The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-09-20
The End Of the Cup Races.

A mountain in labor has brought
forth a ridiculous mouse. For nearly
a year the world of sport has lived in
pleasant anticipation OF witnessing |
the greatest yacht race of the century I;
the great public had caught the infecti-
GUS excitement, and the two finest
racers ever built had been prepared
at enormous expense, in order to de-
eide in spirit of friendly rivalry
which of the two great English speak
ing nations should bear away the
pennant of amatuer seamanshlp.
Well, the contest seems to have been
decided our champion has won one
race fairly on her merits, one by de-
cision of the Regatta Committee, and
one by a walkover. That makes it
"three straight" to be sure but
anybody who can accept with satisfac-
ton a result thus achieved certainly
lacks the true sportsman's instinct.
1t would be unbecoming to ques
ton the correctness of the Commit.
tees decision on the protest of the
Defender. Their familiarity with the
proper Interpretation Of the racing
rules of the club under whose auspices
the match was sailed, their acquaint.
ance with all the facts of the case at
first hand, and their unimpeachable
fairness would make any criticism OF
their action by outsiders piece of
impertinence. Nevertheless it might
have been better, even at the cost Of
strainlng point, to award the race
to the challenger. The Defender did
not need to win by a decision|
She had demonstrated her ability to
outsail her rival under almost every
condition, and would undoubtedly
have won the race in which she was
fouled, even in her crippled state, if
the course had been ten miles longer.
But even after the decision Mr.. Iselin
had magnificent opportunity for a
truly sportsmanlike action, by refusing
to accept the victory, and offering to
resail the race. In making so gener-
Gus an offer he would have had an
excellent precedent in the action Of
Sir Richard Sutton, the owner of the
Genesta, who refused to accept the
race awarded to him when his yacht
was fouled by the Puritan on Septem-
Der 7, 1885, saying that he wanted
"a race, not walk-over." All En-
glish yachtsmen, it is true, are not Sir
Richard Suttons but whatever opin-
ion one may have of English courtesy,
the fawlessness of our American in
stinct for fair play should be placed
above doubt or cavil,
In his refusal to call another race in
the wash of mob of excursion boats
Lord Dunraven will have the SYM
pathy of every fair minded American
sportsman. In the light breezes
which have prevailed during racing
days the disturbance of the water
created by the accompanying crowd
of tugs and steamboats, seriously inter-
fered with the sailing of the boats.
Even when the interlopers kept at a
respectful distance they were obliged
to wallow in broken and tumbling
sea, spilling the wind with every lurch.
Under such conditions fair test of
the merits of yacht is manifestly
impossible. Under any circumstances,
= however, the crowding of the yachts
at the international cup races by irres-
ponsible, often ignorant, and some
times willfully careless steamboat
captains has developed into an in.
, tolerable nuisance. Lord Dnnraven
had borne up under this prevocation
| during the contests of 1898 with
! singular complacency, thus proving
: himself possessed of more than
o average geniality and evenness o.
temper. If he cannot be induced tc
race among the hampering vessels O
e large excursion fleet, there is proba
" bly, not another yachtsman tn Britain
It who could be induced to do so. Up
h less some method can be found t,
e abate the steamboat nuisance or tn
d locus of future contests can be lai'
:. at some point distant from a larg
t city, it is very much to be feared tha
It the last of the challenge races for tn
: America cup has been sailed. Th
l. trophy will become neglected piec
'r Of plate, which nobody will think c
l. striving for, and thus its chief value a
IS an incentive to international spoI
e will be gone forever.
,r