The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-08-16
NO WONDER WE LOSE
The Course Our Yachts Are
Compelled to Sail 0verln
Johnny Bulls Races.
ROCKS EVERYWHERE, AND NO BUOYS
The Niagara Runs Aground While
the Corsair Sticks Fast on
the Rocks.
By Gable to the United Press.

RYDE. Aug 16, 1S95-The Britannia,
Ailsa, Hester. Corsair. Isolde, Carina and
Carese. forty-raters. and the Niagara
and Isolde, twenty raters, started today
to race from Ryde round the Isle OF
Wight. about fifty miles, for the prizes
offered by the Commodore of the Royal
Victoria Yacht Club, cup. and second
prize of f40 to go to yacht of different
class to the winner of the cup. The Ailsa
allowed the Britannia one minute and
four seconds. the Hester, seventy-three
minutes and forty-three seconds, the Is
olde, Corsair, Carina and Carese thirty
four minutes and fifty-one seconds each,
and the twenty-raters Isolde and Niagara
fifty-six minutes and thirteen seconds
each. The signal for the start was given
at $3.50 and the yachts went over the line
to a beautiful start, carrying clubtop-
sails and jibtopsails. The Ailsa was the
first to get across. followed by the Isolde
Gwenty- -rater), the Caress, the Niagara
and the Britannia in the order given. The
Britannia had the weather berth. The
Corsair and the Isolde (forty-raters) were
the last to get away. The wind. which
was from the southeast. was very light
Following are the official starting times:
Ailsa. 9;30:15; Isolde. (twenty-rater) 9:SO:2o;
Caress. 9:3o:23: Niagara. 9:3O:29; Britannia
9:30:29; Carina, 9:30:45; Hester, 9:31;03; Cor
sair, 9:32:41: Isolde. (forty-rater) 9:3S:O9.
NIAGARA RUNS AGROUND.
The yachts were sent away to the east
ward When the Niagara reached Ryde
Sand Head. about a mile east of Ryde,
she ran aground. The tide was going out
and as soon as possible steamer was
sent to her assistance. She stranded in
q good position and the sea was perfect
ly calm. and consequently she was at no
time in any danger A tug got line
to her before she had been aground long
and pulled her off with little difficulty.
She at once came back to her moorings.
abandoning the race.
The representative of the United Press
had an interview with Captain Barr of
the Niagara after she returned here. He
stated that the Niagara was in the lead
when she struck. He had used the lead
few minutes previous to her taking
ground and found three and one-half
fathoms She struck with hard bump
and remained fast for half an hour. She
sustained no damage. Captain Barr fur
ther said that he thought that in such
weather as prevailed today the Niagara
could have had a good chance of win
ming the first prize.
The spot where the Niagara struck is
dry at low tide and several yachts have
been wrecked there Captain Barr thinks
that a buoy should be put down to mark
the danger He admits that he passed
outside one buoy, but says he was inside
the next one.
ANOTHER ACCIDENT.
After the yachts had gone as far as
Ventner on the south side of the island
they got in the doldrums and fioated
aground unable to make any progress
The Corsair is aground on the rocks and
is lying in bad position. 1t is presumed
that she got caught in current and in
the absence of wind was carried on the
rocks.
AS time passed and there was not the
slightest evidence of the wind spring
ing up, the situation became an anx-
ious one. The tide was on the flood and
was carrying the yachts on to the lee
shore off Ventnor, and consequently it
was decided to do something that has
very seldom occurred during a race.
Kedga anchors were put out, and the
spectacle of yachts at anchor while rae
ing, if such an expression covers the
case, was presented. The boats were
lying in the following order:-Britannia.
Isolde Qorty rater), Carina, Hester,
Ailsa, Caress and Isolde (twenty rater).
AT half past two o'clock the Britannia
grew tired of waiting for a breeze that
would enable her to finish the race and
weighed anchor and attempted to reach
Ryde with what little puffs of wind came
out at that time. The other boats were
still anchored when the Britannia start