Aug. 11, 1894] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
127 
ABUSE AND EXCUSES. 
From Annapolis Capital. 
If the Vigilant belonged to anybody else than the tricky Goulds, we. 
should think the Britannia the fastest boat. 
From New York Recorder. 
The London Times thundered too soon about George Gould giving 
an order to the Herreshoffs to build a boat to beat the Britannia. 
George ought to have thought of beating the Britannia before he 
elected to join the Prince of Wales's set and race the Vigilant in inland 
waters. 
There is little doubt the Vigilant could maintain her splendid pres- 
tige in out-of-door races, but if she had declined to enter the bathtub 
contests George's social position in England would not be what it is 
to-day. 
The British nation all admire George Gould as a soi-disant sports- 
man who hobnobs with the heir to the throne and gets beaten with 
friendly regularity. 
The sailing of Nat Herreshoff for this country will not imperil the 
future chances of the Vigilant, whatever they may be, for it has been 
well known among those interested in the fate of the American boat 
that Bbe was suffering from an overdose of skippers. 
Hank Haff alone is better than Hank Haff with Herreshoff, because 
the two do not pull extra well together; but even Hank alone is not 
the best, because the man is getting old and crotchety and has lost the 
vim and vigor of former days. 
From New York World. 
Once again Vigilant has fallen a victim to the uncertainty of English 
weather. Once again she has romped away from the English Britannia 
while a fair wind was blowing, and once again she has been left behind 
at the finish through becoming becalmed in the last leg of a race. 
Yesterday's race was at Queenstown, for the Boyal Munster Yacht 
Olub's cup, and the story is told in a few words— "Everywhere it is ad- 
mitted that Vigilant showed herself far away the superior of Britannia 
in this day's racing," but u a fluke gave Britannia the victory." 
The. English seem to build their boats for drifting, and then by leav- 
ing the racing time unlimited make sure of creeping in ahead some 
time or another and so winning a race. 
From Lynn Item. 
On the whole the Vigilant may as well come home. To-day she was 
over six minutes behind on a 50-mile race in the open sea, the condi- 
tions being just what she has been longing for, and the wind— well, 
there was enough for Britannia and considerable to spare. Herres- 
hoff has returned to the United States and Gould can follow as soon 
as he likeB. Vigilant is a disappointment. Somehow we have the 
feeling that things might have been different if the Jubilee instead of 
Vigilant were now flying the American flag off the Isle of Wight. 
From Columbia (Pa.) News. 
Vigilant is a sporting boat and has been outsailed by its English 
competitor. Minneapolis is a business boat, and if ever a British ship 
built for similar purposes tries to pull a feather from the tail of the 
American Eagle it will be caught in the act and will be laid up in a 
museum, a richer trophy than any cup won in a sporting race. Never 
mind, Johnny, we are more than up with you when it comes to real 
business. 
From Elizabeth (N. J.) Herald. 
George Gould bought Vigilant for a purpose. He wanted to get 
into what is called (probably erroneously) "good society." He 
thought that the purchase of Vigilant and a free use of his plethoric 
pocketbook in noble sporting circles in Europe might be the key 
which would unlock the door he desired to open. It was immaterial 
to him, if thiB theory is accepted, whether the Stars and Stripes 
fl iated on the seas triumphantly or in disgrace, so long as a member 
of the selfish Gould family profited thereby. We all know the inside 
social history of the Prince of Wales. These were the two owners of 
the rival yachts, Vigilant and Britannia. The baccarat scandal shows 
where the heir to the British throne stands and the course of the 
whole Gould family has been in a direction that will do no honor to 
America. Were the late yacht races primarily a thought-out design 
between Gould and the Prince of Wales— one to pay his gambling 
debts, which his royal mother has persistently refused to honor, and 
the other to lose money liberally in order to establish, in a far off land, 
a reputation for generosity and prodigality that not one of his not 
illustrious ancestors could acquire in America? Viewed from either 
of the above standpoints the recent repeated defeats of Vigilant may, 
in one sense, not be as wonderful as people imagine. 
From Boston Traveller. 
