The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-06
GOBLET CUP RACE
NAvAHOE VICTOR IN THE FINEST
CONTEST EVER SEEN AT
NEWPORT.
vlGILANT BADLY SAILED.
--G---4A-
II
HANDLING OF THE FORMER CUP
DEFENDER MADE OLD YACHTS
MEN SHUDDER.
y o.
CLOUDS OF CANVAS BROKEN OUT.
d
-
Such u Sight as the Exciting Finish
One Not often to BE
Witnessed.
WGILANT BADLY SAILED.
CLOUDS OF CANVAS BROKEN OUT.

| the GOelet cup lOi SioopS IOudy by de-
feating Percy Chublis' vigilant in not
only the most interesting race ever
sailed for one of these emblems, but in
what was probably the finest contest
ever sailed between the big sloops ia
American waters. Colonia took the
schooner cup, but as Emerald, the
only other entry in the class, failed
to come out, Vice Commodore Postley
went over the course in the most lone
some manner. The weather, though
a cold northeast driZzle at the start
improved all the afternoon, and the
finish was made in a cracking breeze.
The wind throughout the race was
steady and there was no complaint Of
fiukes.
Vigilant led at the start, but Nava-
hoe turned the first mark ahead and
kept her lead until within three miles
of the finish, when Vigilant passed
her Only twenty-five feet seemed to
separate the boats as they rushed
across the line, which was not enough
to save Vigilant the race and Navahoe
won by four minutes tWenty-SeVen
seconds, corrected time. The threat
ening weather kept all but a dozen
of the 200 sail in Newport harbor from
witnessing the contest between the
two big sloops. Throughout the race
between the Herreshoff boats it was
question of seconds and not minutes,
and in the end the better skipper won.
The handling of NaVahoe by Capt.
Aubrey Crocker was mastery, while
the grand old cup defender of '93 was
twisted about in a manner that almost
brought tears to the eyes of the yachts
men.
First she would be pitched until her
head sails futtered in the wind, and
again sent far off her course. On the
second leg, which was a beat from
Block island to West island, Navahoe
was given a good rap throughout,
while Vigilant took a course that
seemed like that of a, drunken sailor.
The result Of this cratic sailing was
that, while acknowledged to be min
utes faster than her rival on the wind,
Vigilant lost nine seconds on this leg
and no luffing in the last six miles
could make UP for such mishandling.
The course was the old enc to Block
island with a long leg to West island
and a short reach to the finish, a dis
boa IS made it in a little over four
hours. Colonia took only ten minutes
longer, and Throughout stood up like a
church, sailing grandly.
The first gun, fired at 1910, found
both sloops unprepared, and when ten
minutes after Vigilant slipped over the
line, she Just managed to get up her
topsail, while her rival a minute
astern, was without sufficient spread
Navahoe quickly got her working top
sail sheeted home, followed by her
spinnaker The run to Block island
was nearly dead before the wind, and
in order to get better position Vigi-
liant crossed Navahoes bow and set
her spinnaker, in the meantime the
tug Edward Luckenbach had dropped
the raft with it's red flag about six
miles north of Block island Both
boats came down for the mark with
booms to port and spinnakers to star
board. All the way down, Navahoe
kept pulling down Vigilant's lead, and
both boats, a mile from the start
mark, appeared nearly even, although
running wide apart. 1t was discov-
cred that the mark had capsized, so a
new raft was set quarter Of a mile
to the eastward. This favored Nava-
hoe, and, taking in her spinnaker and
| J1blng she rounded it at 1:07:09 Wig
liant, while undoubtedly ahead lust
before this, was thirty seconds behind
at the mark. Rounding it she started
! after Navahoe.
instead of keeping a good rap full
| Vlgllant'J skipper Immediately begar
to pinch her. But Capt. Crocker gave
NaVahoe a good full, and she -rompe6
along in fine style. AS this leg was a
| long and short hitch, Navafloe was
Kept on the port tack until BIG
| when, with Vigilant to windward, but
considerably astern, she tackled to star
board. Vigilant tackled at 3:21. The
! boats kept on for half an hour on this
tack, when Vigilant again tackled tc
| port. Then it was seen that the errat-
lc steering had done it's work, for she
could not weather Navahoe. The lat
ter then tackled on her rivals weather.
and both boats stood for the second
| mark
Just before rounding her big balloon
| Jlb was broken out and Navahoe
romped away for home we'll within
her time limit. Vigilant was thirty
seconds behind, but did not hoist hel
balloon, setting her big jib topsail III
stead Then began one of the most
exciting finishes seen for many a day
With the lightship only six miles away
Vig1lant started to get by Navahoe
and make up the five minutes necessa-
ry to win. She did the former but
| fell short Of the latter. Such a sight
! as the finish of those two boats has
never been seen in these waters, fol
| OoIH carried cloud or canvas
Strange to relate, not one of the dozer
Of the finest American steam yachts
which were at the finish uttered g
sound as the two boats rushed acros;
the line. 1t was a grand race without
the enthusiasm
Vigilant allowed Navahoe three min
utes and twenty seconds. Navahoe
| wins by one minute and one second
actual, and four minutes and twenty
one seconds corrected.