Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-12
KEEPS UP ITS GAIT
Boat that Will Test shamrock's Mettle
Again Shows in Front
SHIFTING BREEzes AND GAINS PREVAIL
Yesterdays Sailing the Most Unsatis-
factory of New York Yacht
Clubs Cruisc-Luc Plays
Prominent Part.

NEW BBDFORD, Mass, Aug. 1.-THE
run of the New York Yacht club fleet from
Vineyard Haven to this port today proved
the most unsatisfactory of the cruise and as
far as the racing was concerned was well
nigh a fzzle. All day the yachts wrestled
with typical dog-day conditions, winds from
all quarters and at all velocities, inter-
spersed with Gains, rain, sunshine and fog
and 1t was the boat that was carrying a
mascot that won in its class. Columbia
was one OF these and for the second time
In the cruise beat Defender by many miles
because of the shifting breezes and Gains.
In fact so far ahead was the new boat at
the finish that Defender gave up and did
not round one of the merks-the Vineyard
Sound lightship.
AT one time during the day, about noon,
1t looked as IL Defender had the mascot
and might win, for it got a fine shift of
wind and left Columbia becalmed two miles
astern. But this seemingly fortunate shift
proved Defenders undoing, the breeze leav-
ing 1t entirely when off Tarpaulin Cove,
five miles from the start, and it lay there
two hours, while it's rival further out picked
up a nice southwest breeze and made the
gain that effectually put Defender out of
the race. Columbia was out beyond Guilty.
hunk before Defender was moved, over ten
miles astern. But Columbia had a hard
time getting out to the lightship, five miles
further off, and did not round 1t until 2:12.
Then it tloundered about in another calm
for half an hour until at last 1t caught a
northwest breeze out Of Buzzard's Bay that
took it to the finish line. 1t passed one
side of C~uttyhunk island as Defender was
going by the other, beating out Of Vineyard
sound with a southwest breeze, while
Columbia, three miles away over the island,
x,on 1nati,r L. nrotn1t n ,orfh, t,pyt NrtnH
Winds Are ~Unfnvornble.
Columbia crossed the finish line about 5
o'clock, with Defender off Cuttyhunk light
at the entrance to Buzzard's Bay. The day
gave every promise of being a fine one for
racing, although there were a few rain
squalls. Still the wind was light. and the
yachts when they went over the West Chop
broke out their spinnakers. Half the fleet
Rugged the Vineyard side of the sound, while
the other fought the Naushon shore, with
Columbia and Defender fighting out in the
middle. Defender started ahead Of Column
bia and it was half an hour before the
latter caught up and passed 1t to port. The
boat then kept away from the Naushon
shore, while Columbia held along through
the center. Then the wind began to fall
and the f1ukes started their deadly work and
from that time the boats were never within
a distance that could afford a good race, so
the contest dropped into insignihcance.
The other yachts Of the fleet sailed a
much shorter course than the two flyers,
running in through Quick's Hole half way
down to Cuttyhunk, and finished at the flag
ship, anchored off Wiles Lodge in the middle
of Buzzard's Bay, five or six miles out OF
New Bedford. Navahoe was the first of the
big ones over the line Vigilant being three
minutes after. The two old-timers had a
fine race up the sound and at one time
Navahoe outsailed her rival. The soft spots
in the wind and the frequent shifts struck
them and Vigilant slipped through Quick's
Hole first. Colonia was the first at this
point, while Gloriana led the little sloops.
The wind left the boats entirely in Buzz
yards Bay and for another hour they were
almost motionless. AT last Vigilant crossed
the line in it's usual position at the head
of the fleet, while Colonia drifted over
ahead of the schooners. "A breeze which
came from the northeast during the latter
part of the afternoon helped out those OF
the fleet tina followed Defender into the
trap at Tarpaulin Cove, and at $50 all had
finished and were heading for the anchor
age. 1t seemed too bad that a day which
began so auspiciously should have resulted
SO unfortunately and the sequence of good
runs of the fleet should have been broken
thereby.