The recent victories of the Britannia have been, without exception, 
due to flukes of the wind, and the Britisher has simply been inspired 
in finding the spots where the fickle air was located. This is not yacht 
racing, Contrast the great work of our boat when the breezes 
whistled and piped and the white caps flecked the blue. We are still 
'•on deck" in racing weather, and don't forget it, John Bull. 
From Brooklyn Citizen. 
The Vigilant was disabled yesterday and the Britannia went over the 
course alone and took the prize. When the Vigilant is laid up the 
Britannia is the best boat afloat. 
From New York News. 
American lovers of yachting, whose pride centered in the Vigilant, 
should not be utterly discouraged The. boat has been beaten, but her 
owner seems to be pulling through satisfactorily. Mr. Gould has been 
honored with a reception by the Royal Yacht Club and has been offi- 
cially dubbed a good fellow. He has also made a speech tendering 
i hanks for the splendid hospitality with which he has been received. 
Competent judges have not changed their minds as to the superiority 
of the Vigilant over the Britannia as a sailer. If the Vigilant fails to 
"get there" her owner probably will not. 
From New York Tribune. 
It is the common belief on this side of the Atlantic that a yacht is 
built to sail, not to drift, and there isn't the least doubt that this was 
the idea in the minds of the men who constructed the Vigilant. If the 
contrary notion prevails in Great Britain, it is no wonder that her 
yachtsmen have been unable to carry back the America's Cup with 
them, when they hare come over with that purpose in view. 
From New York Journal of Finance. 
An ancient mariner who was asked for an opinion on the successive 
defeats of the yacht Vigilant on the other side said he thought it was 
suspicious. To him it appeared that the crew of the American yacht 
had an eye to the future rather than the present. They are under 
contract at high wages abroad and this series of defeats means 
another international yacht race on this side of the ocean next year. 
The crew will be re-engaged for another fat season. The ancient 
mariner was asked why his reasoning would not apply just as well 
if the Britannia had been beaten and replied that it made all the differ- 
ence in the world. Our yachtsmen will never be contented until they 
defeat the Englishmen and every inducement will be offered by them 
for a race here next year. The ancient mariner said he did not 
believe the yacht owners are open to suspicion, but the crews are 
human beings and they love the almighty dollar like other men. 
There iBn't much patriotism about the average bread-winner in this 
age. 
From Boston Home Journal. 
When the Vigilantes designer returns to this country he will be 
excellently prepared to write an article entitled, "What I Know about 
the Britannia's Sternpost." Mr. Gould is doubtless prompted to race 
the Vigilant more through a desire to hobnob with royalty and make 
an entry into New York society via London than he has by any great 
love for yachting or burning ambition to uphold the supremacy of 
America on the wave. New York's social gates are heavy, but they 
can be turned by a lever sufficiently long. Mr. Gould's lever is his 
pocketbook and that is long enough, one would think, for all practi- 
cal purposes. It was Archimedes who said, "Give me but a lever 
long enough, a place to rest it on, and a place to stand, and I will 
move the world." Mr. Gould's lever is resting upon London society, 
but whether he has a place to stand or not will be shown by the suc- 
cess he has in finally prying open the portals which lead to the land 
of the 400. 
From Auburn (N. IT) Bulletin. 
As usual the Vigilant turned up In yesterday's regatta just where 
there was no wind and was duly beaten. The skill with which the 
present commander of the Vigilant contrives to get himself becalmed 
at the most exciting junctures of the race Is something phenomenal in 
the history of yachting. He should be given a regatta to sail on the 
principle of the donkey race, in which the prize is awaded to him who 
comes in last. 
From Lawrence (Mass.} Sun. . 
In English, Scottish or Irish waters it doesn't seem to make any dif- 
ference. The Vigilant is no good and her owner should either realize 
it or fly some flag other than that of Yankeeland. 
From Commercial Advertiser. 
New Yorkers have no particular reason to rejoice when the Vigilant 
wins a race. The Goulds, it must not be forgotten, have exiled them- 
selves to New Jersey rather than pay their taxes to New York. As 
between these two foreign ships, Wales' Britannia and the Goulds' 
Vigilant, the average New Yorker will root for the Colonia and Jubilee, 
better boats, both. 
We are glad to hear that Mr. George Gould has ordered another 
yacht to be built, and that he is going regularly into the business of 
racing the royal family of England. He doubtless finds the sport 
agreeable, healthful and exhilarating, and as for sociability — well, the 
Goulds are in it on certain sides of the Atlantic. 
