New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-13
LIVELY DAY ON CRUISE
Collision in Fog Between lroIlta
and Elena Barely Averted.
KEEN CONTESTS FOR CUPS
Pun from Newport to Vineyard
Haven Replete with Stir
ring Incidents.

vineyard Haven, Mass, Aug 1.-THE
..,.a led the New York yacht squadron
,.,o harbor this afternoon after most
.vcI,jng run from Newport. Close astern
as E. Walter Clarks Irolita' which on
.ount of her allowance, won the race
took the commodore's cup. There
fog early in the day. which lifted
sort,v after noon, and II was clear until
,.v the fleet had started. Then 1T shut
- thick one could not sec more than
"a, length. The big schooners Elena. Sea
cav and EndyInion were standing for the
,,.. IN the starboard tack, when suddenly
,ts 1rolita doomed UP close TO the Elena,
The irolita was tackled smartly, and the
Two yachts glided of into the mist the
,,o,,ts's bewsprit having missed the Elena
nv less than twenty feet
Al the Vineyard Sound Lightship the
.ag lifted and the yachts had pleasant
.aoch through the Sound. The lrolita
-, her maintopmast staysail near the
sr,sb The 65-footers got lost in the FOG
end found themselves to leeward or the
v,nayard Sound Aghtship. They had 10
~ ~ fetch by, and the Istalena, by
40 error. was made first instead of last.
Tvs Taormina won the second division
am and the sloop cups were taken by the
shimna and the Rowdy.
FOR a while Il looked as though there
could be no racing. The fog came down
thick and fast, and in addition 10 TINS
msrs was a heavy sea. AS matter oil
foct several OF the boats turned about and
Ssaded for Newport only TO change their
minds when the preparatory gun was
sounded. In an instant almost the VI
Unity of the starting line was highly
.o1;ated scene, with the whlte-wlnged
rscers darling here and there, awaiting
their turns in their various classes. 1t
vas a somewhat dangerous condition for
, while. for the haze would lift occasion
suv only TO come down thicker than
aver the next minute, and the lghtship
and the steam craft lowering near kept
heir sirens blowing constantly. Several
collisions were averted only by the expert
handling OF the vessels.
A few minutes after noon rift
showed that gave some promise of stay
ng and the regatta committee started to
gel things in shape. The warning sig
nal was given at 1915 o'clock. and the
first classes. which comprised the
sloops and the New York thirties. were
sent away at 1890 The Windward was
first over followed by the Rowdy. the
Alera. the Phryne and the Joyant. a
slip-up occurred with the Juanita, the
Carta and the Banzai. for they crossed
before their time, which necessitated
their going back and doing 1t over, These
we're all on the starboard tack and had
rtach of seventeen miles east-southeast
10 the Vineyard Sound light vessel.
When the next signal sounded the
Aurora was in a good place and she got
ger almost on the dot, the istalena,
WinsoIne. Shimna, Avenger, Adventures
Rainbow. Gardenia. Dorello and Medora
following the Aurora in order. 1t was Just
a this time that the fog came around
again and SO completely shut out every
thing that nothing was realized but
sounds The tail end Of the line of
sleeps as it went past the committee
boat was swallowed up as completely
IS II II had gone over the side of high
Weeipice. The situation was critical at
this stage. and there never was so much
Shouting and scurrying about on the big
,chooners as they inched around the line
q close proximity to each other. with the
deadly fog obscuring everything until o
boom would shoot out in sight or white
vail would loom up dead ahead showing
The awful nearness Of another craft.
The Irolta, the Elena. the Endymion
and the Sea Fox were particularly Snarled
up as they maneuvred around the line,
and to those aboard Of the crack filers 1t
looked several times like a case of
jump" for some one. That the yachts
cot away without q mishap was nothing
short OF miraculous, but the fog spoiled
the race as a spectacle, for, outside OF
having clear view OF the start Of sew
eral Of the classes, those aboard the
steamers and other power craft which
are with the feet saw nothing Of the
oPOI' uHbIi a tOuple HOuFS ldtSi'
After the committee boat had CLICKED
the races over the line then II. De b.
Parsons, J. NJ. Marlborough and Frederic
o. Spedden, the regatta committee, sought
the flagship In their launch. but did not
nnd her in the fog After circling about
blindly for about half an hour they STUN
bed on the Diana, and were taken aboard.
AS the boats sailed nearer and nearer
TO Martha's Vineyard the atmosphere be-
came clearer, and about 2:s0 o'clock 1t
vas easy sailing. 81 one took no reckoning
Of the heavy sea, which was keeping the
sailors on the racers busy and stewards
on the steamers running about packing
china and glass ware so as TO avoid rs
much damage as possible.
The NJ class sloops made very IN
tsrestlng race Of their contest. The Do
relic got away first, but the Medora
passed her. The two INDUCED in luffing
match, but the Medora kept her lead'
winning by only a narrow margin.
The summaries follow:
scHooNERs--cLAss B---sTART, 12;45.
Cor
Elapsed rected
Yacht and owner Finish. time. time;
lsoliia. ". r. Iselin.. 4:l4:y4 3:93A 3:iS.3s