New-York tribune., 1895-08-30
PERFECTLY SAFE IN LIGHT AIRS
HOW Az EXPERT VIEWS THE YACHTS As ThTi
APPEARED yEsTERDAy-THE DEFENpEH Al"
RIGHT IN WEATHER LIKE YESTERDAYS

HOW An EXPERT VIEWS THE YACHTS As THEY
APPEARED yEsTERDAy-rHE DEFENDER ALL
RIGHT IN WEATHER LIKE YESTERDAYS
The attendance at to-day's trial race Will probably
be small Yesterdays was WEAKNESS TO the hesn'
For neither sailors nor spectators was there any
satisfaction Between decks meant sunocation ana
the top deck meant slzzle. The only difference lay
In the way you were cooked. Below II was s'e"'
on deck II fry.
Yesterdays race at least, showed this. that In the
ligh,est OF airs the Defender always beat the
Vig.ant. BY this expression highest OF airs Is
not meant that which is called In a general way
Eight weather." for this may include many grades
OF air movement. The expression Is Intended to re-
fer to that portion of breeze which Is sort OF twin
brother TO dead calm.
In this. the Defender can win The material on
her has been chosen with the idea OF It's lghtness
Almost every other quality has beer sacrificed for
this. Her sheets books and canvas are In every
way adapted fof success in such light breezes as
yesterdays. Her gossamer webs lifted and bal
ooned when the Vigants sails hung on her spars
like wet coats. While running. the Vgiiants can
vas hung fatty While both boats the wind
the Defenders filed out round.y when the vigilants
did nothing.
Now. there have been many yachts which had good
regulations for performance IN light weather"
which were totally useless for in these
'lightest OF airs" These have been crafts which
carried most extensive sail plans and could in any
breeze that was able to f their canvases do good
work But these same boats must have certain
amount OF body In the breeze to fill their sails TO
those angles. to those ro,undiies. at which they
do their work.
Experienced yachtsmen will understand what is
meant; but for others, 1t may be explained that
when a yacht is sailing on one OF these light airs
which come quarterly she will do better when her
balloon jib bellies out and lifts her along than when
1t Is so heavy that II hangs down straight.
This example may be taken 20 explain the case In
yesterdays match The canvas Of the Vigant Is
made to stand good deal Of wind: her blocks and
sheets all heavies and these combine to fatten
down the sail when It would do better work II
1t hoated out rotundy. and az lightly as woman's
veil
This point is explained at some length. because 1t
Is one which may possibly be very prominent In the
International
1t will be remarked that the strength and general
utility OF the VaIkyre's canvas and even her light
sails, will probably also carry with them a heav'-
ness which will have the effect OF putting the
challenger In exactly the same box as the Vigilant
II so. it viii be another example OF the fact that TIA
yacht may have tremendogs me name hnen as ia ars so
light that they VIII not affect her canvas n re ,ne
III on On day IKE yesterday it is highly probable
that she viii steal away from her, .,soa ,,,,
Vaiky rie's sar she Will have all she wants; .,u
rms er Tns % the Yachts were started off on he race
all Interest became centred in them The fact thal ,t
| the Valkyre had been seen sailing three OF io''
miles from tho start was forgotten. ..
After some time had elapsed. ne foreign or craft a
suddenly appcarei among the yachts accompany
| Ing the race, and close upon the competitors How
she got there no one seemed TO know no They ybaa nad
tnat brought her nor was 'hfre any n see how
she accomplished this. even when you wachch h her
| on the surface OF the water was dead CAIN CAIN
| there she was passing good sized schooner yachts
that had all their kites set. ana yet lny mouoh'esS
| She passed them as n they were anchored,
! Then finally she into the dead, nat. complete
| and Altogether beasty calm IN which every spec
tator was patiently stewns Th' d 9pps op ns hc bs
fender entirely The Defender seemed 20 have Some
| hydrogen ~ her own to balloon hcr nsht DIX vp
And she can do It again In the same conditions.
The pecadGr has Sra.a y JoGpsa alrs robaSy S
bc made OF n light white linen. II runs from thu
end OF the bowsprt TO the topmasthead. with
sitting as close to the wind as the malnsail i
ala great service yesterday, ana u - douptu y
Vakyric ri possesses such a sail The Tr'nnn'
10 show the peculiar deslrabllity OF this sail. bu
the writer has not yet learned whether the presen
Vakyre carries It. II she does not she will posi-
| bly, have cause to regret the omission
Concerning. her present canyases 50 far , as sh s
| most perfect examples Of the samakers art tina
| have ever been seen In this or any other country
The way the Niagara and vgiants sais sal sptr l
and the Vigiant 80 TO rags In the races here nav
called forth the rsmark in the rShs EnSish papers tina
1t is rather lamentable to be forced to admit tha
this is in measure true There was no wind yes
ierday to Justify the sudden scaterinS OF the DE
has not been spared 10 procure the best that tn
United States can provide. It must be seen how un
| satisfactory the output In this line Is.