The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-07-20
LIKE THE WIND,
Defender Sailing a Magnl-
ficent Race Against
Gould's Vigilant.
BUT HAS NOT ALL HER OWN WAY
Both Yachts Start Close on the
Home Streteh-Pleasure
Fleet at Sea.
The New Boat Beats Last Years
by Three Minutes The
Finish.
BUT HAS NOT ALL HER OWN WAY

NEW YORK, July 90 1S95.-The gal
liant white and gold Defender rode at
anchor off Bay Ridge this morning with
her clean cut hull and towering spars
Just visible through the haze when
hung over the waters of New York Bay.
AS she rose and fell with the motion OF
the water she seemed to pull gently at
her anchor hawser like charger chahhg
at the bit anxious to be away. There
was but faint breeze stirring IN the
early morning, but when the haze began
to fade away before the rays OF the
sun, the breeze freshened from the
southard, and the knowing ones pre-
dicted racing wind for the first trial
of the boat which all Americans expect
to show such powers on the water tAat
Lord Dunraven will go home to 'Mer-
rie England without the Americas cup
The Denfender lay at anchor off Bay
Ridge all night, having arrived at sun
down yesterday Her opponent the Wig
! liant famous for her gallant defense of
the Cup in 18s3 anchored in the Horse
;shoe, inside of Sandy Hook, last night,
and was near the scene of -today's con-
test this morning On her, as on the De-
fender, the crew was early astir. Decks
were scrubbed down. spars and sails
inspected and deck fittings made snug
for the day.
The Defender was in the best of COM
pany for near her lay the steam yachts
Embla, Sapphire, Susquehanna, Sultana
Coronet, Fleetwing, Alanka and Haley.
on and the sloops Colonnia and Fannie.
Mr. Iselin. Captain Hank Half and a
few friends had spent the night aboard
her and were up and about shortly af-
ter daybreak The crew also made an
early rise. but there was little for them
to do. as everything was in readiness
for today's race before sundown last
evening.
AN EARLY MOVE
At 6:2o Mr.. Isel:n and his guests took
breakfast at the club house. as it was
intended to make an early start for Sandy
Hook After breakfast Mr.. Iselin. with
Mrs Isein Hamilton A. Fish. Wood
bury Kane and Herbert c. Leeds. the in
vited guests. boarded the Defender. Cap
tain Half and his men were already on
board. The tug F. S. Atwood had a line
to the racer and at 7:45 A. NJ. the jour
ney to Sandy Hook had begun. Although
the starting hour was somewhat early
there was nevertheless. large crowd Of
yachtsmen on the club dock to see the
racer off AS she started down the Bay
there was a royal salute from the fleet.
consisting of booming of cannon and
the shrill screaming of the steam
whistles
All the way down the bay the big boat
was greeted with saiutes from passing
steamers and excursion boats. AT nine
O'Clock, Defender. after a short wait in
the lower bay, in order to hoist her main
sail, passed out to Sandy Hook on her
way to the starting point off the Sandy
Hook Lightship. Half an hour later Vigi-
liant also passed out for the starting
place.
The course today was outside of Sandy
Hook where the international races of
1893 were sailed and where the trial races
and the final contest with the Valkyrie
III will take place. The New York Yacht
Club offered $500 silver cup for the big
single stickers in order to give them
chance to try their qualities in the water
and wind which they will be most likely
to encounter in the defense of the Amerf-
cas- cup. It was Defenders first race
and her first taste of Sandy Hook wealth
err The opportunity to see the new boat
and witness her behavior when pushed
by as good a yacht as the Vigilant is
known to be drew a big crowd to the
lower bay. Except in the trial races of
'93 and the international races of that
and other years. no such fiotilla of ves-
sells and no such crowd of people has been
seen going seaward as was the case this
morning.
THE CLUB STEAMER.
The iron steamboat Cepheus loaded
with members of the New York Yacht
Club and their guests. left Pier A at
$50. with all decks comfortably filled.
Go in 1i1o nc WIS h
yachting caps. accompanied by ladies in
serge and flannel costumes gay with
gold braid and with sailor hats or jaun-
ty caps predominated. Men with straw
hats or derbys and women with bon
nets were very rare indeed. a dozen
OF more large steamers loaded with the
patriotic multitude followed the club
steamer down the bay. and innumerable
steam and sailing yachts also headed, for
the general rendezvous off Sandy Hook.
a Going down the bay the great topic
Of conversation was. which of the Yam
kee boats will win. and will the one Sc
lected be able to defeat the English
man? There was much speculation on.
another point regarding today's race.
It was race between two entirely dis
tinct types of boat. a centre board and
keel yacht. and both of American
build Heretofore the leading competi-
tors for the honor of defending the
cup have always been yachts of the
eentre-board type.
There were many who hoped the cen
tre-board type would win.
A MERE SHELL.
The Defender has been stripped like a
fighter going into the ring. or rather all
fittings in the interior and on deck not
absolutely necessary have been omitted.