New-York tribune., 1901-06-21
AILSA BEATS VJGILANT
NETWORK YACHT CLUB FLEETS IN
ENHILARATING RACES OFF
THE HOOK.


the Hook for many day With one exception,
they all thoroughhreds, and looked IT. The
four big schooners of the 75foot class. the Enlina
owned by Frederic ". Brewster; the Muriel
Charles smithers; the Quissetta H. F. Lippitt, and
the Amorita w G. Brokaw met for the first time
and their racing of the closest and most
picturesque kind. Perhaps the international char
acter of the big yawl made il the more
closely watched of the two. and it certainly pro-
yided the biggest surprise. This sailed by two
historic yachts. which may now he said 10 nave
first honors in both England and America The
Vigiant as the successful defender of the Amer
teas Cup in 1893. is well known in both countries
and among American yachtsmen the Fife cutter
Aisa now yawl. is regarded as an old acquaint-
ance. owing 10 her many years of racing with the
Prince of Wales's Britannia and her contests with
Valkyrie II. Nalkyrie III. the Nigilant the Nava-
hoe and the Satanita. 1t therefore like a re-
newaI of 1894. when the Vigant tackled the for
elgn racers IN British waters, 20 find these two
celebrated boats contesting on the same course
Two other imported yachts, the Hester, owned
by Rear Commodore c l. F. Robinson. and the
Isolde had hotly contested race. and the Hester
seemed to show that she had improved since last
year
AS the racing yachts and steam yachts gathered
at Buoy I3 in the Lower Bay yesterday there was
a smart breeze from the southsoutheast that was
sending the big schooners over 10 their rails as
they preened their wings in the preliminary test
ing There was little choose about the way
the huge cubtopsails set on the vessels about
To sail In racing trim" They all seemed as fiat
as drumheads especially those on the yawls
J. Rogers Maxwell had his Herreshoff Hum
in fine shape to meet Mr.. Meyers Affair. the
victor Of last year I'm the bifoot class. In "crus-
ing trim" the Wasp. the Mermaid and the Carmi,a.
owned by Cleveland Dodge, Arson Phelps Stokes
and Robert l. Forrest. were carrying pb-headed
gafftopsans. Among the is-fooiers the Mira
Charles Lane Poor and r NJ Smiths new HERES
hoff Effort were in racing trim. The schooners
Katrina and Wayward met again for the first time
this year.
These fine vessels watched by the yachts
men and guests on a large and representative feet
OF steam yachts, among which were the Colonia,
owned by F. @. Bourne. OF the owners OF the
Constitution: the Electra. which ex-Commodore
Gerry brought up from Newport; Isaac stern's
virginia j. r. Maxwers Kismet. 4. Van SAINT
voord's sde-wheeier Clermont. Commodore Curtss
James's auxiliary hrigantne Aloha. Commodore
Edward Kelly's Barracuda. Christian Meyers
Maspeth Nathaniel WithereIrs Marion. with the
BeIlemere the Athola. the Duquesne and the Va
moose. The guests and other members OF the club
had the steamer Cepheus which was In charge Of
AIonzo r. Jones and carried band on the decks
of the Cepheus many met who meet there every
year and among these were Captain Clark Lloyd's
agent at New-York; Nathaniel T., Francis Howard
W Coates T. J. and Stanley Greacen J. ". Ridge
way and William Gardner. Others were F. c. Van
Wart. Hubert RebeurPaschstz. naval attsche;
Baron Kap-Herr. Of the German Embassy: ]. V.
r. kennedy. 4. NJ Calhoun l. ID. Martens ana
John NJ. McCurdy.
The course for the yawIs schooners and 65foot
cutters was first 10 the Southwest Spit. round the
Hook the Sandy Hook Lightshp and back by
the same road. a distance of thirty-three miles
Course No. 2. for Glass J. cruising trim. the BIS.
the 43's and the ndicap class out round the
Spit and Hook the Scotland Lightship and back
the way. distance of twenty-six miles For
all classes II long and short leg to the
Southwest Spit though the Elmina was able 10
| lie this without a tack From the Hook to Sandy
Hook Lghtshp it close fetch, and on the
way back II two broad reaches. with a gybe at
the Spit In Course No , there dead beat
| from the Hook to the Scotland. run back TO the
| Hook and the rest the same in Course No. l.
Thus all were jammed on the wind in the first
course the Spit. and though there was not much
tacking there a lot OF wIndward work.
When the first start sGnalled at II % O'Clock
| the vigiant crossed 1l:2527 and the Ailsa at
II 26 49, Isolde II $3.50 and the Hester at
| 1l:26:il. The VigiIant got away from the Ailsa
from the start, and increased her lead in all the
windward sailing long as she was in smooth
water. and II out in the ocean seaway that she
| lost her lead TO the Ailsa. The Wasp crossed at
II 27 10 the Carmta at 40 and the Mermaid at
| II 1880.
| These were all timed starts. Those a distance
did not know the official timing. and consequently
| did not know during the whether leading
| boat was really winning not. The Mira and
| Effort let good deal OF their start time go be-
fore crossing :29O3 and l1:2735. respectively
| Few people knew that the Emina, which sailed
| close the Qussetta all the way, had the in
for schooners given the Qussetta crossed first
at II 3S and the Emina rushed for the line as II
she were going to cross but she spun around just
| before she to the official line, and tackled to
| the windward end OF the line. Thus, when she
| crossed she had nearly minutes to her credit
| on the official chronometer against the Quis-
| setta. and minute and a half against the
| Amorita. This old trick seemed TO many oniookers
| to be new.
In the furry of getting away, while sheets were
| being hauled aft. the leaders did not make much.
| and Dennis soon had the Elmna close TO them.
| The right play the start practically gave him
the race. because he did not come in first at the
finish but thirty seconds behind the Quissetta The
time gained the start was just what he needed.
| Several of the schooners and cutters tackled while
on the port closehaul to the Spit. Vgilant
| being the first to do when off Swinburne Island
| At 11:55 o'clock the Amorita to windward but
behind, the Quissetta further south but leeward
| the Eimna further to leeward and a little ahead
| In other words. they were all about in their
| ing mantopmast. but changed her mind and
| smoothed IL down.
| At the Southwest Spit these times were unof-
fciaIly but carefully taken: Vigilant i2I:55 Ailsa
| 12:2a5O Quissetta. 12:2f:Os: Amorta I2:25No: FL.
Muriei. i2:so:ie 1'''''''' 'i'
| THE CYMBRA MAKES BAD WEATHER
| The Cymbra. started in the handicap class. was
| found early in the race to be making bad weather
although she carried one reef and apparently
down 10 her cabin windows. She did finish
When near the point of the Hook the Amorita
which seemed to be doing we'll the time. lost
out one craft from most interesting quartet The
this her rst race She rs sister ship to tha ISr E
nina. and ought to do equally well, and proba bl,r
SaY @ IN .lne' nut she got iefs by miles in yester-
on the way out to the Sandy Hook Lishtship 1t
WAS noticed that the Quissetta's lee decks were
/ sWashed In the drift : hi3h 8 cabin hatcha.