The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-18
FORMAL TRIAL RACES
YACHTS DEFENDER AND vIGILANT
TO SAIL THIS WEEK.
Record OF the Fin-Keel Water Sprint
er I'm Her Recent COntests-The
Cup Committees Announcement.

Copyright, 1895, by the Associated Press.)
NEW YORK, Aug. 17.-As the first of the
formal trial races between Defender and
Vigilant will take place on Tuesday pext
a glance at the work that these champions
have done up to date will not be amiss
In fact, it will be especially interesting to
all Americans, for it will show how the
new boat, on whose worth we probably
shall depend to retain the greatest of all
yachting emblems-the Americas cup-has
been improving in form right along. The
meeting between Valkyrie III and De-
fender will be the closest contest ever
sailed for the trophy of trophies. Now,
take the first two races that the Defender
and Vigilant had. They were held respect
lively on July 20 and p. starting from
Scotland lightship, outside OF Sandy Hook,
in the same waters and over the same kind
OF courses as the cup races will take place
in. The following gives the time. the De-
fender always coming in first: To wind
ward and return, so miles. won by min
utes, 45 seconds; triangular course, 30
miles. won by minutes, II seconds. Her
increased lead at the close of the second
race is accounted for by the fact that the
winds suited her better than it did the
vigilant, as there was more beating and
reaching on that d1t. vi>4f
What the yachts did in their next series
Of meetings, which occurred during the an
nual cruise of the New York Yacht Club
to the eastward i5 shown in the following:
Glen Cove TO Huntington, Fl miles. won
by 1 minute. 40 seconds; Huntington 70
London TO Newport, 40 miles, IL minutes, 2
seconds; Block Island course, SO miles, ala
not finish; Newport to Vineyard Haven,
37A miles, minutes. a seconds; Vineyard
Haven to Newport, S7l4 miles, . minutes, 3
seconds; triangular, off Newport, Il miles,
6 minutes. 10 seconds. 1t will be seen that
had another close call, winning by only
one minute and forty-nine seconds.
Next came the long run of sixty-four
miles. from Huntington to New London, IN
a wind that could be called stiff, though 1T
was not strong enough to compel the taking
in of club top sails. The wind was we'll over
the starboard quarter all the way. Defender
was more than two minutes ahead when
her steering gear went wrong and she had
TO give up, not far from New London. On
the following day, when nonn the n neeS emnr nad
Defender came in way ahead. over the
Block island course, off Newport, Defender
had a comfortable lead. Seven miles from
home her gaff broke and the Vigilant won
the coveted Goelet cup for single stickers.
The two races which followed were really
the decisive contests of the cruise. and II
was not until after the first of these-the
run from Newport TO Vineyard Haven
that Mr.. Willard, OF the Vigiant, would
admit that the Defender was a better boat
than his. On the voyage out the Defender
won by 6 minutes and "a seconds, and on
the return over the same course showed her
constantly increasing superiority by com
ing in minutes and seconds ahead. On
the last day of all, when the racers went
over a short triangular course OF seven
miles to the leg, the fin keel boat did better
than ever. She beat the center-boarder by
5 minutes and is seconds on the dead beat
TO windward in the first seven miles, and
put minute and p seconds more between
the run home, the Vigilant set her spin
maker when she had covered half the sew
en- miles, and il drew very we'll Yet she only
overhauled the Defender, which did not hang
out her spinnaker at all, by only 80 Sec
onds The figures in this last race are es-
pecially interesting in showing what the
cam de sag IN Deains IN swbca aES
III is said TO be at her best.
The two or possibly three races which
will be held this week will prove more
have yet had the true difference between
the boats. When they come together en-
Tuesday next they & Will ~, be more highly s;nly
during their careers. The circular of the
Americas cup committee which orders the
races reads as follows
THE Americas cup committee announces
that the trial races will be sailed of SANDY
Hook on Aug. 20 ana p, and in case a
third race is deemed advisable: on Aug "a.
The committee will require the measure
ment of competing yachts taken with as
many persons on board as will be carried
| in the trial races. The regatta commit
| tee has kindly consented to handle these
races and will issue the necessary sailing
| directions. The cup committee reserves
the right to recall tie yachts at any time
| to restart any race, or TO alter the length
and direction of the course as 1t may deem
advisable. Entries and measurements
must be sent to the Americas cup com
mittee of the New York Yacht Club by
| Aug. 10"
The new rule which the committee has
| adopted in the matter of recalling ihe
| yachts at any time it sees fit is universally
| considered TO be an excellent one.