From Philadelphia Item. 
Once again, after having an apparently safe lead, the Vigilant is 
beaten near the finish by the Britannia. 
The frequency with which this occurs is calculated, to say the 
least, to breed surprise. It is well known that in English society it is 
not considered good form to win any event in which the Prince of 
Wales is a participant, and there is a suspicion that Mr. Gould, caring 
nothing for American opinion, is anxious to make an impression in 
English society. 
On the other hand it can be truthfully said that the Goulds have 
never been open to the charge of toadyism. Whatever may have 
been the shortcomings, this unmanly quality was not among them. 
Neither the father nor any of his children have, at any time, exhibi- 
ted the smallest, anxiety to force themselves into society. That they 
could have done so no one will deny. 
But the head of the Gould family has gone. The money-maker is 
dead. It may be that his spirit controlled the younger generation. 
George Gould, as the millionaire, may be different in tastes and in- 
clinations from those shown by his father. The younger Astors are 
different from the wealth- producer of that family. One of the Astors 
has turned his back upon America and settled down to enjoy British 
society. 
Can it be that the Goulds have determined to follow his example? 
If so the possession of a yacht famous as the representative of 
American skill, but which by peculiar flukes is not swift enough to 
defeat a boat owned by the Prince of Wales, will place him in the 
front of trans-Atlantic swelldom. 
From New York World. 
Vigilant won yesterday handsomely in "Britannia weather," This 
serves to show that there is, after all, an element of chance in these 
contests where the boats are very evenly matched. It proves, 
furthermore— to American minds, at, least — that there is real sports- 
manlike sense in our rule requiring the course to be sailed on a time 
limit that requires sailing, not drifting, in order to make a race. 
From New York Sun. 
We cordially offer to British yachtsmen, without distinction of class, 
our own American waters for yacht racing. Their ewn seem to be 
too ridiculously becalmed and cranky for use. Off New York, New- 
port or Marblehead, we have waters fit for any sailorman's boat other 
than a catboat, and we can safely guarantee a wind that will give a 
fair race about three times as often as seems possible on the coasts of 
Great Britain and Ireland. If they prefer to test their boats by their 
respective crews' abilities in sail setting and general box-hauling, we 
will provide them with rigging set up ashore or sow mark buoys in 
the ocean bo close that they will have two rounds to the mile, or 
enough to wear out their rudder heads. Hurrah for sport 1 
From Boston Post. 
The Vigilant is teaching the Englishmen as much by her continued 
defeats as she would have taught by uninterrupted victories. And 
this lesson is that the Yankee model wins by seaworthy qualities and 
fails only in drifting matches. 
This fact is rubbed in, so to speak, by each race in which the Vigilant 
meets Britannia. Yesterday's race was only another demonstration 
of the same peculiarity. Whenever the wind freshened the Vigilant 
gained rapidly on Britannia. When it came to fog and calm Britannia 
went ahead. 
In fact, the qualities which the A merican centerboard displays in 
British waters, as contrasted with those found in the British cutter, 
are such as sportsmen prize and such as make for the development of 
good seamanship. 
From New London Telegraph. 
If the Vigilant in its races with the Prince of Wales' yacht and here- 
after the Emperor of Germany's was representative of the typical 
American, there would be a great deal of sorrow if it were beaten. 
But there is a consolation in thinking that the son of Jay Gould, a 
gentleman who will not pay the taxes lawfully due the city in which 
his father piled up wealth, is not a type of the citizen who manfully 
shoulders all the obligations coming to him as a citizen. The Goulds 
could not expect to be chosen as the vindicators of American sports. 
From Worcester (Mass.} Telegraph. 
The Vigilant has proven her superiority to the Britannia in what 
Americans consider a yacht race, just as American yachtsmen have 
claimed that she would. In a free and fair race under her present rig, 
she can sail all around the Britannia. In a drifting match or in sailing 
around a wash basin, or in a brook the Britannia is superior to the 
Vigilant. In Tuesday's match the Britannia was out of the race before 
her sails split, the stiff breeze just suiting the American boat. The 
latter has changed her sailB for the old racing rig of last year with 
which she defeated the Valkyrie, and under the present conditions her 
time allowance to the Britannia has been reduced from three to one 
minute. The Vigilant is now showing up in her old form, and in any- 
thing but drifting matches she will make it interesting for the British 
boats. 
