Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-09-13
THE YACHT RACE.
Americas Cup Will Stay on This
Side of the Water.

Defender n winner In Two Races and
VRlkyrie Refuses 20 Sail the Third---
History of the Cup and the Competing
Yachts.
The first of the series of five races be-
tween the British yacht Valkyrie Ill and
the Yankee yacht Defender for the Ameri-
cas- cup the token of the championship of
the world, was sailed Saturday outside of
Sandy Hook, and resulted in a victory for
the Defender. The second race was sailed
Tuesday. The Valkyrie crossed the line
first at the finish but the race was given
to the Defender on protest raised by that
yacht. The third race was appointed for
Thursday, but Lord Dunraven, owner of
the Valkyrie, refused to contest and the
Defender sailed over the course alone.
Particulars of the races are given herewith.
The Races.
The first race was sailed on Saturday out
side Sandy Hook, over a 30-mie course,
and resulted in victory for the Defender
of s minutes, 40 seconds. The course was
from off Seabright, n. j., to windward,
east by south, fifteen miles and return, the
starting gun being fired at 1920. Valkyrie
crossed the starting line four seconds ahead.
For short time Valkyrie out-pointed and
out-footed Defender, and things looked
blue for $4,000 Americans on the largest
fleet of excursion boats and steam and sail
ing yachts ever seen at an ocean race. In
the first three tacks Nalkyrie continued
her good work. Defender was then sailed
with rap full and at once out-footed Valky-
rie, though apparently going to leeward.
About p. NJ, the breeze freshened to its
greatest power of the day. eight miles, and
Ifata oil bor
tor and was never after approached. De-
! fender was minutes % seconds ahead at
the outer mark and gained 4 minutes AZ
seconds coming home. The noise of re-
| joicing from hundreds of steam whistles,
as she crossed the line at the finish, was in
describabe. There was complaint of the
action of many of the excursion boats
whose captains allowed them to crowd upon
the course of the yachts and interfering
with the race.
The second race was sailed off Sandy
Hook, over triangular course, Tuesday.
In maneuvering for favorable start the
Valkyrie got too near the line and to avoid
crossing before the gun was fired she ran
too near the Defender and her steel boom
raked over the Defenders deck, tearing
down a part of her rigging and wrecking
her top mast. AS she crossed the line the
Defender hoisted protest flag, and an an
swering pennant on the judges boat show
ed it had been seen and would be consider
ed In spite of her partially disabled con-
dition the Defender sailed away in sturdy
effort to win the race. On the 10-mile
course to the first stake-boat she was
beaten minutes, 81 seconds. On the run
to the second mark she gained II seconds,
and on the home-stretch, the breeze having
greatly freshened, she gained minute, II
seconds. BY corrected time she was beat
en- over the whole course by only A seconds,
in spite of the handicap from her weaken
| ed condition.
Wednesday afternoon the regatta com
mittee gave a decision sustaining the De-
tenders protest of Tuesdays race, thus
giving the race to that boat 1t is under
stood that the committee found that they
had no option except to do this under the
New York Yacht clubs rules.
! At the close of Tuesdays race Lord
Dunraven sent letter to the regatta com
mittee protesting against sailing again if
the excursion steamers, carrying spectators,
crowded about the course as they had done
on both days. He gave no notice Thurs
day morning of intending not to sail the
race, but simply crossed the line at the
! start and then put about on the port track
and dropped out. The excursion fleet was
greater than ever on Thursday and Dun
ravens action was undoubtedly due to this
fact and to disappointment at the action
of the committee in giving Tuesdays race
to the Defender.