New-York tribune., 1902-08-07
YACHTING.
THE ELAIINA AND THE AILSA WIN
SPIRITED CONTESTS AT NEWPORT.


| IShtship at 240 o'clock this afternoon. travelling
| at twelve knot clip. with her lee rail all awash,
she had finished Of the best races ever sailed
| over the thirty-esht mile course for the Astor
! cups and she lad the $500 prize sIoops.
By reason Of her greater racing length. she had
! allow the Mineola the Rainbow and the Yankee
| each minutes, Il seconds. but she defeated the
/ Mineola by Is minutes seconds actual and by
! minutes p seconds corrected time The Mueola
| sailed wonderful race She started : minutes 81
| seconds after the Rainbow and minutes IS
onds after the Yankee yet she outsailed former
! Il seconus and the latter seconds. actual time;
| she also from the Rainbow on corrected time
| Il seconds and from the Yankee l. seconds.
In the schooner class T. F. Brewster's EImna.
| and Charles Smitherss MmeI sailed the greatest
| race since they met this season. and the Elmina
woD by l minute 50 seconds actual and by six sec
| onds more corrected time. She takes the S1.0O0
Astor Cup for schooners. If the regular handicap
time had been allowed in the soop class Cornelius
! Nanderbilts Rainbow would have beaten the Mine
I ola by minutes 80 seconds and the Yankee by IS
! seconds for the Vanderbilt boat was the leader
| from start to finish.
! A sad accident marrei ths otherwise most sue
oessful event. 1t the drowning Of one Of the
sailors board the schooner Quissetta owned by
| Samuel c. Davis The yacht was entered for the
/ race and was manduvrng off the Hghtshp before
! the start There was strong breeze from about
/ southeast by south and an ugly sea While the
! crew trimming in the main sheet sea board
! ed the yacht and swept the man overheard. A
) iifebuoy thrown within feet Of him, but
he failed 10 get it. The yacht quickly rounded
/ 10 and boat put overheard. but the man had
! disappeared and never came to the surface again.
! The yachts sails were lowered and she back
Newport The man was known rs Chris"
! The steward of the Mineola. named Martin Sim
mons. also washed overheard. A capstan
bar. which he had in his hand, saved his life, as
! he held on 10 it until picked up by the yachts
dingy
There was wicked look to the weather this
morning when the yachts began 10 leave the har-
hor- Out OF sky heavy with rain clouds a stiff
breeze was blowing. and as soon as the yachts
passed by Castle Hill they began to plunge into
the short. choppy seas. OF shore Il was so thick
with haze and fog that the Narraeansett shore was
shut from view at times.
The Ailsa. tire Yankee and tho Mineola out
with clubjopsalls aloft. All but the Yankee took
them in. and substituted working topsails before
the start The bronze 60-footers. Weetamoe
and Nicola, were to have raced hVt the formers
steering gear carried away before the start
and her mate also washed overheard. but
recovered in a few minutes so she retired. and
followed into the harbor b. the Neoa.
At 1890 John Jacob Astor's big steam yacht
Nourmahal flying the regatta committees flag at
the main anchored southeast of the lghtshp.
establishing the starting line. A few minutes later
the course signals were set. They were VI" sig
nifying that the course would be east southeast
1724 miles TO the Vineyard Sound Lightship thence
north ~ miles to Hen and Chickens Lightship:
thence west three-quarters north TO the finish. On
the Nourmahals bridge stood Colonel Astor. bare
headed. directing the movements of the officers and
entertaining his guests while S Nicholson Kane.
Newbury Lawton and Edward Wales, the
gatta committee. clad in yellow oilskins. for
there were frequent rain squalls and every indiCa
ton of dirty weather ahead.
A more exciting start has not been seen off Bren-
tons Reef in many day. Driven by the stiff
breeze the white crested waves were combing up
to windward. making ugly for the small
craft that out with parties to see the start,
and causing the big steam yachts 10 pitch ana
roll hard at times.
Those who had expected that there would be
postponenent on account of the threatening
weather reckoned without their host. for promptly
al II o'clock, the time announced. the preparatory
signal was set, and minutes later the one Tor
sloops to start. Every one wondered what was the
matter with the Mineola. She was half mile
away from the line when the starting signal was
given 1t was not known until after the race that
they were saving the steward, who had fallen over
board, and at the same time setuAe "ofhine ''p-
sail in place of the club.
One minute and three seconds after gllntre ffehiS
6 Redmond's big yawl Aisl dashed across the lhe'
close hailed on the starboard tack, carrying her
four lower sails and a working topsail. Next came
Cornelius Vanderbilts Rainbow. forty-nine SECONDS
after the Asa Her owner, who was al the wheel
luffed her sharp around the stern of the Nourma-
hal and gained the weather berth She was heeling
to the breeze until her green weather bilge was
showing almost down her fin. Swinging her
great cubtopsail. the Yankee came next one min
ute and three seconds IN the wake of the Rainbow.
nO7:57 just as she crossed. but the smaller craft
could not hold her for minute, The Hester fol-
lowed II 0302.
Long before the Mineola could reach the line
the signal for schooners was given. and forty -four
seconds after the gun Charles Smthers sent his
Muriel across the line. She carrying her four
lower sails but gafftopsails. Captain Dennis. OF
the Elmina seemed in hurry cross, but wait
ed two minutes and fftytU'o seconds before letting
the schooner follow the MIriel. The Amorita got
away one minute and ffty-two seconds in the wake
of the Elmina.
August Belmont was board the Mineoa. AS
soon as he saw his steward safe on board he told
Captain Barr to go for the starting line. Not to
lose second of time. Barr let her cross the line
from eastward, then, rounding to. just between
the lightship and the Nourmahal let her go across
( twenty-seven seconds after the Elnina She was
practically handicapped four minutes and twenty
three seconds, all the sloops were allowed five
minutes after 1:05 to the line and the Min
cola crossed at 11:l423
When she settled down to her task of overha uing
the others. the Mineola a long way astern,
but. carefully sailed by Barr she began at to
pick them up. At l1:S0 she had caught and passed
the Emina wndward. The rails of both yachts
under at times and the water up around the
matches. She passed the Muriel at II :54 and the
Senta at the time. The time taken at the
lightship, where they gybed. was as follows: The
Alsa, l:4o; the Rainbow, E;54:l5; the Yankee,
12:55:3o; the Mtneola, l2:51 Is the Hester 1920;
the Elmina, 1866; the Muriel t05:25; the Senta,
1O1:$5. and t4e Amorita, LOS. Their elapsed time
miles therefore: The Ailsa I:ss57; the Rain
1f7 23 the Yankee, l47;35; the MineoIa 30;
the Eimlna y % and the Murie 1:544l, showing
that the Mineola had gained five minutes and TWEEN
ty-nine seconds the Rainbow and that the FL
twelve seconds.
II was dead run before the wind TO the next
mark, the Hen and Chickens Lightshp. A quick
run made the northward and the race
between the Elmina and the Muriel was parucu,,