Sbpt. 30, 1893.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



288 



smoked along. As before, it was a broad reach from Paignton to 

 Torquay, where the third round ended: 



Britannia 1 14 19 Navahoe 1 28 03 



Calluna 1 18 15 Satanita 1 23 10 



Running their heads weli up on the surges, they flew oflf to the sea 

 mark for the fourth and last' time, Satanita closing in very fast 

 under the lee quarter of Navahoe, and just as the former was drawing 

 level Navahoe rounded to and gave up, her mainsail having burst at 

 the reef cringle. Satanita thus remained last boat, and chased the 

 others off to the sea mark, where the time was: 



Britannia 1 31 40 Satanita 1 39 30 



CaUuna 1 35 20 



Beating across to Brixham, Britannia just held her own, wind and 

 sea reibaimng as before, and the trio presenting a very business-Uke 

 picture, as they were masterfully laid on the wind. The time of 

 weathering the Brixham mark was: 



Britannia 1 52 40 Satanita 2 00 21 



Calluna 1 56 25 



A close reach along shore to Paignton and a broad reach home 

 Satanita making an aU-round gain) brought the match to an end at: 



Britannia (winnner) 2 09 06 Satanita 2 16 15 



Calluna (second prize) 2 13 36 



Valkyrie. 



A THIRTT day passage across the Atlantic is in no way remarkable, 

 and Valkyrie's failure to equal the record of Thistle and other yachts 

 would of itself have created little anxiety. There was, however, a 

 strong probability that she had encountered one of the August 

 cyclones when but one or two weeks out, and this, with the fact that 

 she was not reported by any steamer, caused a certain amount of 

 apprehension over her delay in reaching New York. Although she 

 was reported on Sept. 18 by the steamer Spain, having been spoken 

 two days before, it was not until the early morning of Sept. 23 that 

 she sighted the two lightships off Sandy Hook. The tug Charm 

 passed her a towline, .and after a short delay at Quarantine she dropped 

 anchor off the Atlantic Yacht Club station, Bay Ridge. On her way up 

 the bay she was saluted by vessels of all kinds, the ferryboats going 

 out of their courses to get a look at her. She carried her racing 

 mast, a fine stick of Oregon pine, with short bowsprit, topmast, gaff 

 and boom. On board were Capt. Wm. Cranfield, who has sailed her 

 all the season; Capt. Wm. Harvey, her navigator, brother of the 

 Capt. Harvey, who sailed Jessica in 1891, and the following crew: 

 Oscar Ponder, first mate; William Taylor, second mate; Ennis Turff, 

 boatswain; William Bowen. chief cook; Arthur Wade and William 

 Waddley, assistants, and William Cranfield, Walter Sebbern, John 

 Pierce, Alfred Scarf, Wallace Allen, Alfred Allen, WilHam Brown, 

 Herbert Springat, B. Wilkin, Herbert Puilen, William Percival, Ed- 

 ward Smith and Adam and Robert Potter. Twelve more of the crew, 

 some of them from Lord Dunraven's smaller cutter L'Esperance, 

 arrived on Saturday on the Paris and at once joined the yacht. 



The voyage was a hard and tedious one, as told in the following 

 story by Capt. Cranfield, and by the log: 



"We had a very hard passage, but there never was a moment when 

 I felt that the Valkyrie was in danger. Her design, as far as her 

 weatherly qualities go, has been thoroughly tested, and a boat not so 

 well buUt would have certainly gone to pieces during some of the 

 heavy blows. I made no attempt to make a record, but kept the 

 yacht going as fast as was consistent with perfect safety. Before 

 starting it was generally understood that we were to take a southern 

 course, but after getting out on the high seas I determined to take 

 the far northern course, which accounts for our not being sighted by 

 the incoming steamers. 



