The sun., 1900-06-22
vIRGINIA'S FIRST RACE.
". X. VANDERBILT. JR.. HANDLES
THE WHEEL AND NEARLY WINS.
Splendid Contest Of the New so-roo.eN
Mineois. Rainbow and virginia In tne
SeAwanha ka. Corinthian Clubs series
Belmont. Boat in the Lead at the F'nsn'

Splendid Contest OF tne Nc"
| Mineoia, Rainbow and virginia J" .n0
! Seawanha ka. Z Corinthian Clubs Series-mr'
Beimonts Boat in the Lead AZ the Finish
/ The Mineola. August Belmont's new 7o-footer,
| won another race yesterday. defeating the VIZ
ginia and the Rainbow. The race was tine hrst
OF a series arranged by the Seawanhaka-Cor,n-
THAN Yacht Club and was sailed In whole-sail
breeze The yachts raced around triangular
course and we're tested on all pointsof sailing
1t was truly sailed race. and the victory OF
the Mineola was well earned.
The surprise OF the day was furnished by W.
X. Vanderbilt, Jr s. Virginia. II was the MS,
| appearance OF thls yacht and Mr. Nanderou'
was at the wheel throughout the contest ne
made rather poor start getting across the
line IS seconds behind the other two, put on 'he
second leg OF the course, while the Mlneo'a ana
Rainbow were having luffiing matcn' the
Virginia kept straight for the marx anu
turned with a substantial lead The beat hoihe
was very interesting and the Mineola Just man
aged TO weather the Virginia Few SECONDS pe-
fore ending the first round of the triangle oh
the second round the Mineola maze shsht
gnns and In the end won by minute ~ sec
onds. while the Rainbow was beaten U minutes
IS seconds. The Virginia will do better ID ner
next Her sails did not 1T as well as they should,
but they will probably be trimmed before the
yacht starts In to-day's contest
Ideal weather favored the yachtsmcn VINO
arranged such an interesting programme Eafly
in the morning the outlook was not very good.
but toward noon the breeze freshened ana II
blew steadily from the west-southwest through
out the race The 7O-foo;ers sailed twenty
three and a-half miles. nine and a-half miles OF
which were to the windward. and the Mineola .
elapsed time was hours 10 minutes ~ SECONDS,
In addition To the regular prizes which are
given to the winning yachts in each class. there
are series prizes for the 7O-footers, special 30
footers and raceabouts. points being credited
to each yacht a. it finishes. All the prizes
were on exhibition in the clubhouse az
Oyster Bay and were admired by all. The
Race Committee sent a tug across the SOUND
early in the morning 10 bring the racing Yachts
over and when all was ready the committee on
the tug F. L. Luckenbsck went out to the start
ing line which was near the Oyster Island buoy.
The preparatory signal sounded at o'clock
and the yachts got In position to start.
The 70-footers were the first of, They
were 10 sail north-northwest three miles, then
east by north. one-half north. four miles
and then southwest by south four and three
quarter miles a total distance Of eleven and
three-auarter miles This triangle was TO be
sailed twice over When the preparatory
signal was made all went TO the south
of the line. On the Mneola August Belmont
held the watch while L. A. Willard kept his eye
on things generally. Cornelius Vanderbilt sat
near Capt. Parker on the Rainbow. countns
the seconds. and Mrs Vanderbilt was an In
Of ,hot N %
standing in the companlonway. W. X. Wander
bilt had the wheel on the Virginia
The yachts kept clear OF the line until short
time before the starting signal. and then break.
Ing out staysais and iib topsails stood on the
starboard tack toward the wndward end OF the
line The Mlneola and Rainbow crossed with
the gun. the Mineoa having the weather
position and the Virginia was hfty-fve
seconds late. The Mineola and Rainbow had
balloon fore staysails while the Virginia
carried small stavsail The wind was abelm
for the reach TO the first mark and the Mineola
gradually drew clear OF the Rainbow. turning
the mark at 1900, The Rainbow was timed at
i23lS and the Virginia at i:2ioA They Gybed
around the mark and with the wind over the
starboard quarter had 1t almost free for the
second leg of the journey.
Inc RAINBOW closed ND n nttle on 'ne NJ me
ola and after about mile Of the leg had been
sailed the two yachts INDUCED in pretty luff-
ing match that in the ena proved rather costly
10 the Rains Nv and made matters look serious
for the Mineola. They ufrd well 10
the suth'a ard of the course and while
gina set her spinnaker TO starboard
and was able TO more than make up what she
had lost through hing late a. the line. At Al
the Mneola still leading the Rainbow gybed her
boom over and setting her splnnaker to rort
stood for the line. The Rainbow followed, The
Virginia tackled around the second mark at
1 80 30. Mineola at So 0s and Rainbow at 1910
II was beat TO the home mark and the Min
cola had all she could DO 10 cut down the Nir-
ginia's lead. The three yachts. stood well
in TO Lloyds Point and then worked
across Oyster Bay in short tacks The
Mineola gradually closed up on the leader,
but 1t was not until they were very
close to the home mark that she was able TO
weather her, The times taken at the home
mark the end Of the first round were; Mineola,
2A3.OO; Virginia. 243:i8: Rainbow, 24850. The
elapsed times of each yacht on the different legs
are shown In the following table: