The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-12
Races Of The VIgIIant and Britannia Are
Reviewed Scientifically.
LINES IN COLUMBIA AhO SHAMROCK.
Present American Cup Defender Is Proved 10 Be-
Ersady al Least Twenty Minutes Faster
Than tho Yacht vigIlaat

New York. July l2.-Those who would
ienger for the America cup. the Sham
rock, can do so i'm rough fashion very
readily IL they will watch the cabled
reports OF what the Shamrock does
with the Britannia in the trial races
now at hand, and compare the superb
ority OF the Shamrock over the Britain
MIA with the superiority which the CO.
lumbia has over the old cup defender.
the Vigilant, whose work was done in
1898.
AS the yachting reader will remem-
ber. the Britannia was built i'm 1893 and
soon took rank as most trustworthy
cup winner. In the following year the
Vigifant was sSlt over 10 British wa
ters, where in July and August she
sailed in what was really the r/Ast re-
markable series OF races known TO the
history OF the American yachts outside
the story of the cup races.
In all these series numbered H. and
they were all. with two or three eXcep-
tionS, contests with Britannia.
A brief consideration Of the results
of these races justifes the assertion
that they were remarkable. On July 3.
in "A light breeze race OF 80 miles. of
which Is were beating, the British
yacht won by 13s. Two days later. in
a moderate breeze, over the same
course. the Vigilant won byS:17. There
after the British yacht won three races
by times varying from 1855 To u 80. On
July IL she won by only 1;40. On July
%, Queenstown she-Mon- by Abs.
On July n Vigilant won by 3:43, and
on July % by ABS. Again. on August
4. the Vigilant won by 6:33 while in
race around the Isle OF Wight she won
by S:13A Summing up TIE whole series
OF races the standard yacht authority
OF England said:
~.S Judging by the bare record, Britain
MIA is the superior sort of craft for
match sailing. She can not, ii appea's.
be driven as fast through the water
in strong blow of wind as Vigilant
can: on the other she is a more certain
and reliable performer i'm moderate
breezes. Perhaps il would be just 10
say. putting the record on one side,
that the two are of equal merit"
With the fact that the two are OF
equal merit i'm mind, compare the Bril-
tannia with the Shamrock in the races
to come, making allowance for sie
length OF the course, and then consider
the following facts about the Vigilant,
the Defender and the Columbia.
In triangular race. eight miles on
side, on August 30. 1895. with wind that
varied from a zephyr 20 squall the
Defender beat the Nigilant by 1903.
Had the course been so miles long the
gain would have been % minutes.
On August 81 in race Of 20 miles,
10 TO windward and back. the Defender
won by 5:l2, equal To nearly eight MIN
utes on a 30-mile race.
Meantime august 2D the Defender
beat the Vigilant by five minutes in q
race OF 40 miles 10 windward and back.
and on July by only 2:i9. The earlier
races are mentioned last because they
show how the. Defender was only
trifie better than the Nigilant In the
earlier races when the Defenders sails
and riggirs were not at their best
All things considered. 1t is fair TO
suppose that the Defender was 10 min
utes faster over 30 miles than the Nigi-
liant. With that i'm mind let us say
that the Columbia is already five min
utes faster than the Defender over the
same course. She Is therefore, roughly
speaking. 20 minutes faster than the
Vigilant.
Therefore the Shamrock must beat
the Britannia by -at-least 20 minutes
over n 30-mile course. and that not
once. but on ,le average. II she is equal
to the fleet Yankee that is waiting TO
meet her. And that makes no allow
ance for any Improvement In the CO.
lumbia during the many weeks before
the cum races