The San Francisco call., 1895-07-21

To-day's race was the first of two con-
tests arranged by the New York Yacht
Club for a special $500 silver cup. The
course was outside Sandy Hook, where the
trial races and the great international con-
test with the Valkyrie will take place. 1t
consisted of beat OF fifteen miles to
windward and a run home to the starting
point.
The second contest will take place on
Monday, beginning at II o'clock, over
triangular course of ten-mile legs in order
that the qualities OF the two yachts may
be tried under all the different racing con-
ditions
The Defender arrived at Bay Ridge last
night and rode at anchor there until this
morning. Mr.. and Mrs. Is elm, Latham NJ.
Fish, Woodbury. Kane and Herbert G.
Leeds went aboard shortly after o'clock.
Captain Half and his men were already
there.
The tug Atwood soon had line to the
racer and at 7:45 o'clock the start was
made for Sandy Hook with the fleets
whistles blowing and cannons cracking
All the way down the bay the big boat
was greeted with salutes from passing
steamers and excursion boats.
AT 9 o'clock the Defender, after short
wait in the lower bay in order to hoist her
mainsail, passed out to Sandy Hook on
her way to the lightship. The Vigilant
passed out half an hour later. She had
been anchored all night in the horseshoe
inside of Sandy Hook, and headed for the
starting point under her own sail. At
that time a light breeze was blowing from
the southwest, which did little more than
ripple the surface of the ocean A thick
haze covered the water and obscured the
movements OF the yachts except from close
at hand. The Vigilant proceeded slowly
toward the lightship, making several
changes in her sails, apparently for the
purpose of practicing the crew.
Eleven o'clock was the hour set for the
race. At that time the breeze had begun
to freshen and the haze was growing less.
The two yachts maneuvered about the
starting point for few minutes. They
carried the same canvas, consisting of fore
staysail, jib, mainsail and club topsail.
Both boats had white bodies and their
crews were dressed in rigs of the same
color. To landsmen on excursion boats
the two contestants looked strikingly alike
and spectators were in some perplexitv to
distinguish them as they passed back and
forth. The starting line was marked by
the Scotland lightship and the judges
boat, ex-Commodore e. NJ. Browns steam
yacht Sylvia.
Shortly after IL o'clock the Sylvia dis
played signals announcing that the race
. would be beat to windward and back
At IL 20 o'clock the first gun was fired.
The yachts had ten minutes in which to
get in position for the start. and promptly
at II 80 the second gun was heard, leaving
two minutes allowance for the yachts to
cross the line. Just as the gun spoke the
Defender and Vigilant broke out baby jih
topsails. Both yachts were well placed
and moving toward the line with all sail
dIawing in the freshening breeze. The
Defender was in advance and a little
toward the windward She crossed at
11:30:25, the Vigilant following at IL :50:50.
Both were on the port tack as they
crossed the line, but the Defender almost
Immediately put about on the starboard
tack. For five minutes the yachts sailed
away from each other at an angle of rs de-
grees. At 11:45 the Vigilant went on to
the starboard tack and almost at the same
moment the Defender shifted to the port
tack, and the two sailed toward each other.
Three minutes later they crossed. and
both went about almost simultaneously
and began to sail away from each other
again. a moment later the Defender again
tackled and headed up closer to the wind,
and the two yachts started for long beat
on the starboard tack.
At this point it was evident that the
Defender had increased the lead she had at
the start. The breeze was still rather
light, but was freshening steadily. The.
Vigilant appeared to be sailing somewhat
closer to the wind than the Defender, but
the latter had much better windward po-
sition. On this tack the Defender gained
a little.
At l2;12 both yachts changed to the port
tack. The wind in the meantime had
been rising and was now blowing a good