The San Francisco call., 1895-07-15
THE VIGILANT BEATEN.
Left Far Astern When the Win
ming Sloop Finished
the Course.
IsELIN IS WELL PLEASED.
After Few Finishing Touches, the
Flyer Will Be Ready to
Meet All Corners.

PROVIDENCE, R. l., July 14.-The big
sloops, Defender and Vigilant, met outside
off Newport, between Beavertail Light and
Point Judith to-day, and although the
wind was not very strong there was some
very interesting work done by both boats
in the few hours friendly brush.
The Defender and Colonia were towed
down to Newport from Bristol in the early
morning and both dropped their anchors
at s A. NJ. in the outer harbor, west of the
torpedo station. The tug Aquideneck was
sent for by Mr.. Iselin Saturday, and she
lay at Bristol all night in order to be in
readiness this morning.
The Vigilant arrived off Newport shortly
after the Defender and made her way
through the channel past Fort Adams, but
slowed her pace, waiting for the Defender
to get under way. The latter boat hoisted
the mainsail and then the anchor was
taken to the bow. Her jib and staysail
were soon set and she was away on the
port tack, heading toward the eastward,
with a good breeze from the northwest.
She tackled once or twice, working short
distance to windward, and was then kept
hard off before the wind with sheets off,
passing close to the shore off Fort Dump
ling. The Vigilant was running along by
Castle Hill, while the Defender was a
couple of cable lengths astern, bowling
along at good rate of speed and gradu-
ally picking up on the Vigilant.
On board the Defender were G. Oliver
Iselin, Woodbury. Kane, Herbert G. Leeds,
J. B. f. Herreshoff, the designer, and a
friend of Mr.. Iselin. Captain Half was at
the wheel, watching every point. The de-
signer was hanging on the lee preventer
backstay, watching closely the light sails,
to see if they shivered in the wind The
private signal of c. Oliver Iselin, the syn
dicate manager, was flying from the top
mast head.
The parties who were on board the Vigi-
liant were the manager, E. Willard; John
w. Sawyer of New York, the sailmaker,
and G. II. Wintringh ham, who designed the
recent changes in the Vigilant.
The two latter gentlemen came on from
New York the previous evening in order
to go on board to observe how she got
along in her new form.
A large feet of both steam and sail
yachts followed as closely as possible the
two white-winged racers as they sped
along before the northwester breeze.
The wind was holding well while the
yachts were moving down the narrow
channel between Mackerel Cove and Cas-
tie Hill.
1t was now II o'clock and the Defender
had been under way an hour when it was
seen that the Vigilant was rigging out her
spinnaker boom to starboard, the booms of
the boats being to the port. In the feet
of boats that followed were the naphtha
launch Jennie filled with newspaper
men and the tug Aquideneck with another
contingent of press reporters.
The Vigilant appeared to be well ahead of
the Defender, having been under way earlier
in the day and in order to give her adver-
sary chance to catch up with her, she
hauled sharp on the wind few lines until
the Defender was nearly abreast of her.
The Vigilant spinnaker of silk and cotton
was hosted at II A. NJ, and Immediately
broke out of the stops. When set it ap-
peared rather full and did not hold the wind
in good form. Ten minutes later the De-
tenders spinnaker boom was rigged out to
starboard and the sail set up in stops, the
men working like beavers to accomplish
the work
Both boats were off Beavertaii Light at
11:15. The Defender was trifie ahead
of the Vlgilant, having edged her way up
on her, although her spinnaker still hung
in the stops. Both boats had working top