Sept. 21, 1895.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



2B7 



Valkyrie. 

 JUST AFTER THE START - 



-SECOND RACE. 



that they would do their best to have a clear course, but that they 

 could not postpone the race at such short notice. 



"They also agreed not to start the boats until they had a clear field 

 to maneuver in, which was all we could do under the circumstances. 

 When they left him Wednesday night he said that he would start the 

 Valkyrie. In his second letter, which was received on the morning of 

 the race, he left it in doubt whether he would cover the course or not. 

 It was then too late for us to do anything. As you know, we post- 

 poned the start until every excursion boat was out of the way, which 

 was all we could do, and you know what happened afterward." 



The above statement is, we believe, entirely correct; the letter 

 alluded to as not being-received until Thursday morning is as follows, 

 being written after an understanding had baen reached that the race 

 would be sailed as announced: 



"429 Fifth Avenue, Sept. 11, 189?. 

 "Dear Mr. Canfield: I have just received your letter. I regret to 



the committee ample time to consider my former letter, and I am 

 sorry my letter was not delivered to you sooner. 



"As I explained to you, I was under the impression that the Cup 

 committee heard the protest ; and pending a decision, I did not think 

 it right to place the letter in their hands. 



"When I heard this morning that the Cup committee had nothing 

 to do with the protest I requested Mr. Kersey, to whom I had intrusted 

 the letter, to hand it to you. 



"In case you do not receive this to-night I shall take Valkyrie to 

 Sandy Hook Lightship to-morrow morning, and will cross the line to 

 give Defender a start. 



"I inclose copy of a letter I have written to Mr. Iselin and addressed 

 to the New York T. C. Yours very truly, Dunraven " 



The letter to Mr. Iselin has not been made public, but it is known 

 that after the decision of the regatta committee was announced in his 



"However, as their reply would have been the same as that con- 

 veyed verbally last night, the fact of no answer having been made is 

 unimportant. 



"Signed tor the committee: 



"Jas. D. Smith, Chairman, 

 "A. Cass Canfield, Secretary." 



While the committee was discussing the protest on Wednesday, the 

 two yachts were docked again at the Brie Basin and scrubbed down as 

 the water fell, Valkyrie being painted below. A topmast belonging to 

 Colonia was brought to the Basin and under the direction of Mr. Her- 

 reshoff it was dressed up to fit the masthead of Defender. It was an 

 inch smaller in diameter, but otherwise a good stick, and being dry it 

 weighed 4001bs. less than the old. It was ready by afternoon, and a 

 new spreader was in place at the masthead. During the morning a 

 quantity of lead was unshipped from Valkyrie and an effort was made 



Lightship, 



VALKYRIE AT THE FINISH. 



have been engaged at the time you and Mr. Busk were kind enough to 

 call at the Waldorf. I could not then give a decided answer to the 

 proposition made in our short conversation. 



"1 have since considered the matter carefully. Your proposal to 

 postpone the start until we have sufficient room meets only one out of 

 more serious difficulties mentioned in my letter of the 10th, and if no 

 solution can be found to those difficulties I must adhere to my de- 

 cision as expressed in that letter. 



"I am fully convinced that the committee have done, and would do 

 to-morrow, all in their power to keep a clear course; but, under exist- 

 ing circumstances, the y are powerless. As I told you, I would sail if 

 the committee would lake it upon themselves to declare the race to- 

 morrow void if, in their judgment, either vessel were interfered with 

 by steamers and tugboats. 



"I regret that you are unable to agree to that. I regret also that 

 the race fixed for to-morrow could not be postponed in order to give 



favor, Mr. Iselin made an offer to Lord Dunraven to call the race off 

 entirely and resail it. After the return on Thursday evening the fol- 

 lowing was posted with the letter: 



"All the propositions of the above letter were discussed between 

 Lord Dunraven and the members of the Cup committee at 9 o'clock 

 last Wednesday evening. The answer given to these conditions was 

 as follows: 



"First.— That it was impossible at so short a notice to postpone the 

 race fixed for to-day, Sept. 12. 



"(Second.— That the race would not be started until a clear space for 

 maneuvering was secured. 



"Third. — That the committee could not assume the responsibility of 

 agreeing to declare the race void if either vessel suffered from the ac- 

 companying steamers. 



"The committee regret that they were unable to send an answer this 

 morning. 



to have her remeasured — Mr. Hyslop being detained at the Basin all 

 the afternoon and evening— but it was nearly 10 o'clock before the 

 yacht was floated, and the attempt to measure her by lamplight and 

 in disturbed water bad to be abandoned. 



Thursday was a typical Cup race day, with a clear sky and hot sum- 

 mer sun, a smooth sea atid a light breeze, more than a drift at all 

 times, but still quite light— just such weather as Valkyrie was pre- 

 sumably built for. When the fleet reached the Lightship both yachts 

 were under way, but while Defender under clubtopsail worked about 

 the line, the committee boat being anchored to the westward of the 

 Lightship, Valkyrie stood away far to the south under mainsail and 

 jib only, but with her racing flag showing out plainly above her bare 

 topmast. It was apparent from the start that something was wrong, 

 but what no one could tell. This time the steamers were far enough 

 away, only a few small vessels being anywhere near the line, and the 

 patrol yachts were driving them still further away. The wind was 



DEFENDER AT THE FINISH. 







