
ish. The Sylvia, with the regatta COM
mittee aboard, dropped anchor at 10. 40
opposite Brenton's reef lightship She
signalled the course would be trianglar
with the first turn near Block Island, and
the second turn near West Island. The
all day 1t varied in strengt from 10
to 1S knots. The first leg Of the course
was 13 1-2 miles SW is W, and was
beat to windward The second leg was
run NE by E 3-4 E with the wind
directly over the stern for IS miles, and
the third leg was q close reach west by
north of l-2 miles finishing at the start
ing point. The preparatory guns were
fired at u IL 20 and 10 minutes later the
big sloops started. The Defender crossed
first with the Volunteer tapping her. The
Jubilee was 2minutes later. AS the wind
was strengthening Vigilant hung back
till five minutes had nearly expired. She
er in crossing the line. All four boats
went over on the starboard tack All
except the Volunteer broke out baby jib
topsail before the crossing The four
boats carried club topsails and regular
lower sails. The Defender had the same
sails she used since me New York 70 races
and the Vigilant had the new Herreshoff
mainsail. The Jubilee had set Of sails
She carried in 1893 The Defender began
to Green away from the others from the
moment she was over the line. She point
ed higher and footed faster. The Vigi-
liant started in lively chase of the Jubi-
lee and Volunteer and soon overlook the
latter which had been passed by the Ju-
biiee. At 12 the Vigilant was creeping
upon the Jubilee. The wind continued
to freshen and at 1905 the Jubilee took
in her baby jibtopsall and 15 minutes
later she set it again.
The Defender and Vigilant kept theirs
up. At 12 20 the Volunteer shook out a
baby jibtopsail. All four boats were on
the port tack at 12 80 The Defender was
one mile ahead and the Vigilant slightly
in the lead of the Jubilee and the Volun-
teer half a mile astern. The boats tackled
on and off shore down past Point Judith
and out toward Block Island. A big fleet
of Yachts and steamers accompanied them
and hampered the last two boats. At
one. the Defender was one and one-half
miles ahead of the Vigilant, which was q
half mile ahead. and the Jubilee and