Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-18


from Sandy Hook lightship to the
Lizard, which marks the southernmost
point of England.
For many days and nights the
yachtsmen and sailors on these boats
will battle with all sorts of weather
and try to make the journey from
point to point as fast as possible. E;tch
owners will strive to win the coveted
| trophy which the German emperor has
offered for the race.
The race promises to be the event OF
| the season III the yachting world, and
| as the weather at this time of the year
| is favorable to fast sailing across the
Atlantic from west to east, it Is ex-
pected that new record may be eS-
| tablishcd. 1t is possible, too, that the
| tickle winds may play all sorts OF
pranks with the yachtsmen, and that
| instead of getting across in fast time
| the boats may drift aimlessly about in
| the middle of the ocean for days, and
| the race consequently be a long one.
Students of the weather and the rec
ords that have been kept show that 40
per cent. of the winds on the Atlantic
during the month of May are from the
| southwest and vary from fresh to
strong. Such winds will suit all and
| make the race a fast one and an easy
| one.
| OF these eleven yachts eight are
| owned by American yachtsmen. two
| are British boats and one is owned by
a syndicate of German yachtsmen Oh
| Hamburg. This German boat Is the
| schooner Hamburg, formerly known as
the Rainbow. The British boats are
the big auxiliaries Valhalla and sun
| beam. and the American owned boats
are the Thistle. Atlantic. Fleur de Lys,
| Endymion, Utowana, Ailsa, Apache
| and Hildegarde.
The Thistle. Atlantic. Fleur de Lys,
| Endymion and Hildegarde are Ameri-
| can designed and built, and Ailsa ana
| Apache were built i'm Scotland and the
| Utowana was built here from designs
| by a British designer. j. Beaver WebD.
after he had settled in this country.
The contest thus becomes an inter-
| national one in more ways than one
| There will be the fight between navi-
| gators and sailors representing three
| countries. and another fight in which
| design ard build of the boats will ell
| ter, and in this Britain will be pitted
| against America.
| After the start the yachts will have
| nothing to do except get to the finish
ing line fast as possible. II 1T was
only a question of straight sailing that
would be q simple affair. but the boats
have to be navigated for 5000 miles
across the ocean. 1t is likely that
! each navigator will have his own idea
| about the best way to get to the finish.
and possibly by dark the boats will
| be separated so that they will not be
| sighted by each other again until near
| ing the end Of the race.
Some yachtsmcn will favor q north
| erly course. which is the shortest. but
| the navigator who selects the north
ern route may run into ice fields and
then have to keep miles to the south
To- get clear again. Some yachtsmen
will take a southerly course. looking
for better winds and no ice. while
others will go to neither extreme. Day
and night the boats will be driven on
toward the finish. All possible sail
will be crowded Oh and carried to the
last minute.
In Il race around Il short course
yachtsmen are able to see what is be-
ing done on other boats and profit by
what they see, but in the ocean race
each yachtsman will have to plot out
his OWN plan of campaign. and when
it blows hard sails will be carried on
because it will be feared that on the
the other boats they are driving on
through the gale.
The finishing line is to he due south
Of the lighthouse on the Lizard. at the
southeast point of tho British coast. 1t
is an ugly place AMI feared by all
Mariners Many a fino vessel has been
wrecked here aftrr having nearly
finished a voyage. Rocks run out into
h" water in all directions. and the
owners Of the races fear that there may
he fog when they reach tho end of the
race. The committee on the other side.
which is Captain Co":p"r, I. g. N: the
Earl Of Lonsiale ana Sir Edward Bir-
beck, have announced that tug has
been chartered and Hill lake a position
south of the lighthouS" on May %.
This tug will anchor 4 NILE beyond the
outermost edge of the rocks and will
time the first four boats as they finish.
The boats are to 90 between the tug
aud the lighthouse.
will go to the winner. and the emperor
has added prizes. one for each three
starters.
Ii is thought that the record may be
beaten To do this the loats will have
to get fresh to strong southwesterly
winds during the entire trip. Thirteen
days twenty hours thirty-six minutes
is the sailing record from Sandy Hook
To the Needles, and some yachtmen are
OF the opinion that tn" race will be
sailed in twelve davS. Others think
fifteen days, or even longer, will be
taken by the winner.
There has been a little netting on the
result of the race. and the Atlantic is |
tn" favorite. The Endyn,ion is the
second choice and the ValhaIla is third
The Atlantic is n good boat in almost
airy kind of weather. She has a ire
mcndOus spread Of canvas, and Wilson
Marshall. her owner. would be best
pleased II he met with a steady fresh
wind from the southwest, when the
AtlaEtic would carry all her kites and