The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-19
DANGER IN OCEAN RACING.
CONTEST FOR KAISERS CUP RE-
CALLS PAST PERILS.
Six Men washed Overheard From Meet
wing In IsO8-IIenrletta, Cambria
and Coronet winners Of Transatlantic

ana N0TDufN NIIluEIu " AINhANAAehAAe
MAtches--Interest In COmlng Race.
Three transatlantic yacht races have
been sailed, and the contest TO be started
on May 10 for q CUP offered by the German
Emperor viii be the fourth. 30 far as
entries ara concerned, this viii be the most
interesting race Of It's kind ever sailed
There " something about a race across
5000 miles Of traokless water that appeals
10 all, whether they are lovers OF the sea
or landiubbers. To take a boat out In an
ordinary regatta and sail around a short
course may have It's excitement, and those
on board the craft may have TO exercise
all their skin and ingenuity to get their
boat In frat, but TO cross the OCEAN Is .
different thing. There are no headlands
or lightships TO show the way to the navi-
gator. He has to plot out bis course him
self, and the man who Is most snlfm In
sailing a direct track across the ocean
may be the hrst 10 get his boat In
Il may happen, too, that skill will not
count for much. The best navigator may
run his boat into a calm streak and per-
haps mako very little Roadway for days,
while another boat whose skipper is not 80
careful about his navigation may find
fresh winds that will drive his craft on TO
victory.
There will be no inviting harbors on the
way over in which a yachtsman can find
safe anchorage when IL blows hard but
blow high or blow low he will have to keep
on driving his boat, taking every Hdvan-
age Of the winds TO help his speed. II is
possible that the boats may have fine
weather all the way across. 1t Is possible,
too, that they may meet gales and head
winds, and then the skill Of those on board
will be taxed as it never was in the
regattas sailed on the coast. II il a strain
10 sail a yacht in an ordinary race. Strict
attention must be paid to everything, and
after any regatta the yachtsman IL tired,
but in the ocean race this strain will last
for many days perhaps weeks. Day and
night sails must be watched and shifted TO
catch the Rokle breeze, OF shortened when
IL blows hard. Every shift Of the wind
must be needed. There will come times
when the vessel will be becalmed, and
those on board will fret at the delay. Then
will come the fresh breeze 10 gladden. all
hearts and the boat will plough through
the water at top speed. Then gales may
come The sea will be lashed 10 fury by
high winds Everything viii be made snug
nloft and the timbers and spars Of the boat
viii be severely tested. II II no ohild's
play 20 race a big yacht across the ocean.
There is nerve and daring In II.
The frst race across the ocean was sailed
in 1865. The three big schooners Henrietta,
Fleetwing and Vesta were the contestants.
The race was ranged one evening in the
Union Club. Pierre LorillsTd, owner Of the
Vesta. and George and Franklin Osgood
owners Of the Fleetwing we're proclaiming
the merits Of their two yachts, and the
result was the ARA ngement of a match race
across the ocean for $50 600 a side in stakes.
James Gordon Bennett, who was always a
yachting enthusiast when he heard Of it
asked % be allowed to enter the Henrietta,
and 80 the race became a three cornered
one. each owner putting up $50 oOJ, or $40 oCO
i'm oil. ..
The course was from Sandy Hook TO the
Needles and the race was started at / o clock
on Dec. II. No channel pilot was taken
on board on this side Of the Atlantic.
20 the race was also a test Of American
seamanship. The Henrietta was i07 feet
over all. 20 feet beam and II feet 9 inches
draught. The Vesta was lO5 feet over all,
25 feet beam and feet 0 inches draught.
She was a centreboard craft, and with her
board down drew IS feet OF water. The
Tleetwing was 100 feet over all "a feet
beam and II feet draught The Yesta took
a northern passage. the Henrietta followed
the lane Of the ocean steamers and the
Fleetwing sailed course between the
two. The three racers soon lost sight OF
each other and they staggered along across
Z he ocean in strong winds carrying ell the
canvas they could. On Dec. 10 the Hen
rietta was struck by a westerly gale that
raised a big sea. The seas threatened to
board her and sweep the decks so she was
hove to under a storm trysail for several
hours. As soon "a the gale showed signs Of
abating the yacht got before II again, and
under a cloud Of canvas tried 10 make up |
for lost time.
The Fleetwing had a hard time. too. In |
the same gale a big sea filed her cockpit |
and washed six men overheard. They |
were lost. The Vesta was the first 20 sight |
the Sicily lights. This was FIVE minutes |
to O'Clock on Christmas eve. The Hem |
rietta got within range Of these lights fifty |
minutes later The tleetwing did not
sight them at all. The Vesta picked up a
pilot. but through his laundering she lost |
and the Henrietta was the first |
to reach the Needles. She had sailed 3,lO6 .
miles in Is days n hours IS minutes, aver
a Eing o.. knots. The Fleetwing was second
-
10 minutes, and the Vesta sailed 3,O48 miles
in Il days 0 hours so minutes,
5sWhen James Asbury challenged with the
Cambria for a race for the Amenca's Cup
In 1870 he suggested 10 James Gordon Ben
nett that the Cambria should race across
the ocean against the Dauntlesa for q cup.
A match was arranged, the priEo being
cup worth E25O. The Cambria was a keel
schooner l0s feet long, n feet beam and ~
feet drau ght. The DRuntless vas built In
1885, two years earlier than the Cambria,
and was originally known as L'Hirondelle.
Her dimensions were: Length over all, l23
feet 10 inches; load water line, lie feet
inches; beam 20 feet; draught, ~ feet
inches. The two racers were started OF
Old Kinsale Head on July T. 1870. The
Dauntloss followed the middle passage
and the Cambria sailed a northern course.
light weather prevailed, and at the end Of
a week tho Cambria had sailed e0i miles
and the Dauntless had sailed $40 miles
Then the Cambria took the load, but the
race was still very Close for on the sixteenth
day out the ds.erence between the two yes
sells was only 81 miles. During the second |
week the Dauntless had sailed sl2 miles
and the Cambria zoos. On the afternoon |
Of July p those on the lookout at Sandy |
Hook sighted one Of the racers and excite
ment was at fever heat In the city, where the |
yacht was at once reported As the vessel
drew near 70 the Sandy Hook hghtship |