New-York tribune., 1902-07-16
ENDYMION WINS BIG RACE.
RUNS FROM NEWPORT IN TwENTY-SIX
HOURS AND THIRTY MINUTES
THE THISTLE. SAILED BY COMMODORE TOD,
HER OWNER MAKES A SPLENDID
RACE AND COMES IN THIRD.

Lightship off Newport on Monday morning
for an ocean race Of 145 miles. Only three of
them finished at Sea Gate yesterday afternoon,
but t. was glorious contest, and one that VIII
he remembered for many a day by those who
took part in it. The famous schooner Endymion
won in % hours. 80 minutes. She is owned by
George Lauder and is under charter to Z. W.
Thomas, who not board. The second
boat was Vice-Commodore Ames's schooner Va
runa. one Of the oldtime racers. She covered
the course in 2S hours, q minutes, ; seconds
Close behind her was the tOpsail schooner
Thistle owned and sailed by Commodore Rob
ert f. Tod, who offered a cup for this the
first OF series of ocean races TO be sailed this
year The Thistle's time was % hours, 20 min
utes. 30 seconds. After sailing about go miles
in the teeth of smoky sou'wester" she was
only 40 minutes behind the leader. schooner
that has made the fastest passage across the
Atlantic OF any yacht afioat
It was an ocean yacht race. the sailing Of
which was of the kind to make the blood Of a
saiIorman tingle, and one that should make
Americans proud of a yacht owner who, like
Commodore Robert f. Tod of the Atlantic
Yacht Club is also a navigator. He cracked
on sail in a 20-uile breeze, and drove his hand
some vessel through steep head seas, caring
little for the loss Of a foretopgallant mast that
was whipped out of her as if it we're a pipestem
and brought her safe into port a winner in all
but the name.
No yachts ever had harder thrash to wind
ward for the distance than these, and their
performance. especially that Of the Thistle. will
go on record as one of the best Of its kind ever
accomplished
The Endymion sailed by her regular skip
per Captain Loesch; the Varuna by her cap
tain. and the Thistle from start to finish. by
her owner. During the night both Of the Va
runa's gaT topsails were split while plunging
into the heavy head seas off the Long Island
coast. Yesterday morning she carried away her
fgurehead.
Eleven o'clock was the time set for the start
Monday morning, and the yachts left New
port Harbor soon after 10 o'clock. Commodore
Tod had brought the Thistle to the starting line
exactly on time sending her across on the star
board tack just as the whistle blew on board the
tug Raymond, anchored southeast OF the light
ship. Henry Redmond's yawl Ailsa came next,
then the Varuna. followed by Charles Lane
Poor's sloop Mira. and last, fifteen minutes after
the signal. came the Endymion. The time Of
each will be found in the summary.
The Ailsa made a twenty minute board toward
the Rhode Island shore tacking opposite Nara
gansett Pier She made several tacks TO fetch
by Point Judith, then long one for Block
Island. Just before dark, when MontaUk
Point. she was disabled. and later she
towed to City Island. The Mira shared the same
fate, leaving the race to the Endymion, the
Varuna and the Thistle. The latter made
long tack ofrshore She crossed the bow OF the
Varuna thirty-sx minutes after the start AL
though starting fifteen minutes after the This
tle the Endymion was able. after being on the
starboard tack for one hour and forty-fve min
utes, TO cross the bow Of the Thistle At 445
o'clock she was four miles dead to windward OF
the Thistle both then being east OF Block Island.
In this southwest breeze Of varying strength
the Thistles log showed that she had covered
thirty-fve miles In five hours which meant
seven miles an hour. This was considered good
going. for she was handicapped by having on
board FIVE tons OF ice, about ten tons Of coal and
a large quantity Of stores. The conditions Of
the race were that all the yachts should carry
their boats on deck and their anchors on the
bow. The Thistle had her steam launch and
gig on deck besides two in the davits.
At p. the Varuna on the port tack,
crossed the bow Of the Thistle on the star
board tack. MontaUk Point then bore north
west from the Thistle's quarterback. and the
log showed that she had travelled sixty miles
since the start. At 10 o'clock the lights along
the sandy shore of Long Island began loom
up and twinkle warning the saiorman 10 keep
his distance Ready aboUt!' sang out Com
nlodore Tod az the wheel. Hard a-lee," comes
in a moment. and the big schooner, Obedent 10
the touch Of her masters hand. swings around
TO the starboard, offshore tack She heads
south by west until eight bells Cmidnight) when
the log registers sixty-nine miles and Hard
a-lee!" Is head again, and she heads inshore for
an hour. when Montauks light has been dropped
and Shinnecocks shining beacon heaves in
sight II bears northwest at 2 a. m. and the
Thistle goes plunging offshore again for board
until daylight
Just at dawn the Varuna is made out on the
lee bow, not more than a mile away. She had
split her gan topsails in the night, and so APP
peared without them In a few moments the
Thistle has crossed her bow and taken the
second place in the race. At $50 the leader,
the Endymion, is made out on the lee bow. about
four miles ahead, the Thistle then being the
port tack Having sighted Fire Island Light
ship the Endymion went about at a. m. and
she soon vanished in the haze of the smoky
sou 'wester now beginning TO pipe in earnest.
An ugly sea was raising, too, and the Thistle,
under her big mainsail, foresatl staysail, jib.
flying jib and jibtopsan was sending the spray
she sped on a straight arrow for Fire
Island Lighship, now in plain sight Suddenly
there was sharp crack alott, then crash, FOL
lowed by the fierce Tapping of loOsened can
vas. The foretopgallant mast had snapped off
short at the hounds of the topmast, ana the
toDgallant ward. with the stump Of the mast,
was swinging wildly against the foretopsaiI
ward. Without a bit of eXcitement-for the dis
cipline is absolute aboard the Thistle-the watch
on deck cleared away the wreck while the
schooner kept her course. In less than two
hours everything was Snugly slowed deck.
Meanwhile the Naruna had made a short hitch
to starboard. 10 weather the lightshp She
passed il at l0:30 O'Clock. The Thistle, after
short hitch, passed it fifteen minutes later, and
as these two began the battle of their lives for
second place, between this hghtship and the
next one-Sandy Hook-the Endymon could just
be seen like a shadow in the distance. steering
like the other tWO-West.
For every foot OF the thirty miles that lie