From New York Recorder. 
Much of the bright, bubbling sporting blood which coursed through 
George J. Gould's veins when he first became the possessor of the 
Vigilant seems to have turned to sparkling society blood since he has 
been in England. He appears to have become so ecstatic over his 
social reception as to have almost forgotten what he went to England 
for, anyway. He speaks of wanting to win a race with the Vigilant in 
an off-hand way, which suggests that the race he was really out for, 
the Social Stakes, was already won, and that a few cups would be of 
no use to him, anyway. 
From Brooklyn Citizen. 
The Vigilant can beat the Britannia, and the latter is the best boat 
the British have put afloat, every day, if the wind holds, and the harder 
it blows the more minutes she will have to spare at the end of the 
race. The "fair weather yachtsman," like the "feather bed soldier," 
is not a modern American product. 
From New York Tribune. 
Were Americans not acquainted with the magnificent sailing quali- 
ties of the winner of the America's Cup, they would be inclined to ac- 
cord the palm of superiority to the Prince of Wales's Britannia, which 
has shown her heels to the Vigilant in nearly every race thus far sailed 
between the two boats. In view, however, of the splendid record of 
the Yankee boat on this side of tne Atlantic, we continue to adhere to 
the belief that the nine discouraging defeats sustained by the Vigilant 
in British waters— sho was beaten again yesterday afternoon at Pen- 
zance— are attributable more to defective handling of the boat and 
ignorance of the peculiarities of the courses sailed over than to any 
radical inferiority of our champion. 
THE OTHER SIDE. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The tone of the editorials in the recent issues of the representative 
yachting journals of England reveal the fact that the English yachts- 
man have accepted the impression that we are a cowardly set. 
That impression has been but too strongly conveyed by an insane 
and certainly misrepresentative pre?s. The yachting editorials in our 
leading papers have been of a tone that could have carried no other 
impression than one of pure cowardice. The interviews of so- 
called yachtsmen have been bright auxiliaries to the degrading work 
of the seedy editorialist. There has been enough of this kind of work 
and all true lovers of yachting must rejoice at the condemnation of 
the policy pursued in the daily press by the Forest and Stream. Has 
American manhood degenerated? Has the day passed when we could 
accept a licking in good grace? 
England deserves her supremacy. The rich men of England sup- 
port yachting most generously. They do not form syndicates to run 
a boat, but on the contrary, have a racer in each representative class. 
This support encourages the designers and gives every theory a thor- 
ough test. Indeed the Englishman of wealth seems anxious to come 
forward with his time and purse in the defense of that supremacy on 
the seas which he and his ancestors have always fondly cherished. It 
is pure love of sport and country that inspires them. If we wish to 
see the American yacht the queen of the sea we must look to our mill- 
ionaires. They must come out generously and in a true sportsmanlike 
manner. Ten or twelve millionaires to a boat will never do the work. 
I say all honor to Gould and Carroll, though they have been licked. 
They did what no other Americans had the sporting blood to do. To 
question the sportsmanship of George Gould is to cast a reflection on 
the one man out of a club of 1,500 members who had the spunk to put 
his hand in his pocket in order to test a yachting question. 
The ugly old mug that is in this country, and which is supposed to 
represent the yachting supremacy of the w >rld, is here because a gen- 
tleman from Boston came to the rescue at a time when the millionaires 
of New York were asleap. 
If those who can afford to, and whose duty it is to guard our yacht- 
ing laurels are too close to defend their trust then let the old cup go 
back. Let it go over to the Britons, and may it stay in England an 
everlasting monument to the parsimonious policy and the unpatriotic 
and unsportsmanlike behavior of our men of millions. 
As matters stand to-day, the silver mug in Tiffany's vault represent* 
past victories. That it can be held up in justification of our claims to 
supremacy is a delusion. If it is the "true blue ribbon of the seas" 
Brother Jonathan is holding it under false pretences. 