"For ten days after we left, on Aug. 28, we had light easterly winds 

 and made fairly good headway. Then we ran into about as nasty 

 weather as I have seen for a long time. From Sept. 2 to 6 we were 

 knocked ab^ut by squalls from the west and an ugly cross sea, 

 which forced us to put the main boom into a crutch. On the 7th we 

 were struck, while running close reefed, by a northwest gale, which 

 kept up with a few short respites until the lltn, when it increased to 

 a hurricane that made things very lively for us. It was impossible 

 to move any-where on the vessel and on deck it was very dangerous to 

 the crew, even with the aid of lifelines, which were stretched along 

 the deck. All we had out was a close-reefed trysail, and that was 

 enough. We shipped some very heavy seas, but they rolled off the 

 deck like water from the back of a duck. 



"I thought that our boats would be carried away, but we lost 

 nothing. The tiller was bent by a heavj' sea that swept us fore and 

 aft about midnieht, and two of the crew had a close escape from be- 

 ing washed overboard. The little storm jib was blown out of the bolt 

 ropes with a report like a cannon, and for a time we were in a very un- 

 comfortable position. But the Valkj^rie did not seem to mind the ter- 

 rible tossing, and the way she dove into the waves and came right side 

 up every time was a delight to the sailor, although the experience was 



'^"We had to let her scud before the wind while the damage to the 

 tiller was repaired, which was a very ttckUsh job indeed, in such a ter- 

 rible sea. The wind went down in about two days, but the sea ran 

 very high all the time, and kept us all awake the most of the time. 

 She rolled so hard occasionally that it seemed as if she would land on 

 her beam's end and never right, but after hanging for a moment in the 

 balance as if undecided whether to go clean over, she would come up 

 with an easy motion that was very reassuring to those on board. 



"We were running close reefed in half a gale when the Spain sighted 

 us. On Sept. 16 I signaled to her, but got no response, owing, prob- 

 ably, to the thick weather. We kept together for about seven hours, 

 and logged in that time about seventy mUes, which, I see, agrees with 

 the report of Capt. Griffith of the Spain. The Spain was the only west- 

 bound vessel that we sighted, but I signaled to several east-bound 

 Steamers, which ought to have reported us. 



"On the same day we passed a ship bottom up, but it was blowing 

 too hard for us to stop and get her name. She had a bright copper 

 bottom, and looked as if she had been upset only a short time. We rau 

 into a frightful gale from the southwest after the Spain left us, which 

 forced us to heave to for safety. This storm was accompanied by ter- 

 rific lightning, which played around the Valkyrie altogether too close 

 for comfort. While running before the wind the j^acht thumped the 

 sea very hard, and huge waves came aboard and swept the deck. 



"During this week we had a succession of gales which gave us a ter- 

 rible knocking about, and it was a great relief when we ran into a fog 

 bank and calm. When the fog lifted we spoke the pilot boat Leahy, 

 and you know the rest." 



The crew wasted httle time after the anchor was down, but at once 

 set to work to fit out for the races. Capt. Cranfield at first being un- 

 aware of the postponement to Oct. 5. The yacht showed the effects 

 of the voyage, no damage was done to the hull beyond the starting of 

 the caulking about the end of the long counter, but paint and varnish 

 were washed off, sails were torn and ropes stranded, while she looked 

 anything but the trim and stylish racer which she really is. On deck 

 amidships were lashed six large water casks, her long tiller was bent 

 in two places, and the short, dirty spars and cruising sails gave her a 

 rather disreputable look. 



The sails were unbent, spars unshipped, and by 10 o'clock a big 

 floating derrick was alongside with a lot of racing spars safely 

 wrapped in burlaps. The main boom was shipped, the topmast setup, 

 the bowsprit run out and the decks cleared of the old sails, casks and 

 spars. 



During the morning Messrs. Watson and Ratsey, in company with 

 Mr. Maitland Kersey, came down in a tug and spent most of the day 

 on board or about the Atlantic Y. C. The spare spars were landed on 

 Wintringham's bulkhead, and Mr. Sawyer very kindly ofl'ered the use 

 of his Bay Ridge loft for the storage of sails and gear. 



