The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-06-06
TUNING UP THE YACHTS.
Boats Will Next Be Tried on the Ocear
Courses.

New York June with the passing
of the first few tuning up tests of the
trio of yachts striving for the honor of
defending the Americas cup against the
Shamrock ~ next September, the skip
pers and crews are preparing for the all
lsummer series of racers which will
evolve the successful candidate to be
chosen by the cup committee from the
Resolute, Defiance and Vanitie. During
the coming week the yachts will pass
from Long Island Sound TO the ocean
course off Sandy Hook for three tests
under sterner conditions over the same
course which will be used in the cup
races There will follow week devoted
TO repairs and changes in the yachts, to be
succeeded by two weeks more of Sound
racing. All of these events of which
there are eleven on the schedule will be
| OF preliminary nature. In fact they
have been arranged more to get the
boats and crews in condition for the
more serious tests off Newport in July
and August, when the Americas cup
committee will sit in judgment on the
performances and select the best boat to
meet the Shamrock ".
Sound will be of Great Captain Island
near the entrance to the harbor OF Port.
chester. Half dozen courses of from
20 to 80 miles each have been laid out
some OF which will carry the yachts
down the sound beyond Stamford, while
Others will take them well up 10 Exc
cution Rock and over to the Hampstead
shore. With starts off Great Capta in
Island II will be possible to lay a fifteen
mile course to the windward in case the
breeze is from the prevailing direction,
southwest. 4
Eleven years ago. the three cup
yachts, Reliance, Constitution and
Columbia were given numerous trial
races in this part OF the Sound. but the
starts were off the Long Island shore
near Matinicock Point and it was found !
difficult to send the boats to the wind |
ward on the first leg.
by agreement between the managers
and the regatta committee of the New |
York Yacht club fifteen minutes will be !
allowed between the warning and the /
starting signals for the fight for posi-
ton. Two minutes will be timed to the
second, as she crosses the line. Ii she |
IS late, her time will be taken as start
ing at the end of the two minutes, al. |
though she may be three, five or even
ten minutes behind. The struggle for 4
the best places at the line, the weather II
berth II the first leg is TO windward, Il
snug place away from the others with
the wind clear if the course is to lee
ward, is the supreme test of the sailing
master and many race has been won
or lost through success or failure at the
outset.
The helmsmen of the three yachts,
George NJ Pynchon on the Defiance. Il
Charles +. Adams, I'd, on the Resolute
and William Dennis on the Vanitie are
master hands at the starting game and
the best yachting sport of the year will
be IN watching the game played by these
,ool, calculating shippers 1t is a rare
5ame-thls handling of a big powerful
Yacht, especially in breeze, while even
N soft weather the very best Judgment
s required. Each as he stands at the
wheel must know just where his own
boat is, how fast she is going, where
he other yachts are and how fast they I:
ire sailing. He must know when his
'wn boat has the right of way, and
when his opponent must give way and
n tight place, not to take an inch or :
oncede one, or the race is lost
No fixed plan or campaign will bear
he test under all conditions With the
'ig yachts the skipper must have help, Z
nd the assistance of a cool man with
he watch and another to watch the OPP
'osing yachts is of paramount Importance. !,
Forward, the mates have their men we'll !.
rilled, and the handling of sheets, tacks, !.
'ack stays and all the light canvass re-
uire quick action and precision.
1t is anticipated that in the early :
aces of the cup yachts there may be ,
lines of seeming confusions on each :,
ne OF the boats but with numerous !
aces and sail trials in the smooth ;,
faters of the sound, it is expected that
achts. shippers and crews will appear ii
t Newport on July in the finest pos 4
IDLE condition, and that the races of u
uly and August will produce the best O
lcing ever seen in American yachting n
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