The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-30
DEFENDER WAS WINNER
BYEIGHTEEN MINUTES AND THREE
sECO NDs ~ THE TRIAL RACE.
The vaIkyrie Appeared and Weather Con-
ditions Enabled Her to cause sen
sation-starm ON the Reach Home.


NEW YORK. August 2o.-The severe
drubbing which the Defender administer
ed TO the Nigilant In the second OF the
official trial races to-day has had the
effect OF considerably revving the hopes
OF yachtsmen I'm this vicinity, which have
been dropping somewhat since the syn
dcate boat broke down I'm her last race
and failed to finish. 1t was evident that
she was much improved by the substtu-
tion Of thicker stick for her old one
and she was able to carry medium
sized clubtop sail through the squail
which struck the two boats on the last
leg, standing up as stin and straight as
need be-.
The Vigilant was beaten over every
lex OF the 24-mie course and finished
is minutes 3 seconds behind the Defend
or.
Nearly half Of these differences, how
ever, was due to the fact that the wind
went down to nothing just after the De-
fender had crossed the finishing line ana
while the Vigilant was still on her way
in.
| circulated to the effect that the Defender
has been held back in all her previous
races with the Vigilant IN or
der 10 disguise the real extent
OF her superiority was immedl-
atclv revived after to-day's contest
and there were plenty Of yachtsmefi VINO
waggcd their heads and said: Il told you
So"
1t Is more probable, however. that the
I.ar mt U.f".
! due entirely TO the changes wmch nave
| just been made in her. she looked fleet
er in every way to-day than when she
| was i'm any of her previous trials. Ihc
| set OF her sails was almost perfect al
| though the Nigllant as before, had q tIlne
The better OF IL in this respect Tie Le-
! tenders crew also seemed TO nave 8aihca
| in thickness, and there was less OF the
| distressing delays I'm setting sails than De-
fcrc. The new beat kept up her record
for accidents by splitting her JiD on the
last leg. The cloth was quickly replaced
/ by another one, and the mishdp WAS OF
slight consequence.
vALKYRII's APPEARANCE.
An additional element Of interest was
lent to the race by the appearance ON
the course of the challenger Nalkyrie jill.
| Il was the first opportunity that any one
| has had to see the rival yachts sailing
| anywhere near each other, and it was
| eagerly embraced by the enthusiasts.
Peculiar Wird conditions served TO make
| the aTTearance OF the Nalkyrie almost a
sensational ore. She seemed 10 be over
| hauling the two American yachts with
| eGse. SIZE was about a mile and nan
| behind them at the starting OF the race.
! While they We're drifting along in the
| rIhtest OF airs. the Nalkyrie crept mp
/ f.rfr "a q
side of an hour she had approached 10
/ within less than half mile Of the Nigl-
] liant and the faces Of the spectators
/ heightened. When she got into the CLASSY
| area with the other yachts she slowed
down.
she continued to gain on the Nigilant.
| however for Il few minutes after she had
| come into the same weather conditions.
! The Defender was also gaining percep-
tiby on the Vigilant at the same time.
/ and the Nalkyrie not wishing 10 give
| the Americans too good a line on hcr
| speed, put about and went back up the
bay. Her fast work in the light wind
/ was something of a surprise, and confirm
ed the feeling that she Will come nearer
10 winning the famous old cup than any
! Of her predecessors.
The course decided on for to-day's race
was triangular. eight miles TO a leg. The
| north by east, one half east, ana the
/ third leg west 10y south.
At the start the wind was nearly due
west. so that the first leg was a broad
reach. and the second leg would nave
! been p reach also. had not the wind haul
! Cd around TO the south southwest, max
| ing it practically a run.
The last leg was a close race. The
/ weather conditions were extremely va
/ rf4 oil Ia
On the first leg the breeze was blow
| ing about seven knots al the start, but
I before the mark was reached. 10 died
away until the yachts were almost be-
( Gained.
At that time and later it was cxces-
! sively hot. On the second Lex. the
breeze was fair one for "a time. but
| again died away almost % nothing.
ON the reach home it blew up a squall,
with rain, thunder and lightning. At
/ one time the wind reached 30 knots.
At ll:lo the preparatory gun was fired
from the judges boat and the yachts
began jOckeying in earnest. The de-
fender tore over the line al 1900 and
the Ngilant at n.3o.4O.
AT - 33 ther- was a frcshening breeze
snd Defender catching 10 before The
| Nigilant. increased her lead 20 nearly half
mile, making the first turn at 2.Ol;
NlElidnt following at Zui-lf.
The run o. the second mg~k was un-
evcntful. Tle Deferder gained three
minutes and thirteen seconds on the run.
Tire at the second turn, whicH WIS OH
Rockaway, was: Defender. S16.3l. Vigil
! liant, $500.
THE RUN HOMF.
The run home was close reach. ard
ia the breeze, which was again lresaonins,
the two yachts showed signs OF life. Then
the bank of clouds I'm The west sent
storm Of rain. wiad. and thunder and
lightning down over the course, and there
was a merry time for = quarter Of an
hour The Defender caugh. the squall
first al 3.2j. Captain Half luffed the boat
up I'm the wind, and she str ughtened up
Down came the baby jib-top sail. but no
move toward further shortening Of sail
was made The people on tne Nigiiant were
more cautious. They first took in the
baby iip-top sail, and a minute later the
club-tOp sail
As they did so. the squall hit them,
and the boat almost showed her centre
board.
At $3.50 the wind was blowing thirty
five miles an hour, and the sea was
white with foam. At 1892 there was a
sharp report and the jib Of the Defend
or split along the middle seam. The
Vigilant was making weather of IL. TAX
ing big dashes Of spray over her bows,
and laying down low before the sudden
puffs Of wind.
At $40 the centre Of the sQuall hav-
ing passed. and left a strong southwest
breeze. the Defender set a new jib, and