The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-08-31
GOOD DEAL OF A FARCE
THE THIRD TRIAL RACE BE-
TWEEN YACHTS VIGILANT
AND DEFENDER.
vIGlLANT AGAIN BADLY BEATEN

Defender Was Not Sailed for All She
Was Worth But Still She Was VIM
ner by Five Minutes, Twelve Seconds
-.Valkyrie Also Took Short Spin
all by HerseIf--The Committee Sc
Iects Defender to Meet Valkyrie in
the Race for Americas Cup.
New YORK, August 3O.-The third So
called trial race between Defender and
Vigilant which took place to- day, was
good deal of farce. Defender won over
course of ten miles to wlndward and re-
turn by five minutes and twelve seconds,
when she could have crossed finish line
anywhere from eight to ten minutes
ahead of Vigllant if she had been sailed
for all she was worth. The magnificent
showing that Defender made yesterday
in all kinds of weather and on all points of
sailing created so much enthusiasm that
Mr.. @. o. Iselin, the chief manager of
the syndicate which built the yacht, may
have come to the conclusion that the
boat uncovered her qualities too much,
and possibly he decided to pull back a
little today. Defender made a tack
Just berore rounding the outer mark
which she would have had no occasion
to do if she had been well handled, and
which cost her a minute or more. In
all the beating down TO the outer mark
Defender was sailed with rap full or
more. No effort at any time was made
to keep her pointed up to the wind.
" ha NJ 1cr hcy nd Il
as she always is, in tue most SPORTSMAN
like manner.
Yesterday in beat of eight miles De
fender beat VIgilant five minutes and
five seconds; on a run before the wind,
the keel boat beat the centre board over
the same distance two minutes and thir-
teen seconds, when the wind was light
To day, when there was a good breeze
at the start, ten miles an hour, which in
creased a couple of miles before the
racers turned the outer mark, Defender
in a ten-mile-le beat Vigilant only five
minutes and twenty two seconds; and on
the run home before the wind, during
which there was never more than an
eight knot breeze, Vigilant picked up
tof seconds. Yesterday the water was
as smooth as mill pond. To
day whitecaps appeared here and
there, but there was no sea that
could be called heavy or even choppy.
The tug Luckenbach, bearing the COM
mittee, got down to the Scotland Light
ship about 1920 and at once notified
the contestants that the course would
be from the Scotland, East southeast,
which was dead to windward ten miles
and return. The preparatory whistle
was blown promptly at II o'clock. The
signal to start was blown ten minutes
later. After five beats the Yachts had
two sminutes within which to cross
the line or be handicapped.
After crossing the line on the star
board tack Vigilant was the first to
come about. Defender went in stays,
too, and although she came up into the
wind five or six seconds later than Vigi-
liant, she was full on the other tack be-
fore the center boarder. When both
boats had come around to the port tack,
Defender was scarcely sixteenth Of a
mile ahead In that first five minutes of
the race At 11:29 Vigilant went about
again and Defender followed suit in
stantly.
The breeze freshened to about twelve
knots an hour at this time, and both
racers felt it simultaneously. They
stood on long board, and it was not
until 1901 that Defender came about.
Vigilant remained on the same track
until 1903.
Ten minutes later Defender came
around to the starboard and crossed
Vigilant's bow. She stood on that tack
for three minutes and then came about
to port well on Vigilant's weather bow,
and stood down for the outer mark. 1t
looked as though she could have made
the mark, but she did not. She made a
couple of tacks before rounding. Vigi-
liant made good long tack to port and
then came about to stand well over to the
eastward. Her next tack brought her
around the mark with ease. The
rounding was marked by the usual
demonstration from the small fleet of
steam yachts and excursion boats that
assembled to witness the scene. De-
fender was five minutes and twenty
two seconds ahead. She gibed over and
prepared for her run before the wind
home. But that preparation which in
cluded the setting of the spinnaker and
the balloon jib topsail, was perfected in
a very slow manner. Then came the run
home before the wind, which had held
true from east to southeast.
In view of Defenders great work yes
terday on a run before the wind. many
people thought she should beat Vigilant
to-day. On the contrary, Vigilant gain
ed ten seconds on her, and Defender was
the winner by five minutes, tselve
seconds, as the following official time
table will show:
Start Outer Finish Elapsed
mark time
Defender, IIl0:0S 12:47.25 2:04:l9 2:52:l0
Nigilant, IIl0;l8 l2:5342 2:0740 2:57:22
The racers had not proceeded nile
on their course when the English yacht
Valkyrie loomed up to the northward
beating down from the point of Sandy
Hook She was never nearer to Vigi
liant than five miles; but even at that
distance it could bee seen that the chal-
lenger kicked up good deal of fuss in