The yachts 'Navahoe,' 'Colonia,' and 'Vigilant' are all after the type of 'Gloriana' and 'Wasp,' but differing widely in some points, the first and last being centreboard vessels, and 'Colonia' a keel, but of not sufficient lateral plane, rendering her windward work faulty.
'Vigilant' represents perhaps more nearly than the others the so-called American type; she combines a broad beam with good depth, and with her centreboard down draws about 23 ft.
| Cutter | Owner | Designer | Builders | Length over all | L. W. L. | Beam | Draught | Sail-area | Sail-makers | |
| ft. | ft. | ft. | ft. | ins. | ft. | |||||
| Navahoe | R. P. Carroll, N.Y. | N. G. Herreshoff | Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. | 123 | — | 23 | 13 | 0 | — | Wilson and Silsby |
| 23 | 0 | |||||||||
| Colonia | Arch. Rogers and others, N.Y. | " | " | 128 | 85.48 | 24 | 15 | 3 | 11,340 | " |
| Vigilant | E. D. Morgan and others, N.Y. | " | " | 127 | 86.12 | 26 | 14 | 0 | 11,312 | Wilson and Griffen, N.Y. |
| 24 | 0 | |||||||||
| Valkyrie | Lord Dunraven | Geo. L. Watson | Henderson | 117.25 | 85.50 | — | 17 | 6 | — | Ratsey |
| Jubilee | Chas. J. Paine, Boston | J. B. Paine | Lawley Corp., Boston | 125 | 84.47 | 23 | 13 | 9 | 11,342 | Wilson and Silsby |
| 22 | 0 | |||||||||
| Pilgrim | Bayard Thayer and others, Boston | Stewart and Binney | Pussey and Jones | 123 | 85.28 | 23 | 22 | 6 | 10,261 | " |
The chief characteristic of her construction is the employment of Tobin bronze for her plating (save the upper row of plates, which are of steel), and her centreboard, also of bronze, is made of two plates set apart with ribs between, the space of 2½ in. being filled with cement; the structure weighing 7,750 lbs., and being operated from the cabin by means of differential lifts, capable of raising 6 tons.
'Jubilee' is of unusual design and construction; her body is wide and shallow, with a fin attachment carrying about 40 tons of lead at a depth of 13 ft. below the water's surface, and to increase the lateral plane she has a centreboard that works through the fin and its bulb of lead, exposing surface enough to ensure most excellent windward work, dropping about 8 or 10 ft. below the bulb. 'Pilgrim' is an out-and-out fin-keel yacht, the largest vessel of that type ever built. Like 'Jubilee,' she is broad and shallow of body, the fin being of a separate construction, and this with its bulb of 15 tons weight was attached to the vessel in New York, the hull having been built in Wilmington on the Delaware. She carried her bulb 23 ft. below water, which gave her good stability and power to hold her course when sailing to windward; but with her, as in some measure with 'Jubilee,' they did not represent any authorised, well-tested type of yacht, and though their performances were interesting and highly instructive, they did not fill the mind of the true yachtsman with glowing satisfaction, seeing that the work that was in hand was one of national importance and required designs of equally high character. The middle of July found all four yachts in sailing, if not racing, trim; their owners scrupulously avoided contact with each other; each claimed unheard-of speed and other noble qualities; and each felt that his craft was that on which would rest the honour of defending the America Cup. It was soon found that the booms of 'Colonia' and 'Vigilant' were not satisfactory; they were not stiff enough to hold the sail where it should be to ensure a flat set, and when swung off their weight was found to list the yacht too much, both of which difficulties were to be expected in spars of their length and diameter (100 ft. long by 16 in.). Hollow booms of different construction were tried. Those where the spar was sawed lengthwise and the core dug out, then glued and trenailed together, were found to be the best. Booms of highly elaborate construction made for 'Colonia' and 'Vigilant' were tried and found unsuitable. They were built up of long staves, having double skins which were well glued and fastened, and weighed less than half the solid spar; they were 30 in. at slings, 18 in. at after, and 15 in. at forward ends, but they evidently were lacking in material enough to endure the tension on one side and the compression on the other, and were condemned after a short trial.
In the first regatta of the N.Y.Y.C. cruise on August 7, 'Colonia' and 'Vigilant' met; it was at the head of Long Island Sound, triangular course.
There came a puff of wind a moment after starting, and before the defenders sailed a mile 'Vigilant' broke down and withdrew, leaving 'Colonia' without an opponent, as 'Jubilee' and 'Pilgrim' did not join the fleet until later.
The race for the Goelet Cups off Newport on August 11 was famous for first bringing together all four of the 'Defenders,' and infamous in the annals of yachting for being the most disappointing occasion that was ever remembered. Calms varied by light baffling breezes, generally from the east; mists mitigated by clearing moments, which finally settled into a hopeless calm and densest of fogs. 'Colonia' came drifting home nearly fifteen hours from the start, with 'Vigilant' and 'Jubilee' an hour or two behind. 'Pilgrim' had long before withdrawn. The course was from Brenton's Reef light-vessel to that at the entrance to Vineyard Sound, thence a short leg to the light-vessel at the entrance of Buzzard's Bay, and thence to the point of starting—about thirty-six miles.
The only fact disclosed by this race was that 'Jubilee' was as good as 'Vigilant' in beating out to the Vineyard Light, and that 'Vigilant' was faster than 'Jubilee' in reaching, for the latter was caught and passed by 'Vigilant' a few moments before the wind wholly disappeared.