The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-08-06
CLOSE RACE.
NayahOe Defeats
Vigilant.
Battle of Shippers on
Block Island Course.
The Big Single Stickers
Change Position Often.
Vigilant Finishes First but Loses on
Corrected Time.
Most Exciting Contest Ever Sailed For
G0el:t Cup Off 10 Vineyard.
The Big Single StickerS
Change Position Often.
Vigilant Finishes First but Loss on
Corrected Tim..
Most Exciting Contest Ever Sailed For
Goel:t Cup Off TO Vineyard.

Inc usual sple Eulu hrThf VI yaOHVs NV
the starting point at Newport yesterday
Cor the race for the Goelet cup by the New
York Yacht Club was wanting. There
were less than dozen steam yacht out,
and on these were small parties only. The
flagship Corsair and the steamers Nour.
mahal, Sycamore, Hiawatha, Varuna ard
May were at the line. but to tho great sur
prise of all there was not a single sailing
yacht.
1t was a disagreeable day, with cold
northeast wind and a pelting rain. and
outside the harbor a bit of steep, sloppy
sea. Say what people may, yaohtsmen do
not like racing in wind, rain and sea.
At 8 O'Clock it was raining hard in the
harbor, and not one of the vessels had
made any preparations for the starting
line although the orders were to start off
Brenton's Reef iightship at l0;30. The
flagship Corsair was at anchor, with no
iignal to indicate the order for the day.
THE SIGNAL SET.
Just after IL o'clock there was a letup
in the rain, tho black heavy clouds
broke away and clear places appeared In
the sky. But there WAS q stiffness in the
racing fleet. The Wasp, Amorita. Queen
Nab, Emerald and the other racers were
oil snugged down and deck awnings were
spread to keep the rain off.
Finally the signal was set on the flag
ship Corslir TO prepare TO get under WHY
for Brcnton's Reef lightsbip.' This was
the first official news of tho day that the
race was TO be on, and few Of the
great steam deet started out for tho II Iht.
slip. On she sailing craft at anchor there
was no move at all.
Yachts that were booked to start re-
msiDed at anchor, all except the Colonia
Those controlling the Emerald whion has
won the two runs of the cruise, did not
soc tit 10 sail hor out to the line. and this
same feeling was shown by other owners.
With the Vigilant and the Navahoe In.
there wns good excuse Tor the Queen Nab,
rhe Wasp and others OF the smaller classes
10 kesp out but it seemed that in
Difference to the donor of the costly cups
a stronger effort should have been made
TO lring out decent field of starters
Out ut Brenton's Reef lightship there
va, n breeze of Is miles an hour hlowInp
u snort, cboppy sea- "A dark, overcast sky
aud n drizzliDg rain. IL was not pleas
ant; still. it was not 80 bad as tho num-
ber Of starters at the line would indicate
AS 1t turned out the day was n good one
for racing.
THREE IN THE RACE
Three boats raced for the CUPS, tho
"cruiscr' Navahoe, the former cup de-
fender. the vigilant, and the schooner
Colonia. These owners deserve credit.
especially Mr.. II. p. Carroll Of the Nava-
hoe. With q yacht built for Cruising T"
as her designer has always claimed, he
started her against the racer Vigil6nt,
and this when the latter had been i'm
proved at thous. nds of dollars expense
since she was built. Add TO this, the
Vigilant has larger snil plan than the
Navnhoe.
The regatta committee held oil tho
start In the hope that other racers would
appear. The wait brought forth none,
and signals were set for tho Block Island
course, which gave run before the wind
of l3l4 miles, thence To the mark boat oil
West island, and an lS-miIe boat with
an easy fetch for the last leg of six miles.
or 3S miles for the course.
A FIGHTING RACE.
What was lacking at tho start was made
up by the racing between the Vigilant
nd the Navahoe. No such changing,
shifting and lighting race has been seen
In Amer can waters for yearA A battle
royal from gun fire ut the start to gun
fire at the finish ard a surprise nc the end
tho ''cruiser" Navahoe winner.
With mainsail to Tort working topsails
and head sails set, the Nigilant led the
rio over tho line. The Navahoe, wearing
the same canvas. was less than a minute
away. The Colonia wore working can.
vas.
In quick time the spinnaker pole was
lowered to stnrboard on tho Nnyaboe,
up went the spinnakcr and in less than
two minutes this big pulling sail was
sheeted out and pulling. Ahead. the
Nigiiant sailed for ever mile. before
her spinnaker was broken ont. This was
an error OF Judgment foi the Nayahoe
pulled up on her and tefore the two-milo
point had teen reached, the cruiser had
worked through her ut IL 80
A GRAND BATTLE.
Once clear, the Navahoe pulled away
less than dozen lengths, when she began
10 drop back. During the next - minutes
1t was a grand fight The ViRilSnt would
make Rain. then stop, then gain again.
IL wos pull ana harl until they were
even again: then for three minutes he;
raced team and beam, with the NiRi ant
trying TO force n weather passage through
,he Navahoe. Foot by foot tte Vigilans
gained, uut at 10 she broke away from
her. and for ths second tim o took the load
For twcrtv minutes the Nigilapt made
gain. en- Ing up.with ABOUT five l1ngths
'o the ROcd, when she In turn tegan 10
slow down and fall oack.