Valkyrie, though very different from Thistle, is just as distinctively 

 a Watson boat, showing the same artistic sheer and counter. She has 

 the "Dora bow," similar to the new American boats, but not so long 

 in overhang, and in appearance is much like Queen Mab. While her 

 waterline is full, as in all recent yachts, the fore end is quite sharp, 

 the waterline being straight rather than convex for the first few feet. 

 The bow is undoubtedly a good and serviceable one, making a fair 

 ending to all the fore and aft line, but with less weight and windage 

 than in the longer American overhangs. The after end is hardly as 

 strong in form as the Herreshoff boats, and possibly no better as to 

 speed, but it is certainly far handsomer to look at. 



The Unes of the hull, so far as they ai e visible, disclose a well shaped 

 and powerful craft, but until she is docked next week it will be impos- 

 sible to form any fair opinion of her speed. The rig is practically the 

 same as Thistle, the masthead shrouds and extra stay and spreaders 

 of the new Herreshoff boats being lacking. The oldfaahioned oak cheek 

 pieces and trestle trees are still used, the five shrouds all going over 

 the masthead. The ironwork is of good design but considerably 

 heavier than in the American boats, and while there is far less liability 

 to break down, it is an open question whether the rig might not be 

 lighter and yet strong enough. The yacht wiU be under way next 

 Thursday, and she will dock early next week at the Erie Basin. 



Lord Dunraven reached New York on Saturday on the Campania, 

 with him being the Countess of Dunraven, her two daughters, the 

 Ladies Rachel Wyndham-Qainn and Aileen Wyndham-Qainn; his 

 brother-in-law the' Hon. Charles Kerr; the Marquis of Ormonde, Lord 

 Wolverton, Col. Arthur Paget, the Hon. Hercules A. Languish and 

 Charles Barrington. 



No sooner had he landed than Lord Dunraven took a tug and visited 

 the yacht in company with Messrs. Kersey, Watson and Ratsey. On 

 Sim'day the party took a rtm up the Sound on a tug, dining at Larch- 

 monc. On the way they steamed by Vigilant at anchor, of course ex- 

 amining her closely through their glasses. 



The sjght off Bay Ridge must have astonished considerably Capt. 

 Oranflela and his crew. Early in the morning the hillsides and piers 



were black with people, whUe the water was covered with boats of all 

 kinds, from the rough little bateau buUt of driftwood and old boards, 

 up to eight-oared shells and barges and all sorts of sailing and steam 

 yachts.- Rowboats drove a thriving trade in carrying visitors around 

 the yacht, and the little steam water boat was crowded on every one 

 of her trips, of which she made for an hour. For the small sum of 

 twenty -five cents she offered a complete view of the yacht on all sides 

 and also of Lord Dunraven and his two daughters. The day was warm 

 and fair, but with a flat calm for three or four hours, which hung up 

 the sailing craft, but in spite of this there were catboats by the score, 

 and white saUs were visible in all directions, trsing to reach one com- 

 mon point. The steam y.acht Ituna brought down from New Rochelle 

 Messrs. Belmont, Iselin and Herreshoff, who scanned Valkyrie closely 

 for some time. Vigilant will haul out on Sept. 28 or 29 at Harkin's 

 ways, City Island, and wfll lie there untU the eve of the races. The 

 final details of the races wiU be arranged at a meeting on Sept. 26 

 between Lord Dunraven and the cup committee. 



LOG OF VALKTRIE— COWES TO NEW YORK. 



Aug. 23— Left Cowes 5:40 A. M.: light westerly winds; noon, calm, 

 heavy swell; barometer, 30.08; 26 mUes. 



Aug. 24— Noon, Falmouth abeam; 4 P. M., signalled the Lizards. 



Aug. 25— Noon, abreast Seven Storm Lightship, distance 4 miles; 

 calm; barometer 30.40; P. M.. light air, swell, west by northwest. 



Aug. 26— Open; wind, hght easterly; haze; slow progress, at noon 

 all canvas set; afternoon calm, no headway; barometer 30.40; longi- 

 tude .06, latitude .50.07; 27 miles. 



