New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-20
THE OCEAN YACHT RACE.
E. c. Benedict Tells of the Pretty
Fight for the Lead.

1t was happy thought Of Commodore E. c.
Benedict's to follow the yachts in the ocean
race to sea for 100 miles more. There were
other and much larger steam yachts than the
Oneida out there to witness the start but not
one of them took suficientsinterest in the fleet
to follow them even until dark. The fact that
Commodore Benedict followed them all night in
a rough sea and foggy weather is in keeping
with the earnest interest in yachting generally,
and in racing especially, that he has always dis
played Many time he has saved lives in a
gale in the Sound. by going to the rescue him
self in his steam launch
The news brought back by Commodore Bene-
dict that the German schooner yacht Hamburg
at IN on Wednesday night had passed the
Atlantic and was leading the fleet in the great
ocean race for the German EmperOr'S Cup was
NOT surprising to many yachtsmen who heard
it especially to those who familiar with
that yachts performances in foreign waters.
There is no doubt that the Hamburg is not only
a seaworthy vessel but also fast. for her pres
ent rig is said TO be almost as large as the one
she raced under in German and British waters
last season. Her designer. the late George L.
Watson, never produced slow boat, and the
Hamburg is acknowledged to be one of the best
of the large yachts he has turned out.
Speaking of his self-mposed task convoy
m the ra ling yachts Commodore Benedict said
Yesterday: 4 never saw prettier bit of thrash
ing to windward thar that between the Atlantic
and the Hamburg for the three hours before dark
on Wednesday. The wind was east and growing
stronger all the time: the sea getting quite
heavy and the weather remained misty. Both
yachts were sailing fast, but the Oneida was able
to keep up with them TO leeWard. The yachts
had been seesawing for some time" said the
commodore First the Hamburg would gain a
few lengths, then the Atlantic. but when the
Hamburg split her jib topSail she seemed to
take on life and gained steadily on her
opponent. This at $50 p. m. The Atlantic
about this time took in her main and mizzen
staysails which could not be kept full on the
wind and were better on deck. An hour later
the Hamburg had crossed the Atlantic's wake
and was we'll out to windward of her
The Hildegarde and the Ailsa were then two
miles astern and to leeward. Both were out Of
sight by o'clock and the weather was thickarl-
ing and the wind tightening. At As o'clock the
Hamburg was nearly mile to windward of the
Atlantic"
From about 10 o'clock on Wednesday night
until after 1:30 on Thursday morning the COM
n2odore said there was scarcely any wind and
the fog was dense all the time. At 10 O'Clock
thursday morning, when the Oneida, homevyar I'd
bound, met the Ailsa, the latter was according
TO dead reckoning, about nnety-five miles ca ST
of Sandy Hook Lightship, while the Hauhury
was at the same time about one hundred and
twenty miles east of that mark. The fact that
1t was clear and the wind north to northwest
from . a. m. on Thursday, and that no other
yachts were sighted. would seem to Indicate
that the HNdegarde's skipper had either tackled
inshore in the night or had steered a much
more southerly course.
A yacht skipper who knows Captain Toascb
OF the Endymion very well, and who saw him
split taoks' with the others soon after The
start said last night that there was no doubt in
his mind that the Endymion instead of the
Hamburg, was really the leading Yacht for
Loesch most likely figuring on a change I'm tbe
wind, got the rortherly breeze under the LONG
Island shore some time before the resi- Of the
feet. and benefited by it, The wind offshore
according 10 the reports Of incoming steamers
has been strong from the southwest and West
This would be favorable to the Earl of Craw-
ford's Valhalla and to Edmund Randoipb's
Apache.