Evening star., 1895-09-12
No Cup winning on Technicniitie..


Those Americans who have control of the
arrangements as to the international yacht
races should be instantly anxious to so
arrange matters that there can be unques-
tionable competition betw cen Defender and
Valkyrie Satisfactory to the two nations
most deeply Interested and especially salts
factory to Americans was the race which
took place last Saturday. The sailing
qualities of the yachts were developed and
1t was proven conclusively that under the
conditions which then prevailed Defender
was the better yacht and possibly better
handled yacht than was Valkyrie. Tues
days race was disappointing, for at the
outset the American boat was crippled by
Valsyrie to such en- extent as to render
impossible the use Of considerable pro-
portion of the great sail area necessary to
rapid motion In a light breeze. Protest
was properly made, and, after considera-
ticn by the committee having such mat
ters in charge. was sustained; thus giving
Defender the second race. Today. what
promised to be a pretty struggle for su-
premacy was spoiled by the interference of
a boat which blanketed Valkyrie and thus
affected seriously the English yachts 8
chances. The obstructiveness of the inter-
fering boat was promptly resented by Lord
sail, put about and proceeded to anchor
age Technically. Defender may be said to
have won this third race. but it would
never do to insist upon that; 1t would be
unmanly, unsportsmanlike, un-American.
Mr.. Iselin. who is at the head of the syndi-
cate owning Defender, has expressed him
self as anxious to have Tuesdays race re-
sailed, and has, it is understood, requested
Lord Dunraven to accept a proposition to
that effect. That Mr.. Iselin will do prac-
tieaIly the same thing as to the broken-off
contest of today is also probable. Mr..
Iselin is, in every sense of the word,
gentle man, and an enthusiastic believer in
cleanly sport. Whatever of friction has
existed in connection with these important
competitions has had its origin in the
crowding tactics of captains of excursion
steamers and tug boats and even of private
yachts. In communication to the Amer
ica's Cup Committee, Lord Dunraven fore
IDLY called attention to the misbehavior
complained of by declining to sail Valkyrie
any more under the circumstances that
prevailed Saturday and Tuesday. His de-
cllnation-whch is wholly to be COM
mended-is based upon the following rea
sons:
''First-To attempt to start two such large
vessels in such confined space and among
moving steamers and tugboatS Is in my
opinion, exceedingly dangerous. and / will
no further risk the lives of my men or the
ship.
"Second-At the start of the first race the
crowding was SO great that We could not
see the mark boat and could not tell when
we were near the line: and we were much
hampered by steamers, especially on the
race home.
To-day on the reach home eight or nine
steamers were to the windward of me- and,
what was worse block of steamers were
steaming level with me and close under
my lee. / sailed nearly the whole distance
in tumbling, broken water, in the heavy
wash of these steamers.
''To race under these conditions Is, in my
opinion. absurd and 1 decline to submit
myself to them again.
Tke remedy for such conditions Is to be
found in the suggestion made by Lord Dun
raven some time ago that the races should
be sailed off Marblehead or some other
point distant from large city. To pre-
vent the interference of excursion steamers
in New York waters will always be prac-
tically impossible unless the United States
Navy policies the course. but there will be
no trouble at all from obstructive craft If
the races should take place in the Atlantic
as Lord Dunraven suggested, somewhere
along the New England coast. But no
matter where the races are sailed, the cup
must be lost or won on the merits of the
respective yachts and their crews. We
have no use for a trophy won on techni-
caIiffas