Aug. 27— Open; light westerly wind; noon, set squaresails; barom- 

 eter, ;30. 30; latitude 49.57; longitude 8.15; breeze, east by southeast; 

 sea, irregular. 



Aug. 28— Open: fresh winds, east, clear, blowing sharp; barometer 

 30.36. Noon, latitude 49.18, longitude 12.48; P. M., squally, showers, 

 southeast winds. 



From noon of Aug. 27 to noon of Aug. 28, 3S5 miles were made by 

 log. 218 by observation. 



Aug. 29— Open; fresh easterly winds; barometer, 30.-38; noon, lati- 

 tude 48.40. longitude, 18.06; P. M., fresh winds, southeast; nastv sea; 

 single reef and trysail. Noon to Aug. 30, 22-4 miles hy observation. 



Aug. 30— Open;' fresh winds, southeast; noon, high southerly breeze 

 and swell. P. M., less wind: latitude 42.48, longitude 23.24; 224 miles. 



Aug. 31 — Two hundred miles. Open; southeast winds; ship rolling 

 heavily. Noon, wind freshening; latitude 47.54, longitude28.31. P.M., 

 high wind and cloudy. Wind sffll southeast. 



Sept 1 — Two hundred and twenty miles; open; moderate breeze, 

 southeast. Noon, wind south; took squaresail in; reaching along 

 steadily. P. M., wind west, smart breeze; rain and showers. 



Sept. 2— One hundred and ten miles; open; wind west by northwest; 

 squally: rain; bad sea; rolling heavily. Noon, latitude 47.30, longitude 

 38.12. P. M., hard squall, high sea; ship laboring heavily and flooding 

 decks. 



Sept. 3— Strong squalls, northwest by west; rain. Noon, heavy 

 squalls; no observation; 173 miles by log. P.M., wind freshening; 

 double reef fore and aft. 



Sept, 4 — Wind southwest, shifting to west by west; unsteady; poor 

 progress. Noon, no observations; 90 miles by log; overcast; rain; 

 nasty cross swell. 



Sept. 5— Open ; close reef trysail; wind west. Noon, wind more mod- 

 erate; no observations; 77 miles by log. P M., wind moderating; set 

 trysail; heavy swell. 



Sept. 6— Open; moderate breeze, west by northwest; heavy swell. 

 Noon, observation 45.50 and 42.40; weather fair; 80 miles by log. P. 

 M., breeze moderating; cross sea; west by northwest. 



Sept. 7.— Open ; freshening winds, south by southwest. Noon, same ; 

 rain; observation 45.18 and 45..32; hard winds; heavy sea; close reef ; 

 130 mdes by observation. P. M., high wind; lay to under close reef 

 trysaQ. 



Sept. 8— Open; rolling heavily: high seas. Noon, wind moderating; 

 overcast, let reef out; very high sea, west by southwest. P. M., 

 weather finer; heavy swells; barometer unsteady. 



Sept. 9— Open; moderate winds south. Noon, dense fog; latitude 

 44.07, longitude 49.55. P. St., heavy seas; wind west by north; flooding 

 decks; 151 miles. 



Sept. 10— Moderate wind, west; clear; passed several fishermen. 

 Noon; 56 miles; laititude 43.42, longitude 51.06. P. M.; poor progress; 

 wind unsteady; 



Sept. 11— Open; hght wind, southwest; heavy roll; barometer fall- 

 ing. Noon, no observation; 61 miles. 8 P. M., wind freshening; north 

 with hurricane force: close reefed trysail and reached off. 10 P. M., 

 shipped seas; smashed starboard storm rail and stanchion, bending 

 tiller. 



Sept. 12— Open; heavy storm; jib blew clear out of ropes. 6 A. M., 

 gale abating; fished tiller with spare spar; sea high and shifting north; 

 61 miles. 10:40, signalled steamship bound east, one funnel, white 

 band, three masts, fore and aft rigged; no answ.er. Noon, head winds; 

 kept ship on course. 9:30 P. M., squally, light winds; trysail sheet 

 swinging in, carried away binnacle hood. 



