New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-11
DETAILS OF THE RACE.
A MOST EXCITING sTART-HEAVY WINDS
ENCOUNTERED-VIGILA FINISHES
FIRST AGAIN.

FIRST AGAIN.
VINEYARD Haven. Aug. 10.-Out OF a dark and
lowering sky. fresh southerly breeze. with
touch Of casting In It, was blowing when the
flagship Corsair anchored about two hundred
yards TO windward Of Brentons Reef Lightshp
at 10 o'clock and sent up the signal: THE fleet
will proceed to Vineyard Haven"
That meant a pretty close reach on the star
board tack OF seventeen and one-haf miles 10
Vineyard Sound Lightship, and broad reach
up the Vineyard Sound TO the finish off West
chop Lighthouse total of thirty-seven miles
There was considerable weight to the breeze and
a lump on the sea- when the starting signal for
the sloops was given.
Some Of the small ones-the Sistae, the Mira
and others-tucked in couple OF reefs, and
some Of the larger ones wished they had before
the day over.
The Vlgilant, the Syce the Gloriana and the
! Navahoe crossed the line at the start In a
/ bunch while the smoke from the first gun blew
! away. The Letawanna, the Queen Nab the
| Sayonara the Katona, the Sistae. the Acushla,
the Hildegarde tie Petrol, the Hussar and the
! Mira followed in the order named, and all except
the last crossed the line within the time limit.
No more exciting start than that OF the
schooners has ever been seen off the old light
ship.
The fact that ten schooners had crossed the
line in one minute and fifteen seconds after the
starting signal given. and all close to the
windward end Of it, speaks volumes for the
skill Of American hemsmen
First away with everything drawing well
and a bone In her teeth" was w Gould
Brokaw's Amorita, close up to the flagship s
stern; then the old America came along, swing
ing both gait topsails over her four lower sails,
! and with her lee rail awash. Round alongside
one another then came the Ac@a, the lroquos.
the Katrina, the Colonia. the Qusetta. the La
tona. the Shamrock and the Priscilla H. The
I Hildgrade, the Maylower, the Ariel, the &C.
vaIia. the Glendover and the Marguerite crossed
in the order named, a little astern, but well
within the time limit Only the larger ones
carried baby jibtopsails
THE START OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
The Columbia and the Defender made another
Of their good starts At forty-hve seconds be-
/ fore their signal both were head 10 wind, a few
lengths off the fagshps starboard side, the
Columbia being farthest to the southwest. At
| thirty seconds the Defender bore away heading
for the middle of the line She crossed 1t at
l1:2O:1O just ten seconds after gun fire. but the
| Columbia crossed twenty seconds later, and,
luflng sharp around the Corsairs stern, had
the weather berth. even though astern. Neither
Of them carried jb topsails. and they did not
need 1t in that breeze.
II was good day to test rigging spars and
! canvass for before the leaders reached the
| VINEYARD Sound Lightshp there was quite a
little sea on; II squally, raining hard, and
| thick enough TO shut the land from sight. Those
| who expected TO the Columbia walk right
AWAY from the Defender because there was a
7 strong breeze, were fooled Beam and beam,
and so close that II the Columbias mast had
/ carried away at the deck 1t would have fallen
T cross the Defenders deck, these two wonder
fully well matched yachts sailed for an hour
+ and seventeen minutes without either gaining
any material advantage. Then as II began 20
/ breeze on harder, the Columbia's mast slowly
/ but surely went ahead BY 12:30 she showed
/ ont clear enough for the Defender to attempt
/ TO luff out across her stern.
Guests OF the owners OF the yachts that started
! are able 10 say tonight that they have seen "A
/ race They may live many year and not again
! see such an exhibition OF sail carrying. Not a
| topsail was clewed down nor a helm eased until
} lee rails were under and in some cases until
J cockpits were half hlled and no schooner
/ ''cracked on harder than the old America
/ During a squat her forepeak hayards were car
/ ried away. The sail was lowered. halyards re-
moved and the foresail hoisted again in seven
minutes The America held her own for sew