The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-11

bolt out of the brass SpreaQer SIrOp. Inc
Defenders lower topmast Immediately
buckled under the strain of her iib topsail
with loud crack and at the same moment
the startnig-gun was fired exactly at Ii
O'Clock. The Defenders crew were ordered
forward TO take in her lib topsai in order
to save the topmast from further damage,
and in that condition she crossed the line
at 11:01:15 The Valkyrie had preceded
her at 11:00:13. As she crossed the line
the Defender hoisted a protest flag, and an
answering pennant on the judges boat
showed it had been seen and would be
considered.
The two boats crossed upon the starboard
tack, but Immediately afterward the De-
fender went about on the port tack, in
order to bring the strain of her topmast on
the uninjured side, and the Valkyrie fol-
lowed on the same tack. An attempt to
replace the broken shroud was Immediately
made upon the Defender, and makeshift
which partially answered the purpose was
devised. At II IA the Defender went
about upon the starboard tack and ten
seconds later the Valkyrie followed her.
1t was then seen that the Valkyrie was
about a quarter of mile ahead OF the De-
fender and was fully 100 yards to wind
ward.
At IL 80 o'clock the two racers went
about upon the port tack again, and several
minutes later the Defender broke out her
iib topsail again. She took it in very
quickly, however, as her weakened top
mast could not stand the strain. The
wind continued to freshen and hauled
little to the westward.
At IL :54 100 the Defender came about
again and the Valkyrie followed few sec
onds later, both standing off shore on the
starboard tack. The Valkyrie was still
about a quarter of a mile ahead. AT
12:10:00 both tackled to port, the wind
seeming unchanged, and at 12:19:00
another tack 10 starboard was made. By
this time the Valkyre was not only three
eighth or half mile ahead of the Defender,
but was also quarter of a mile to wind
ward.
The wind had now freshened to twelve
or fourteen miles an hour and the water
became much rougher.
The Valkyrie now began to make con-
siderable disturbance, rolling up quite a
wave under her bow. and slowly but surely
the crippled Defender began to creep up
on her. She not only went more smoothly
through the water, but she began to out
point the English boat as WELL The wind
had hauled little to the westward and
the mark was easily reached on this long
starboard tack. The Valkyrie rounded at
1857 :43 and, easing off her sheets, started
for the second mark. As soon as the Val
kyrie rounded the mark she hauled down
her jib topsail and two minutes later took
in her staysail, preparatory TO setting her
balloon jib in stops. She broke it together
with huge balloon staysail at 1:02:00.
The Defender rounded the first mark at
1:01 :35, having been beaten just three
minutes and ffty-two seconds in the ten
miles. This, of course, did not include
the difference of time at the start
Immediately after rounding the De-
fender broke out baby jib topsail and
took in her staysail. A few minutes later
she, too, set balloon staysail. The run 10
the second mark was a broad reach, with
the wind over the starboard quarter and
the sails set to port. The wind kept on in
creasing, reaching about eighteen miles an
hour at one time on this leg, and the
yachts dashed on at good pace.
Nobly as the Defender had done on the
first leg, it was nevertheless a hopeless
race for the Yankee yacht. Being unable,
on account of the weakness of her top
mast, to set her balloon iib she could not.
of course, carry anywhere near as much
sail as the Englishman. The little baby
jib topsail and balloon staysail offered but
poor substitute for a balloon iib. In
spite of this handicap, however. she held
her own much better than could have been
expected, and actually gained II seconds
on the ten miles. Much of this gain was
due to the difference in the behavior of the
two boats in the rather stiff sea. At 1:5S
the Valkyrie took in her balloon iib top
sail, and at :5S 10 she turned the second
mark, sending up No. 2 iib topsail as she
did so. She then hauled in her sheet and
started for home with her mainsail and
club topsail, jib and iib topsail set.
At 1 80 P. NJ. the Defender which had by
that time nearly reached the mark, took
in her baby jib topsai and gibed and
rounded the mark at 2:01 As. She broke
out No. 2 iib topsail, which in size was
about the same as that of the Valkyrie.
Just as the boats were rounding the
mark the breeze took another squirt and
before it settled down again it had reached
hour. The leg was a reach close hauled
with booms to starboard. This brought
the strain of the Defenders sails on her
port shrouds which were uninjured, and
for the first time during the race it was
possible to sail her to the best of her abil-
ity, and how good that was she showed by
the way she overhauled the Valkyrie.
She was half a mile behind the Valkyrie
when she rounded the stakeboat, and in
less than half an hour she had cut the dis
lance to three-eighths of mile. She was
but minutes and 80 seconds behind at the
second mark, and during the last ten miles
she gained l minute II seconds, which,
deducting the difference of time at the
start and her allowance, made her loser
by only AZ seconds. Had the last leg been
five miles longer the Defender would have
won by over minute. But the leg was
only ten miles, and the boat could not
overcome the handicap. The Defender
made most remarkable showing under
the circumstances, and her superiority was
marked on every point of sailing, even in
her crippled condition. 1t is greatly to
her credit that she was defeated bv such a