The crown is Britannia's, the lesson is ours. Let us profit by it, and 
let no man who can afford it he backward when the British glove is 
flung at our feet. Charles M. Connolly. 
New York, Aug. 1. 
From New- York Times. 
There is one point about Vigilant's racing on the other side that it is 
good and useful to bear in mind, because it illustrates one of the most 
creditable of British trait's. The Vigilant has been beaten frequently, 
and yet nobody on the other side who speaks with any authority on 
these matters ventures to say that the races have proved that Britan- 
nia is very much the better boat. Indeed the spirit in which the races 
have been recounted and discussed on the other side is extremely 
creditable and sportsmanlike. It may be doubted whether it would 
have been exhibited in the same proportion on this side if the condi- 
tions had been reversed. If a British yacht had come over to sail 
the American champion, .and had been beaten so many times, there 
would no doubt have been in some quarters the same discriminating 
and candid discussion that the English yachting authorities have 
been carrying on. But it is to be feared that the prevailing sentiment 
would have been expressed merely by what the late Walt Whitman 
called a "barbaric yawp." 
On the other side there has been no barbaric yawp at all, but a con- 
scientious endeavor to estimate the Vigilant fairly, and to extract 
from her performances whatever there might be in them for British 
yachting. The "craven scruple" of "judging too precisely by the 
event" has not taken any hold upon the people who have been talking 
and writing about the yacht races on the other side, as there is reason 
to believe that it might have taken hold upon the disputants upon this 
side if the contest had been carried on here. Probably nobody who 
saw the races sailed here last year for the America's Cup had any 
doubt that the winner would beat the loser twice out of three times in 
our ordinary yachting weather. As the Valkyrie had already, upon 
the whole, shown her superiority to the Britannia, the conclusion 
seemed to be fair enough that if the Vigilant could beat the Valkyrie, 
a fortiori she could beat the Britannia. But the logic does not seem 
to work. What is admirable in the talk about the races on the other 
side, however, is the evident effort to be fair on the part of everybody 
concerned. This spirit is not only sportsmanlike, but it is wise. In no 
other way can international yacht races be made to serve the purpose 
of improving yachting on both Bides. While the Vigilant last year 
showed herself upon the whole a faster boat 'than the Valkyrie, the 
Valkyrie had several very evident points of superiority. She was very 
much quicker in stays and consequently more tractable, and in a stiff 
breeze and moderate sea she was clearly the better boat at working to 
windward on short boards. What is very pleasant, exemplary, and 
admirable in the discussions on the other side is the fairness with 
which the two rival types are contrasted. Brethren, let us consider 
these things. It may do us good. 
From New York Post. 
Six successive defeats of Vigilant make it difficult for American 
yachtsmen to find an adequate supply of satisfactory explanations. 
It was easy to account for two or even three failures, but to account 
for six in succession is quite another task. We were so sure of our 
ability to beat the world in constructing racing yachts that we did not 
take into account the full effect of foreign conditions as to water and 
racing regulations. When the English yachts have come over here in 
search of the America's Cup, we have had the arranging of the regu- 
lations, and have had the benefit of familiarity with the water and the 
winds. Now the Englishmen are enjoying the same favoring condi- 
tions, and the result as to the American yacht is strikingly like that 
which in so many successive international contest? in our waters befell 
the English yacht. The moral seems to be that there is really very 
little difference in the sailing capacities of English and American 
yachts, and that if they could meet on neutral waters, under impartial 
conditions and regulations, the chances of victory would be very 
evenly balanced. 
From Boston Globe. 
It is said that some members of the New York Yacht Club are so 
much provoked at the Vigilant's defeats as to blame Mr. Gould for 
racing her over any but open courses. It is hard to see what cause 
these members have for complaint. Mr. Gould's action in deciding to 
cover the racing circuit in Great Britain, having at the same time fully 
in view the disadvantage at which his boat would be over some of the 
courses, savors much more of the sportsman than the cool calculator 
for first prizes only. He deserves more of praise than of criticism, 
and his sportsmanlike way of courting whatever comes rather than 
of making only match races under conditions most favorable to his 
boat, will do much to promote good feeling between the yachtsmen of 
the two countries, and will help make international racing the ex- 
change of courtesies which it should be. 
