The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-08-30
DEFENDER is IMPROVED.
She Beat the VigiIant by IS
Minutes Yesterday.
YALKYRIE iii. PROVES HER POW
ERS IN A DRIFTING RACE.

The Third of the Trial Races Occurs To-
day-Yachts Struck by a Heavy Thun-
der sauau But Stood it Well-The Defend
ers New Spar and Sail Are an Improve
ment,
New York, August 29.-The sec ond of
the official trial races between the yachts
Defender and Vigilant was sailed today.
The Vigilant was beaten over every leg
of the twenty-four mile course and fin
ished eighteen minutes, three seconds be-
hind the Defender. Nearly half of this
difference however, was due to the fact
that the wind died down just after the
Defender had crossed the finish line and
while the Vigilant was still on her way
IN.
The course decided upon for today's
race was triangular one eight miles
to a leg by east one-half east and the
third leg west by south. At the start
the wind nearly due west, so that the
first leg was broad reach. The second
leg would have been a reach also, had
not the wind hauled around to the south
west making it practically run. The
last leg was a close reach. The weather
conditions were very varigated, as in the
first two legs the wind died down and the
yachts were becalmed On the reach
home it blew up a squall with rain,
thunder and lightning. At .one time the
wind reached thirty-six Knots. The start
was made from Scotland lightship. At
H. 10 the preparatory gun was fired, and
the signal for the start was given at II. 90
The Defender tore over the line at
1120 3S, and the Vigilant at 11.20 40!
The bowsprit of the Vigilant was lap
ping the stern of the Defender, and was
on the weather quarter Of the new boat,
but the latter footed too fast to be bIan
wind was eighteen miles. When the
Defender got clear of the fleet she began
to increase her lead and in ten minutes
had opened up four lengths between her
and the Vigilant. Her new rig and well
fitting sails seemed to be doing good
work for her. The Vigilant had up an
entire Herreshoff suit of clothes. The
Sy UO6tu W6uu UAIO0SA UlAO WouOA
with an easy motion and in half an
hour had eight lengths to the good. The
breeze gradually lost it's strength and the
yachts failed to keep up the burst of
speed they showed at the start.
The Valkyrie with Lord Dunraven on
board was coming out to the Hook, when
the race was started. She was good
along at a good rate. At II. 40 the
Valkyrie changed her Jib topsall for one
of yoluminous proportions. 1t was larger
than the balloon of either the Defender
or the Vigilant and it set beautifully,
While the American boats we're almost
in the doldrums. SO light was the wind
for an hour after the start, the British
boat seemed to have good breeze al and
dashed along at surprising gait The
appearance of the cup hunter bowling
along over the course while the two Anne
rican boats lay with barely steerage way
was not pleasant to patriots on board
Of the excursion steamers and yachts. The
Valkyrie was carrying the wind with
her and drew up on the yachts at
12 80, having cut down the mile and
a half lead to less than half mile. She
lost the wind at 1881 and drifted as they
were doing, but in her drifting she was
creeping up on the Vigilant and probab-
ly on the Defender also. Then at H. 33,
just when an elegant opportunity was
offered for comparison with the white
sloops, Lord Dunravens' boat jibed and
headed back toward the lightship. There
was ffreshening breeze coming in from
the southwest and the Defender, catching
it before the Vigilant, incre ased her lead
to nearly half mile. The Defender
made the first turn at 1a. OF, the Vjgilant
at 3. O6. II. The run to the second mark
was uneyentful The wind died down
after blowing for half an hour at six
knots. The Defender gained three min
utes and thirteen seoonas On the run aand VIII
tf1rn. which was off Rookaway was the
Defender 5. 16 80; Vigilant, 3.24. 90. The
rims home was a close reach with booms
Then the bank of clouds in the Lwest
sent a storm of rain with thunder and
lightning down over the course and there
was a merry time for quarter Of an
first at 35S. She heeled well over and
the water reached nearly to the cockpit,
where Mrs. Iselin was sitting. Capt.
Half luffed the boat into the wind and
She straightencd up and down came her
baby jibtopsail. The people of the Vigii-
liant we're more cautious. They first took
n the baby jibtopsail and minute later as
sauail hit them and the boat almost
Showed her centreboard. At 80 the
wind win was blowing So miles an hour. At
2 70 there was sharp report like that Of
saluting cannon and the jib of the Defen-
der de- split Ialong the middle seam. The
torn tor Sail was gathered in. The Vigilant
was was making bad weather Of it.
At g. 40 the centre of the squall having
passed and left strong southwest
lib and dashed ahead at eleven knot
Clip toward the nlsh 4nnsa, AT The soadg Nglanf liant
over and endeavored to catch the flying
syndicate boat. The, latter was a good
two miles ahead and going fast The
new sloop raced away toward the light
ship and crossed the finish at 4.1ooS.
andy Hook, N. j., August go The
Americas cup committee met this after
noon and decided to have the third trial
race tomorrow at II a. m. from the Scot
land Lightship.
Menhaden Factory Burned.
Boothbay Harbor, Aug. s9-W. M.
Sawyer's mendaen factory, and leasedEby
Church & Hatchaway, was damaged by
IL