io6
THE MAYFLOWER AND GALATEA RACES OF 1886.
The flyers of other days, too, are there,
the Rambler, Columbia, Ambassadress, Tidal
Wave, Montauk, Ruth, Priscilla, Dauntless,
Carlotta, Fleetwing, Mischief, Republic,
Wanderer, Wave Crest, Gaviota and a host
of their fair sisters, whose names I could
not get. And darting hither and thither
among the fleet like some hissing, fiery
snake, emitting from time to time the
shrillest of piercing whistles, rushed the
rakish-looking little steam launch Henrietta,
Mr. Herreshoff's last production, said to
go an average speed of twenty
knots an hour.
Anxiously we scanned the distant Narrows to see if there was
any sign of a coming breeze,
and as if in answer to the silent
ejaculations of the assembled
multitude, a dark ripple was
seen to ruffle the glassy surface
of the bay, and gave promise of
a breeze outside.
It was now ten o'clock, and
the rivals were daintily picking
their way in and out among the
waiting armada, manoeuvring to
get a good start as the whistle
bade them cross the line.
At the warning scream the
Mayflower stood bravely for the
This was a very smart and seamanlike
manoeuvre, but in my humble opinion it
was an error in judgment, for, had the cutter taken the leeward place, with her pace
at the time, she could have stood the detriment of the blanketing for the short time
they held the starboard tack, and when she
went about, would have compelled1 the
sloop to do the same, and so had the Mayflower under her lee for the long leg over
to Staten Island.
However, the fact remains that, despite the
S6
GALATEA.'
line, carrying her boom to port with club-
topsail, staysail and jib set, and breaking
out her jib-topsail as she crossed. O! it
was a beautiful sight, and made every
pulse beat quicker, and sent the warm
blood tingling through my veins. The
British cutter was not a whit behind ;
u hauling to " very sharply, she rushed, with
great headway, in between the sloop and
the stake boat, and got the weather gauge,
blanketing her antagonist, who had to keep
off a trifle in consequence.
Galatea's blanketing, the Boston sloop ran
away from under the Englishman's lee, and
when the latter, owing to her deeper
draught, went about off Bay Ridge, the
Mayflower stood on for another thirty
seconds and came about well to windward,
and had the cutter where she wanted her'
and where she kept her till she was a
beaten boat.
Off Fort Wadsworth, the two boats again
tacked, the Mayflower at 11: 13: 30, and the
the cutter a minute later, and stood across
io6
THE MAYFLOWER AND GALATEA RACES OF 1886.
The flyers of other days, too, are there,
the Rambler, Columbia, Ambassadress, Tidal
Wave, Montauk, Ruth, Priscilla, Dauntless,
Carlotta, Fleetwing, Mischief, Republic,
Wanderer, Wave Crest, Gaviota and a host
of their fair sisters, whose names I could
not get. And darting hither and thither
among the fleet like some hissing, fiery
snake, emitting from time to time the
shrillest of piercing whistles, rushed the
rakish-looking little steam launch Henrietta,
Mr. Herreshoff's last production, said to
go an average speed of twenty
knots an hour.
Anxiously we scanned the distant Narrows to see if there was
any sign of a coming breeze,
and as if in answer to the silent
ejaculations of the assembled
multitude, a dark ripple was
seen to ruffle the glassy surface
of the bay, and gave promise of
a breeze outside.
It was now ten o'clock, and
the rivals were daintily picking
their way in and out among the
waiting armada, manoeuvring to
get a good start as the whistle
bade them cross the line.
At the warning scream the
Mayflower stood bravely for the
This was a very smart and seamanlike
manoeuvre, but in my humble opinion it
was an error in judgment, for, had the cutter taken the leeward place, with her pace
at the time, she could have stood the detriment of the blanketing for the short time
they held the starboard tack, and when she
went about, would have compelled1 the
sloop to do the same, and so had the Mayflower under her lee for the long leg over
to Staten Island.
However, the fact remains that, despite the
S6
GALATEA.'
line, carrying her boom to port with club-
topsail, staysail and jib set, and breaking
out her jib-topsail as she crossed. O! it
was a beautiful sight, and made every
pulse beat quicker, and sent the warm
blood tingling through my veins. The
British cutter was not a whit behind ;
u hauling to " very sharply, she rushed, with
great headway, in between the sloop and
the stake boat, and got the weather gauge,
blanketing her antagonist, who had to keep
off a trifle in consequence.
Galatea's blanketing, the Boston sloop ran
away from under the Englishman's lee, and
when the latter, owing to her deeper
draught, went about off Bay Ridge, the
Mayflower stood on for another thirty
seconds and came about well to windward,
and had the cutter where she wanted her'
and where she kept her till she was a
beaten boat.
Off Fort Wadsworth, the two boats again
tacked, the Mayflower at 11: 13: 30, and the
the cutter a minute later, and stood across
