The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-08-06

Boats Crossed the Finish Line but Twen-
 ty-flve Feet Apart-The Colonia Won in
 the Schooner Class.
 Newport, R. T., Aug. 5.-Royal Phelps Carroll yacht Navahoe won the Goe- let cup for sloops to-day by defeating Percy Chubb's Vigilant ill not only the most interesting race ever sailed for one of these emblems, but in what was probably the finest contest ever sailed between big sloops in American waters.
 The Colonia took the schooner cup, but the Emerald, the only other entry In this class, failed to come out Vice Commodore Postley went over the course in the most lonesome manner. The weather though cold northeast drizzle at the start. improved all the afternoon and the finish was made in a cracking wholesail breeze. The wind throughout the race was steady, and there was no complaint of fiukes.
 The Vigilant led at the start, but the Navahoe turned at the first mark ahead and kept her lead until within three miles of the finish, when the Vigilant passed her. Only twenty-five feet seemed to separate the boats as they rushed across the line, which was not enough to save the Vigi- lant the race, and the Navahoe won by minutes 21 seconds corrected time. The threatening weather kept all but 8 dozen of the two hundred sail in New port harbor from witnessing the con- test between the two big sloops.
 Throughout the race between the Herreshoff boats, 1t was a question of seconds not minutes and in the end the better skipper won. The handling of the Navahoe by Captain Aubrey Crocker was masterly, while the grand old cup defender of '93 was twisted about in a manner that almost brought tears to the eyes of the yachtsmen. First she would be pinched until her head sails f1uttered in the wind, and again sent far off her course.
 In the second leg, which was a beat from Block Island to West Island, the Navahoe was given a dead rap full through while the Vigilant took a course that seemed like that of a drunk en sailor The result of this cratic sailing was that while acknowledged to be minutes faster than her rival on the wind, Vigilant lost nine seconds on this leg and no luffing on the last six miles could make up for such mishandling.
 The course was the old one to Block Island with long leg to West Island and a short reach to the finish, dis tance of thirty-eight miles, and the boats made it in little over four hours. The Colonia was only ten min- utes longer and throughout stood up like church, sailing grandly.
 The first gun fired at 12:10 found both sloops unprepared, and when ten min utes after the Vigilant slipped over the line, she just managed to get up her topsail, while her rival, a minute astern was without sufficient sail spread. The 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 a better position the Viglant crossed the Navahoes bow and set her spinnaker. In the mean time the tug Edward Luckenbach had dropped the raft with it's red flag about six miles north of Block Island
 Both boats came down to the mark with booms to port and spinnakers to starboard. All the way down the Navahoe kept pulling down the Vigi- lant's lead, and both boats mile from the first mark appeared nearly even, although running wide apart It was discovered that the mark had capsized, so a new raft was set quarter of a Navahoe. and taking in her spinnaker and jibng, she rounded 1t at 1:07:O9
 The Vigilant, while undoubtedly ahead just before this, was thirtysec- onds behind at the mark. Rounding it she started after the Navahoe In- stead of keeping a good rap full, the Vigilant's skipper immediately began to pinch her. But Captain Crocker gave the Navahoe good full, and she rushed along in ne style. As this leg was a long and short hitch, the Maya hoe was kept on the port tack until 3:16, with the Vigilant to windward, but considerably astern. she tackled to starboard. The Vigilant tackled at 3:21.
 It DudtS hCpl Oii lOI lltll dH IlOuG on this tack, when the Vigilant again tackled to port. Then 1t was seen that the cratic steering had done it's work for she could not weather the Navahoe. The latter then tackled on her rivals weather, and both boats stood for the second mark. Just before rounding the big balloon jib was broken out and the Navahoe romped away for home we'll within her limit The Vigilant was thirty seconds behind, but did not hoist her ballooner, setting her big jfbtopsail instead.
 Then began one of the most exciting finishes seen for many a day. With the lightship only six miles away. the Vigilant started to go by the Navahoe and make up the five minutes necessary to win. She did the former but fell short of the latter. Such a sight as the finish of these two boats has never been seen in these waters, for both carried a cloud of canvas. Strange to relate not one of the dozen of the fine steam yachts which were at the finish uttered a sound as the two boats rushed across the line. It was a grand race without the enthusiasm
 Tomorrow the contest between the yachts will be renewed in the run to Vineyard Haven with the accompaui-