New York yacht club members had their chance to keep the Vigi- 
lant at home by forming a syndicate to purchase or charter her, and 
give Lord Dunraven the races for which he was asking in the spring. 
They did not improve it, and now must make the best of what may 
come. 
From Town Topics. 
We Americans talk too much. We talked for weeks about the Yale 
athletes beating the Oxford men, and were positive that Vigilant 
would sail away from every British yacht opposed to her. Now that 
we are licked all round it is a good time to study our little habit of 
exercising our conversational powers too energetically. I am im- 
mensely disappointed that we came out second best in our contests 
this summer against the English, but I think the greatest humiliation 
of all is in the thought that we claimed so much in such loud tones. 
The English do not do this, and it shows very bad breeding in us to do 
it. The English quietly observed that probably Vigilant was better 
than any boat they had, and that the Ya'e athletic team ought to win 
the majority of the events in its meeting with Oxford. Then they 
went in and thrashed us. Their victories were doubly effective be- 
cause they had been modest enough not to count on them before- 
hand. We are apt to be blowers. We are a smart people, but we are 
afraid other nations will not find it out unless we toot our horns. So 
we fill the air with our tooting and often become ridiculous thereby. 
It would be a good scheme if the newspaper press of this country 
would teach a little modesty to the people. At present the press is 
the most brazen blower of the whole show. 
From Boston Post. 
The boot is on the other foot as regards yachting trophies this year. 
It is seen to be one thing to defend a prize in home waters against a 
challenger from the other side of the world, and quite another thing 
to go to the other side of the world and sail the successful defender in 
unaccustomed waters against rivals who are at home there. 
The fact that the Vigilant has been beaten in four consecutive races 
by the Britannia gives food for thought as to what would happen if by 
any chance the America's cup were to be won and carried back to Eng- 
land. The chances are that it would stay there, perhaps for as long 
a sojourn as that emblem of yachting supremacy has remained in the 
hands of its Yankee captors. 
Another lesson to be learned from this series of races is that of mod- 
esty in the claims put forward for American yachts. Everything that 
the Englishmen have sent over here has been easily and thoroughly 
beaten in American waters. Now the best that American skill has 
produced is beaten by a boat which is confessedly not so fast, as the 
Valkyrie, which succumbed to the Vigilant last year. 
There evidently is a nearer approach to equality in the merits of 
English and American yachts than we in our pride have heretofore 
been willing to acknowledge. 
From Philadelphia Telegram. 
The old, old story is brought by this morning's dispatches: "The 
Vigilant is beaten again." For the sixth time the Britannia has de 
cisively demonstrated her ability to outsail the Yankee sloop in inland 
waters and in a light breeze. Explanation after explanation has been 
made by American yachtsmen on both sides of the Atlantic, in their 
efforts to prove the Vigilant the better boat. "The captain is not used 
to her," "Her crew are not well trained," "She raced too soon after 
her arrival in English seas," "She will do better when she gets on the 
ocean"— these are but a hint of the excuses offered. The cruel, cold 
fact remains, however, that she has been beaten, and in every race the 
Britannia has clearly proven her superiority to our American yacht, 
under English racing conditions and in English waters. Meanwhile all 
we can do is to accept the defeats gracefully, and hope for coming 
victories in stiff breezes on the open sea. 
From Chicago Herald. 
When the Vigilant defeated the Valkyrie we had no words to express 
our contempt for the Britishers who sought to explain away the defeat 
by excuses more or less plausible. Now the Britannia, has beaten the 
Vigilant, and it is unpleasant to find that the American sporting 
experts are trying just as hard to prove that the Vigilant was not 
fairly outsailed. This is childish and unsportsmanlike. If the Britannia 
has beaten the Vigilant, it is because she is the better boat and better 
sailed. Let us not begrudge the Englishmen their triumph. They 
haven't enjoyed a similar one in a good many years. 
Lake Geneva Y. C. 
The Lake Geneva Y. C. sailed a race on July 23 over a 12-mile stat ion- 
ary course. Weather fair. Wind blowing a gale: 
Length. Start. Finish. Elapsed. 
Maybe, H. H. Porter, Jr. . , .20U1 11 17 55 2 26 57 3 09 02 
Rival Benj. Carpenter 21.00 11 17 00 Capsized. 