Sept^ 13— Fresh winds, north by northwest, heavy swells; shipped 

 tube tUler. Noon, observation 43.17, 56.55. P. M., moderate winds, 

 west by northwest; slow progress; 120 miles. 



Sept. 14— Wind west by northwest: poor progress; passed east-bound 

 steamship: signalled, no answer. Noon, 80 miles; observation 43.15, 

 latitude 58.35. P. M. same weather; signalled another steamship all 

 well, no answer; heavy swell north by northwest. 



Sept. 15— Wind northwest by west; 6:30 A. M. passed steamship 

 Berlin, signalled and was answered; set topsail and balloon staysail. 

 Noon, calm. 3 P. M. signalled three steamships bound east; eighty 

 miles; poor progress; observation, latitude 42.17, longitude 59.47. 



Sept. 16— Wind south by southwest; signaUed ship bound east; no 

 answer; southwest swell. Noon, 160 miles; observations, latitude 41.39, 



1 



longitude 03.22. P. M., freshening gale; phmging heavily. Midnight, 

 gale increasing; ship hove to; shipping water. 



Sept. 17 — Heavy gale, southwest; split after leech of trysail; ship 

 before wind; set storm trysail. Noon, wind falling; calm; fearful 

 swell; washed binnacle overboard; vessel dipping stern under and 

 seas thumping heavily; rolling. P. M., light wind, northwest; wind 

 and weather trying; 110 miles. 



Sept. 18— Freshening winds, north bv northwest: signalled mail 

 steamship east bound, no answer; rep.aired trysail. Noon, observa- 

 tions, latitude 40-;», longitude 65.25; 97 miles; light airs. 8 P. M., 

 moderate swell ; threatening weather. 



Sept. 19— Light wind and calm. Noon, wind freshening and sea, 

 southwest by west; under gaff topsail and jib. Noon, no observations; 

 78 miles. P. M., single reef trysail; dense fog: light westerly winds. 



Sept. 20— Dense fog, heavy swells. Noon, fog lifting; 42 miles; no 

 observations. 2 P. M., fog cleared up, set topsail. Midnight, wind 

 freshening, northwest by west. 



Sept. 21— Head sea, freshening wind, northwest by north; shipping 

 seas; took in jib and topsail. Noon, 220 miles; observations, latitude 

 40.19, longitude 72..33. P. M., tacked to north; calm, clear and smooth, 

 1:30 P. M., took pilot aboard. 



Sept. 22— Light westerly winds. 5 A. M., abreast Highlands of 

 Navesink, making trip 29 days 18 hours. 



The Brenton's Reef Cup. 



'Flmrsday, Sept. lU- 

 A most remarkable race was sailed by Britannia and Navahoe for 

 this trophy, the former eventually winning by 2i^s. over a course of 

 120 miles. The distance was covered in lOh. 37m. .35s. by the winner, 

 and considering the heavy sea which had to be contended with it was 

 an unparalleled performance. Nothing in yacht racing annals can 

 compare with the extraordinary close sailing of the two vessels, for 

 as a matt«r of fact, neither was at any time more than a minute ahead 

 of the other, and for fully half the distance, it may be said, that there 

 was not more than a couple of lengths between them. Altogether it 

 was a race beating far and away in every particular anything yet re- 

 corded in yachting history. There have perhaps been matches sailed 

 over short courses quite as exciting, but nothing to compare with the 

 wonderful speed maintained through such a trying sea. There was 

 not a "carry away" worthy of note to be recorded, although the masts 

 of both when the wind laid on caused some anxiety. The match 

 proved most conclusively that the racing yacht of the present season 

 is far ahead of the old type in regard to seagoing qualitieg as in speed. 



"VALKYRIE." 



Cutter, 86bt. l.w.l. Designeu) by G. L. Watson for Lord Ditokaven. Built by Henderson & Co., Glasgow, 1893. 



