The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-01-16
AMERICAS CUP REPORT.
The Regatta Committee On the Defender
Valkyrie Yacht Races.

New York, Jan. 14.-The annual re-
port of the regatta committee of the New
York Yacht club, consisting of s. Mich
olson Kane, Chester Griswold and Irving
Frinnel, has just been made public. I'm
der the heading, "The Match for the
Americas Cup" the report goes exhaust
lively into all the circumstances relative
to the international race last fall between
the Defender and Nalkyrie. The man
ner in which the courses were laid out is
gone into in detail and in connection with
them the committees action in refusing
to guarantee that they would keep the
course clear is explained.
The foul claimed on September 10 is
fully described and Defenders claim and
Nalkyrie's are given in detail.
Lord Dunraven claimed Defender broke
rules Z, 10, IA and 16 of the New York
zach club and winds up by saying:
Had | deemed it possible that De-
fender would protest, | should have pro-
tested against her. | thought that, be-
ing affected by my wash and her head
sails being right under my main sail, she
had probably taken a sudden sheer to
Windward and unintentionally fOuled me-
Under the circumstances, | did not think
it necessary to protest"
The committee justifies it's action in
sustaining Mr.. lselin's protest in the fol-
lowing words:
Section | of rule XVI reads: a yacht
shall not bear away out of her course
so as to hinder another passing to lee
ward"
On this the committee based its action
In regard to crowding the course, the
report says
AS the courses were outside the three
mile limit, there was no authority over
1t, but fleet of 20 steam yachts belonging
to the club acted as patrol On one oc-
casl0l the accompanying vessels were
mixed up and i'll consequence took up
position which somewhat cramped the
starting line and compelled both yachts
for short period after the start to
work through portion of the fleet. 1t is
our opinion that, with this exception,
there was no more interference through
the match than there was in 1S03-if
there was as much"
"Nalkyrie cited against the Defender
the following sections under rule WI:
Section Z. An overtaking yacht shall
in every case, so long as an overlap eX-
lists, keep clear of the yacht which is
being overtaken.
Sec. 10. A yacht may huff as she pleases
in order to prevent another from passing
her to windward, provided she begins
to huff before an overlap has been estab-
lished, and sections IA and 6, which
treat of room in passing or rounding
marks or Instructions.
But in our opinion Valkyric's infringe
ment of section IL nullified sections
and 10, and the fact that even after huff
ing she passed well clear of the commit
tee boat throws out the others.
"Finally Defender was to windward,
and, as Valkyrie states, she was the
overtaking vessel and when the foul oc-
cured had almost reached Nalkyrie's
beam. All this being so, it is important
to remember that when a yacht is passing
another to- leeward she has every induce
ment to avoid luffiing into her adverse
nv. BY fouling her she would destroy
the point of advantage gained. And on
the other hand the temptation to a
yacht which is being passed to leeward
is to approach her adversary in order TO
blanket her and thereby secure her under
her lee. .o
accompanying the report are two
photographs. one taken just after the
foul occurred and the other about
seconds later. Both are submitted us
proof that Valkyrie had plenty OF room
to inf without danger of collision