The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-08-21
DATE HAS BEEN SELECTED
FIRST RAGE FOR THE CUP TO TAKE
 PLACE SEPTEMBER 7TH.

An Official Announcement Has Been Made
 to That Effect by the Cup Committee
 Defender and yigilant Had Strong Race
 in Heavy Sea and With High Wind on
 the First of the Trial Races.
 New York, Aug. 20-The first of the
 appointed trial races to decide whether
 the Defender or the Vigilant shall be
 selected to defend the Americas cup
 which was sailed here to-day, resulted | in a disappointment all around. The
 Defende after outsailing her rival de-
 cisively over the first round and con-
 tinuing to increase her lead for several
 miles on the second suddenly withdrew
 from the race and stood off for run
 back to her anchorage. This was done
 apparently to a disinclination to risk
 the sloop further in the strong and
 steadily increasing breeze. This made
 the Britishers, who were watching the contest, jubilant, as they believe the
 Valkyrie III. can stand nearly any kind
 of weather.
 After the Defenders retreat the Wig liant kept on her course, beating up into a forty-mile wind and pounding through a rolling and tumbling sea. Even after she had split her new Herre- shoff jib she set anchor in few min utes and continued sticking to her work When she had completed three-quarters of the second windward beat lshe was
 recalled by the judges, who assured Mr. Willard that the race was ended and the Vigilant wasithe winner. Then the old champion ran for her anchorage. < The unprecedented result was afforded of an important race and a $2,000 cup { being won in contest in which neither of the contestants went over the course or finished.
 Yachtsmen are feeling glum tonight < over the result of the race, as it would seem to show weakness in the De- s fender in the one important event in ' which heretofore she had not been thor E oughly tested.
 The Vigilant's victory will not neces- sarily affect the Defenders claim to < represent America in the coming races. \ Commodore Smith said before the race < that the winner of the series might not N be the one selected That, he said, \ would rest with the committee ir any $ event. It is not unlikely, however, that more than two trial races will now be x held As originally scheduled, there were to be two trial races, one to-day \ and another on Thursday. To-day's contest was for the cup offered by John < Jacob Astor. It was arranged that sig $ nals should be displayed from the M judges boat in case double round was S decided upon after the race had start M ed. If it had ended with the first round s# the Defender would have put decisive &9 victory to her credit.
 I'm the first ten mile beat to windward s she gained minutes B seconds on the M Vigilant. She lost minute 33 seconds # of this advantage on the run back, ow- M ing largely to slowness in getting out sS her spinnaker That left her with a gain of five minutes in the twenty miles. rS Both yachts spent last night in the \ Horseshoe at Sandy Hook The Vigi- E lant was the first to get under way this ( morning for the Scotland lightship, from #s it was supposed the race would be start A ed. AS she skinned along it was evi- Hs dent that she had been tuned up to the ss top notch. She was certainly as fit as s hands could make her. and her canvas Hs set as stiff as boards. Soon afterwards % the Defender set out in tow. When she
 got outside of the Hook up went her # canvas and she followed in the Vigi-
 lant's trail She carried her largest < Herreshoff mainsail, but her clubtopsail was much smaller than the Vigilant's, and smaller than she carried in the < Newport races. Her set of sails was not quite as snug and taut as her rivals, ! but she skinned through the water in X a masterly way. The wind which had been fair sailing breeze earlier in the < day, had died away to a six-knot rate.
 The Vigilant reached the Scotland { Light at 10 o'clock and Defender a $ few moments later. By this time the # customary fleet of excursion boats, S steam yachts, tugs, sloops and schoon- < CTS was on hand. The fiotilla was
 slarger than that alt the two former con- z tests off this port. The judges and the
 regatta committee were on board the < tug Walter Luckenbach. The members StN or the NeW 1OEh dCliI CllNb anu uIelI 2 guests steamed up in the tug Edgar
 F. Luckenbach. On Defender could be
 seen MT. and Mrs. Lselin, Mrs. E. D. Morgan, Nat Herreshoff, Woodbury | Kane and H. c. Leeds, MT. Willard
 was in charge of the Vigilant and with : him were Francis M. Scott, E. D. Fish, George Cormack and Captain Barr. ss At 1O:45 the judges boat reached the
 Sdtland Lightship and ran up signals
 showing that the start would be made
 from the Sandy Hook Light. The
 change was made because of the light
 fbreeze with view to laying the course
 further seaward, where the wind would
 be fresher. The two slooops and all the
 craft in waiting then headed for the
 :other lightship. The judges boat was
 Sat the Sandy Hook Lightship at 11:20 kSand ran out the signal for the letter xsC., which indicated that the race would #be a beat to wtndward and return.
 sThis meant trip down the New Jer-
 sey coast and back, as the wind was &south. southwest and the clear weather
 .pffered the observers at the various sshore resorts an excellent chance to
 watch the contest. The breeze, which 8saad freshened to fifteen knots, was .
 growing one and the water was rough
 ening.