The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-25
DEFIANCE DOES WE'LL
IN LIGHT WIND TEST
Tricity Cup Defender, First to
Sail in These Waters, Shows
She Is Fast and Handy.
BOAT SEEMS TO BE TENDER
Changes TO Be Made To-day,
Then Another Trial Will
Be Sailed.

The Defiance has tho distinction Of
being the FIRST OF the cup defenders to
sail In these waters. She was tried out
yesterday afternoon on the Sound OF
Greenwich under very light conditions and
showed that she Is fas, and handles beau
tlfully. Commodore O. NJ. Pynchon. De-
signer George Owen. Capt 8. b. How
ell. former Commodore George r. Lauder.
Jr. and others who watched the trial
expressed themselves az delighted with
the yachts performance. The trial was
under conditions well suited for the in
itlal sail OF any yacht. The wind was
only about Ave miles strength and the
sea was as smooth as the lawns around
the Indian Harbor Yacht Club house. But
under these conditions the yacht seemed
to some TO heel 30 quickly they thought
she would have trouble keeping aloft her
big spar in stronger winds. Mr.. Pynchon
said he was not worrying at all about
that and was satisfied that the 1853 foot
mast would stand.
Defiance arrived OF Greenwich late on
Saturday night and early yesterday morn
ing the crew was at work overhauiing and
setting up the standing and running rig
ging. and then the mainsail was got out
and bent on. This 10 a Wilson sail and
Adrian Wilson bossed the job
The mainsail 10 fastened to mast hoops
and the hoist seems TO be about sixty feet
The jaws OF the gan just passed the
spreaders The gan peaks high giving
the mainsail q very long leach which has
| a decided curve The sail was not pulled
out to within several inches OF the ends
OF the boom and gan. II will be stretched
out slowly. and IL gave promise Of beins
| n good fitting piece OF canvas. With tht
| sail aioft tho topmast seemed to tower
| still higher in the air. This mast Is wei
| stayed. There are five shrouds on each
| side. One on each side leads over tbs
| end of the spreader from the truck. Tw,
| lead over the end OF the metal work o
| the spreader on each side from the mast
head to the chain plates and two &,
straight from the masthead 10 the chair
plates. There IL the usual jumper stal
| over strut on the fore side OF the mast
| As soon as the mainsail was hoiste'
| the Jb was run up. This IL another bis
piece OF canvas which sets on blocl
| on the masthead and Nils In the spao
i from tne Tore elOe OF the mast 10 TN
/ end Of the bowsprit. II 10 forty-eight fee
long on the base and . boom In lace,
TO the foot to keep II IN shape. II cav
\ the yacht an odd appearance. The heat
| OF the Jib was some distance above tn
+, Jaws of the gan and with this canva
set the Defiance looked like a huge 81
| and mainsaii sloop and she acted like one
She will not carry a Jib topsail.
The wind was about five miles an hou
from the southeast and the tide was run
ming east. At 3:l5 the tow line wa
cast of and the yacht was under he
own canvas. She took the wind over he
starboard quarter heading northeast Sh
broke the water with some fuss undo
her bow, but this broken water ran ava
aft very smoothly and left almost n
wake at all. She heeled quickly an
seemed TO be rather tender under the con
dltions. She footed fast 10. Commodor
@. NJ Pynchon was at the helm and h
tried the yacht and found she handle
very easily, responding quickly 10 IN
slightest turn OF the wheel. After reach
ing on this tack for about half an hou
the Defiance wore round and stood bac
on the port tack. The wind was ge'
ting lighter and she WAS stemming n
tide, but she still moved easily and IA:
for the conditions and easily outsa.le
several smaller yachts near by. whe
, | she reached a point south OF her moortnl
she bore of and ran for home and aga
moved we'll She hauled her wind agai
TO pass the Endymion. wore round ar
Rybcd and turned no quickly that sf
dazed all on board Capt. Howell ha
expected to pick up the mooring by tn
? ma spuvre. but the yacht handled |
quickly that she stopped short OF the maj
and her anchor was quickly dropped. 81
was sailing hour and 20 minutes-
Mr.. Pynchon aftsrward said: 81 a
well pleased with the Defiance. She
we'll balanced, handles very quickly al
? seemed to move fast. There are maj
things we have to do. The leads
some Of the sheets have 10 be change
a This will be done tomorrow. II the
; changes are made in time the Dehan
will 70 out again and she will 10 out
often as possible from now on. as
q have lots OF work to do TO get her
% shape"
The Defiance at present floats rath
. by the stern. that In. she has little mo
10 weight aft than forward, but this m
be changed easily. The yacht Ia balanc
n 40 delicately that the men moving abe
{, on deck change her trim very quick
{. When she was before the wind the m
I; were mostly forward and she was do'
Il by the head
IN Only once during the afternoon did :
g have the wind abeam. and that was at
y end of the reach TO the east. Before tut
o. ing back she was sailed with the wi
3 abeam and then she heeled quickly a
y seemed TO go down much further than {
x: should One sailing master who watch
y. the trial and who has had lots OF expe
3: ence with racing yachts said he thous
a. the Defiance's spar too LOFTY and fear
that when she was caught In fresh wi
with a jump on the sea she would be
danger OF jumping the mast our OF h
n He hoped that he might be mistaken
~ cause he admitted that the yacht seen
u 10 be very fast and to handle very easil
The Defiance 10 to be hauled out at c
Vi Island next Saturday TO clean and pa
re FOR the first race. Designer Owen says
e ia we'll pleased. but he 10 not saying al
= thing more just yet. The yacht 10 as {
u % a hama inside and has not made q dI