The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-08-08

stated in America and even In England, |
In addition to this, the famous schooner
America never really won the cup ac-
cording to the rules of yacht racing as
she did not sail the proper course. and
but for being visitor, would no doubt
have been disqualified. But being a
visitor and the other competitors will
lingly acknowledging her superior
speed. no protest was entered, and the
prize was given to her. How the cup
became an international trophy, and
how English yachtsmen have made six
Intellectual attempts to win it, Is not the
subject of this article They belong to
the past; we propose dealing with the
future. When, in 1898, Lord DunraVen
built Valkyrie H., and sent her to New
York to compete, 1t Is probable two err
rors were made. In the first place, she
was raced during the season regularly
up to the end of the Cowes week, not
only against our own vessels, but in the
Solent against Navahoe, an American
cutter designed by Herreshoff, who was
also the designer Of Vigilant, the de-
fender of the cup. This, of course, al
lowed our rivals to know as much about
our representative as we did, and gave
them the opportunity of preparing their
vessel accordingly. Next, after having
tried Valllyrie so highly and so openly,
she was altered after arriving in Amer
lean waters. 1t certainly seemed bad
policy to race her in England and make
her form public in any case; but after
having done so, and we assume having
got her properly tuned up, it was even
worse, we think, to alter her when 1t
was quite impossible to get any reliable
trial afterward. 1t was equivalent to
starting an untried horse for big stake
and backing him heavily This year,
however, the first mistake at any rate
will not be made, and it is most unlike
ly that the second error will be commit
ted either So far Valkyrie III. has
started in three open races only, and
private spin with Ailsa, and those who
| are responsible for her are so well salts
fled with what she has done that she
will race no more until she meets De-
| fender in American waters. This is as
| it should be, and the sooner she reaches
New York and the oftener she is sailed
there before the first match takes place
lne greater cHdHCe VI SuCSSsS WILL SAAo
| have
How great or how small this chance
may be it is impossible to say. 1t is
never wise to prophesy before an event,
but it is at least, permissible to calcu-
| late what the chances are. In Britain
mia we have thoroughly reliable trial
yacht, for not only did she meet Valky-
RE II. many times, but she also met and
Enthusiastically beat Vigilant last season.
On the three occasions when Valkyrie
III. competed with Britannia there We're
| fortunately, for the sake of expert
ments, three different conditions of
wind The first day the wind was very
light indeed, and the new vessel glided
away from her rivals in a marvellous
manner, but getting becalmed failed to
secure the prize. The second time they
met there was strong breeze, which
apparently was not to the challenger's
liking, as she could not carry her enor-
nous sails and heavy spars. and in adj
dition to this her new canvas stretched
so much as to be little better than bags.
When they met again there was a nice
whole sail breeze, and over fifty-mile
course Valkyrie beat Britannia about
nineteen minutes. When the friendly
trial with Ailsa took place there was a
moderate breeze, and Valkyrie left her
easily. Now the qualities displayed by
Valkyrie on each occasion are, we be-
lieve, exactly what her designer, Mr.. G..
l.. Watson, expected, and would appear
4 just what are desirable for the task set
her Moderate breezes and smooth wa
H. 49,. t,tr.t,
the contests for Americas cup take
| place, and to have any chance of win
ming 1T, there is no doubt a fine weather
boat is necessity. This the Americans
have always known. We have found
out by bitter experience.
"That valkyrie is not as good a YES
sci as Britannia or Ailsa in breeze
may or may not be the case, but grant
ing, for the sake of argument, that she
is not, that is no reason that her chance
of success in New York bay is thereby
jeopardized. Her rival, Defender, Is not
likely to be a hard weather boat, either,
Judging from the reports we hear, and
should strong winds predominant the
worst of the two will be beaten; but SO
4 far, and judging by Vigilant and Nava-
hoe in comparison with Britannia, we
have no reason for assuming that VAL
kyrie will be the worst Apart from
and in addition to Valkyrie III. being a
faster vessel than her Inflated sister
was, she will have great advantage in
the fact that many of her crew have
had previous experience of racing in
American waters, and this we consider
matter of no small Importance.
GAS to Defender, we really know little
or nothing, as the newspaper reports are
so conflicting that no dependence can be
placed on them, and In many cases they
are evidently the outcome of magma
tion only She has had some trials with
Colonia, and is said to have beaten her
ten minutes in ten miles, in steady
whole sail breeze. That means that
over fifty mile course she would beat
Colonia fifty minutes, or say about eight
miles, which, as she is not a steamer,
and unless Colonia has strangely al
tered, must be sheer nonsense. Cclonia
and Vigilant were pretty well matched
in 1893, so that Defender, according to
this report, must be about three-quar-
tiers of an hour faster over fifty mile
course than Valkyrie II. was, and if this
was the case Valkyrie III. need not
cross the Atlantic, as nothing much