Omaha daily bee., 1895-07-23
ALL RIGHT In A LIGHT WIND
Defender Shows Her Sailinr Qualities Under
More Strenuous Circumstances,
BEAT WGlANT HOWE NlNE MINUTES
Triangular Course OF Thirty Miles Covered
In Good shape by the Pair OF
Great Racing Rivals OF
America.


evidenco that the new boat Is better than the
old in light weather They sailed over
triangular course outside of Sandy Hook, and
were tested in pretty nearly every kind OF
sailing. They started out before the wind.
Before they had gotten half way on the
Journey Of the first leg of ten miles they
were sailing with the wind over the quarter.
Before they got to the end of the first leg
they were even more closely hauled. On the
second leg they were reaching free and
tacking. and on the final angle they were
able to head to the home mark with a fairly
well lifted sheet.
The result left no doubt as to the respect
tive qualities of the boats in the kind of
weather that prevailed, but that weather
was of the lightest character At no time
did the breeze blow harder than twelve knots
an hour, and it fell at times to four. On
the run out before the wind at the start Wig
liant not only held her own for period but
at the end of four miles was well abeam OF
Defender. This run was made with spin
maker set and drawing, under which condi-
tions, 1t is almost universally conceded, Wig
liant is the fastest boat in the world. She
showed these same qualities here as well as
on the other side of the Atlantic. When it
came to the point, however, where because OF
a little shift in the wind, spinnakers had to
be hauled in and booms hauled in
board, Defender instantly shot ahead.
She kept ahead and was never
afterward overhauled during the entire thirty
miles, unless it might have been on certain
little portions of the course where the wind
dropped to almost nothing. 1t those places
1t seemed as though Vigilant picked up. but
the gain was nconsiderable. The run be-
tween the marks shows that Defender gained
in each of three angles.
NO NEW SAILS.
1t was expected that Vigilant would show
up with new sails this morning, but it turned
out that she had only time to make a few
alterations in the canvas that she used on
Saturday. One improvement there certainly
was in her outfit, the cleaning of her center
board. diver was sent down to examine
the centerboard yesterday while the boat
lay inside Of the Sandy Hook horseshoe. He
found it covered with barnacles and grass.
The board had not been touched for polish
ing purposes when Vigilant was docked at
the Erie basin for the cleaning of her hull
because there was no room to lower it for
examination. This Improvement when the
diver had finished, was no small one. It.
together with the change in the cut of her
sails made the boat do better without doubt
than she did on Saturday. Yet the only
time she gained on Defender was when she
had that same old champion centerboard
hauled up and it was Of no use whatever
Defender appeared in just about the same
form as she showed in the first race Trif
ling improvement was made in her block
work. and a small cut was taken out of her
club topsail. If there were any improvements
In form it was in Viglant, and that makes
Defenders performance more remarkable.
Directly after the start the racers found
themselves dead before the wind. Down
went Vigilants spinnaker boom at the first
sign Of a dead astern wind, and 1t was not
a minute later that Defender followed suit
while Vigilant met with a mishap at the
start, a small soop getting in her way.
She was on the starboard tack. while De-
fender was still on the port. Defender
came around just before the line was reached,
but refused TO give way to the old boat,
which, because she was on the starboard
tack, had the right Of way. II looked as
though there would be a. collision, but the
older boat by courtesy waived her right, and
went about to the port tack, passing in
under Defenders lee quarter until she was
clear. Viglant at once raised a flag of pro-
test, but notice was taken OF it at the
time by the committee. The yachts went
over the line with jib topsails flying and
continued up to the time that the spnnakers
were set
DEFENDER GAINED QUICKLY
After the spinnakers were hauled in De-
fender began to go ahead. Within the space
of a mile from the time the spinnakers were
hauled down Defender a good sixteenth
of a mile ahead. Rounding the first mark
despite the fact that Defender had some
on Vigilant making a very pretty turn with
in twenty feet of the buoy and went away Oh
the starboard tack with sails quite full in
true racing style. She was very quick com
ing up In the wind and as the main sheet
was hauled aft, she held her head up and
went very quickly through the water, close
hauled, making the course southwest in g
wind that had died down to about six miles
an hour. Vigiant did not go so close to the
buoy, but she went around 1t Just as fast
Jb topsails were run out at the beginnine
of the second leg and as the wind fresheneC
little bit the contestants presented a pretty
picture. At 2:2O Defender found she coulC
not weather the second mark so she wen
about to port and. as there was a bit of I
breeze at the moment, she showed how sht
could spin around from one tack to tn,
other. Defender stood on this tack for thre,
minutes. when she came around to starboard
while Vigiant held on to her old starboarC
tack. At 2H Defender tackled to port, Vigi
liant still holding on. At 254 Vglant wen
around to port, always showing herself to b,
from seven to ten seconds slower in tack
ing. Defender came along in fine style anC
passed the last buoy at 2:50Il. Vigilan
did not get around until 257:25 They cam
home without tack, point or a point anC
half from the wind. On the stretch De
fender only gained more and the finish tool
place amid great believing of whistle
and the firing Of cannon and the footing o
horns from the collection Of steam yachts an,
excursion boats that were gathered about tn
inc lhe OWClal time was: Defender
4I9:S0; Vigilant, 4:2S:47. Thus Defende
wins by nine minutes and seventeen seconds
At IL o'clock, the time set for the start
the yachts were not quito ready Both wer
maneuvering for advantage. The signal wa
given from the judges boat that the cours
would be a triangular one, starting from tn
Scotland ightship buoy southeast. half south
for ten miles well out to sea, then an equa
distance west southwest, which would brn
the turning stakeboat Of the second leg near
abreast of Long Branch. The last leg an
home run was announced to be ten mile
north, half east.
After the warning signal, fired at 11:14 an,
when both boats Unanswered, the gun for tn
start was fired. At ll:2i Defender was il
best position. At II "a 80 she swept over tn
starting line and Viglant, chasing her eagerly
made her formal start at 1l:25I0, or abou
forty second behind the leader. Just befor
the two boats went across the line the
brought out their balloon jib topsa!ls. DE
fender seemed first TO gain by this movement
The great racers being thus started the ex
cursion fleet and pleasure craft hurried OF
with them, keeping we'll to leeward Bot
yachts were carrying main sails. club sail
and stay sail. The sky was cloudy and tn
wind was west southwest, about twelve mile
an hour
DEFENDER GAINED STEADILY.
a - IAAE. A.