New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-14
GLENCAIRN CROSSES FIRST.
THE CANADIAN CHALLENGER OUTsAlLs
Ell HEIRIE BY NEARLY AN HOUR
CROWDS OF SPECTATORS IN PLEASURE CRAFT
SEE THE FIRST RACE OF THE SERIES OFF
CENTRE IsI.AND-A sQUALL MAKES
LIVELY WORK FOR THE

SEE THE FIRST RACE OF THE SERIES orf
CENTRE IsI.AND-A soUALL MAKES
LIVELY WORK FOR THE
SHIPPERS.
The first race OF the half-raters for the seawan-
haka- Corinth.an challenge cup was sailed yester-
day afternoon under mixed weather conditions
and II was won In a rather Overwhelming fashion
by G. II. Duggan's Canadian challenger. the Glen
oairn She won from FL Helrie by nearly an hour.
owing to one primal fact. that she seems TO DC the
better boat. The was sailed on Centre Island
over the club course straightawa east by north
and return the starting l.ne three niles to
leg and the course sailed twice over. The weather
was ideal In every respect. barring the strength
OF the wind at the beginning OF the contest This.
however destined to be relieved near the close
by the arrival OF a thunder-squall which made ex-
ceedingy lively work for the sailors on the two
small craft 1t scattered the fleet Of sailing boats
that had been lowering about the course. like lot
OF field mice before the hawk. The second race
OF tine series will be sailed to-day. the starting
signal to be given at noon A good many OF those
deeply interested inclined to the belief last night
that 1t may be three straight for the visitor There
is many a slip. though. with the half-raters.
The boats were towed out to the line shortly be-
fore noon. and then some little delay was occa-
stoned by the attitude Of the Individual In charge
OF fishing sloop. which her owner declined at first
to move from the line. He was persuaded finally to
settle elsewhere. All sorts and conditions Of boats
to be at the starting line to witness the
from Commodore T.. G. Benedcts steam
yacht Oneida down through various kinds and de-
grees Of launches and sailing craft from the state
ly Bedouin OF John Murray Mitchell and the
graceful Norota to the modest catboat and even
to one single member OF the half-rater family
Among the steam yachts were the Oneida. the
Vision. the Restless. the Clifton and the Parthena.
The launches were the Sue Fish. the Terror. the
Elsa. the Isabel. the Tide the Onrust the Benny
b.. the Blitz. the Crescent. the Sadie. the Eva l..
and the Maud Among the sailing craft were Com
modore II. c. Rouses schooner the IroQuois; the
sloops Norota. Bedouin. Whitby Venture. Kabe
yum. sayonara. Florence. Argonaut and Hope
There were also the catboats Aurelia Hoopah.
Nadgy and Twilight. On board the cutter Barbara
was Guy Standing. accompanied by his wife who Is
known to the stage as Isabella Urquhart. Mrs G..
H. Duggan, the wife of the Glencairn's skipper,
witnessed the race from the Sue Fish .-
DELAY IN STARTING.
At the last moment Walter c. Kerr Of the Re
gatta Committee, announced to the shippers Of the
contestins craft that the course would be east by
north This announcement preceded what was
presumably the preparatory whistle from the COM
mttee boat. the Dunderberg. which was to have
been Mt 1920 Then II found trat the launch
used to log the course had been delayed for some
reason, and the racers were told that the signal
would be repeated. Thus It 1880 when the
preparatory signal at 'ast woke the echoes and
five minutes later the signal for the flying start
was heard. The wind west by south. and the
tide was running ebb. Before the sounding OF the
whistle the Canadian boat had been flirting about
the ther end of the line under the stern or the
committee boat while FL Heirie held some distance
back and well to the of the starting line.
taking matters easily as though the victory
wers we'll within her grasp. When near time for
boWa md Ia
ing breeze she began steal toward the mark
made by the Centre Island buoy and the anchored
stakeboat. Captain Duggan was holding watches
on the committee. The Glencairn began to reach
in for the start The Canadian boat showed her
bowsprir past the line Of the black buoy first at
l255:2l
FL Herie crossed four seconds later, at l2:55:25.
As she reached the line Mr. Sherwood. who proved
himself an exceedingly active sailor leaped 10 the
foot of the mast, and almost before her stern had
cleared the Glencairn's spinnaker boom she shot
out to port. With well-nigh breath-like rapidity
her soft folds took shape and melted quickly into
the swelling curves of the big reaching jb that had
been turned up along with the Tainsal until "
was tight drumhead.
That Mr. Duggan going to prove an exceed
ingly dangerous quantity. other things being equal
was clearly demonstrated He sized up the situa-
ton with the exactitude OF veteran Sound sailor,
and trimmed his sails meet and hold the wind
for a clean run to the mark. This gave him most
doc,ded advantage over FL Heirle for In his pre-
Iimnary handling Mr. Crane did some peculiar
things His spinnaker was slow In showing 10
mort after crossing the line as compared with MS
rivals agility. and he used throughout the run 10
the outer marks his small working Jib. when the
balloon which he used in the second round was
exactlv what was needed Then. too. he mistook
the wind a triAe which had showed In the trim OF
his canvas The Glencairn rounded the marx al
IN :Oi and there came another remarkable per-
Torrance the part OF her crew Inc skipper
held on to the spinnaker until the moment OF cross
,,g then LET go and whrling around the mast
lilo an acrobat had cloth and boom snaked inboard
with electric quckness II she was fast before the
,y,nd 4, really seemed though che would eclipse
herself when she swung into the starboard tack
for the preliminary leg OF the beat home
T., Heirie tbed around the mark on Lloyd's Neck
a. ts,.m The elapsed time for the first leg Is
,r,eres,inS-Gencairn3 IS min. 43 sec; FL Heire,
8s min So Sec making gain for the Canadian OF
aftythree seconds the initial three miles OF the
twelve-me course.
Once around FL Herie went chasing after her
connection In exciting fashion. both OF them max
ING for the uuieter inshore water out OF the toe
which was ebbing to the eastward. 1t seemed as
though now or never was the chance or 'he cup 'e
fender for pointing higher Du' 'ie'e - al
old saving about getting boat through the wate''
and that is just what Skipper Duggan was uohs
with the Glencarn She was Furnishing the as
tancs and spurning the water like winged tnns'
After standing well under the land the Glencairh a
came about or the port tack and STOOD wes."a ,
eInnu the shore at 45:45 She was good quarter
a. mile in the lead when Ell Heire came about
AT i:4s2s Both under working )io ana main
sail.
WATCHING FROM THE COMMITTEE BOAT.
r,o c,.rco,rn resumed her starboard tack at
,,,.o6 followed by El Herie at 02:07. About came
the Canau,an to the port tack at 1929 only TO
resume the starboard tack less than minute
later. Then 1t was E, Heiries turn. and she made
two short bitches. the last to starnoard a. i0f;S
rhe duel was growing interesting. 1t was the
battle of the tacks, and there were those on the
COMMITTEES boat who were eagerly hoping that the
defender might come triumphant from the trial
Of sneed and skill The Glencairn made three more