New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-14
Beats Rival OverAmerica'S
Cup Course by More
than -Four Minutes.
TEST A GOOD ONE
IN FRESH BREEZE
Yachts Cross Starting Line at
Same Time, but the Resolute at
Once Sails to the Front.
By CAPT. JAMES c. SUMMERS.


breeze under a perfect cloud of creamy
hued canvas al speed Of nearly
twelve miles an hour, the big sloop
yacht Resolute swept across the finish
line yesterday afternoon off Sandy
Hook, winner for the fifth time this
season over the Vanite.
1t was the first Of three sea trials
over the Americas Cup course Of thirty
miles, and she defeated her rival by
4 minutes l6 seconds actual time and
by 5 minutes 20 seconds (unotficiaD
corrected time-the biggest margin by
which the Herreshof sloop has beaten
the Gardner yacht so far this season.
IL was a windward and leeward
race and a hard fought marine battle
from start to finish. Cornelius Van
derbilt, who sailed the Vanitie, did his
best in q breeze that laid them both
"scuppers to" at times to make the
Vanitie redeem herself in the long
stretch of some twenty miles of wind
ward work, but while she footed"
little faster at times she never pointed
as high as the Resolute, and when 1t
came to a brief battle of short tacks
near the Jersey coast the Vanitle lost,
because she was not as quick IN stays
as her Bristol rival.
While the struggle for supremacy in
this thrash to windward was close
some of the time, tack for tack the
Resoute had the better of It, always
keeping the weather gauge. Rounding
the outer mark, set about four miles
off Asbury Park, she was the leader by
3 minutes 10 seconds, and this she in
creased to 4 minutes 10 seconds at the
finish, gaining | minute seconds while
both yachts ran before the wind with
spinnakers set.
Commodore George F. Bakers steam
Yacht Viking-the flagship of the New
York Yacht Club established the
starting line at 1890 o'clock by an
choring a cables length south OF the
Ambrose lightShip.
The course signals "a. R. P" OF the
code, signifying S. S. W, were hoisted,
and the tug NJ. Moran was sent at once
to log the course, fifteen miles dead
TO windward, which would bring the
turning point in the course off Asbury
Park and about four miles off shore.
Both yachts arrived off the lightship
in ample time, each wearing perfect
setting suit of sails and with their
largest clubtopsails aloft. On board
the Resolute, besides her manager,
Robert W. Emmons, ID, and her helms
man, Charles Francis Adams, I'd, were
George A. Cormack and George Mich
OILS.
The Vanitie's afterguard, besides
Cornelius Vanderbilt, the helmsman,
were William Butler Duncan, James
d. Sparkman and Commander F. L.
Sawyer, L. S. y.
1t was interesting to watch the skip
pers playing for a good berth five min
utes before the start. Both yachts
were standing to the southland on the
port tack and east of the line. The
Resolute wore around TO the opposite
tack four minutes before the signal 10
start. The Vanitie did the same, and
she was then placed under the Reso-
lute's lee and several lengths astern.
Not liking this berth, Captain Van
derbilt began 10 "wear" the Nanitie
again, but he soon luffed her back 70
the starboard tack While he was do
ing so Captain Adams swung the Reso-
lutte dead before the wind, running her
with main boom amidships until she
had the Vanitie which was approach
ing at right angles right under er
bow; then he luFed her sharply on
the wind, placing the Cochran yacht
souarely on her lee beam. They were
APPROACHING the line in this position
when the starting whistle sounded.
The Ambrose lightship marked the
weather end Of the line and the Reso-
Lutte, lutfing sharply as she rounded the
old ships stern, seemed 20 cross the
line first, but the official figures show
that they were timed together az
l1:11:56. Both had small jibtopsails
set.
With the wind at south -by-west, it
was nearly, but not quite, a dead beat
to wndward. As a matter of fact, the
yachts made two long boards md half
a dozen small ones to fetch the outer
mark
Five minutes after the start both
yachts went about TO the starboard
tack and stood in for the Jersey beach
for fifty minutes. In this time the
Resolute, carefully steered by Captain
Adams and with all hands lying Hat
on deck under the weather rail, point
ed better than her rival and kept 300
yards to windward of her. The Nanl-
tie. however. footed faster at times,
and at 1901 Captain Vanderbilt evil
IDENTIFY believing that on the starboard
tack she could cross the Resolute. put
her about but he reckoned without
his host, for he had TO go under the
stern of the Herreshof sloop.
AS soon as the Nanitie had crossed
the Resolute's wake Captain Adams
swung that sloop 20 the starboard tack,
placing her on the Nanitie's weather
bow, in a position TO backwind her.
Then followed a seri : Of tacks, each
lasting from thirty seconds 70 a minute,
in which Captain Vanderbilt tried in
vain to better the Vanitie's position.
The Resolute's quickness in stays
prevented it, and when they settled
down TO business again the Vanitie was
still in the lee berth, but in a position,
while on the starboard tack, 10 luf
across the Resolute's wake. At 1912
She luFed into the wind as II TO tack.
Il was only a bluff. however, for she
was kept off again in a moment. Cap
tain Adams iufed the Resolute, too,
and when he also kept off the Vanltie
was again backwinded. This shows
how close and earnest the fight was
at this point.
It was breezing up bit at this time,
and when they both tackled TO port at