The age-herald., 1899-07-07
COLUMBIA WINS
 FROM DEFENDER Over a Triangular Course of
 Thirty Miles. SHE CAN BEAT SHAMROCK Is the Verdict of Nautical Experts-The Race Was Run Under Diff
 culties, With a Bad
 Lumpy Sea.
 
SHE CAN BEAT SHAMROCK

New York, July Cover a triangular course of thirty miles in comparatively light winds the new Iselin-M Morgan yacht Columbia today vanquished the Vanderbilt yacht Defender, and convinced the yachts men who saw the royal struggle that she is worthy of defending the precious trophy which Sir Thomas Lipton and his merry tars hope to take back with them in the Shamrock next fall
 The Columbias forestry sail and club tops sails are anything but perfect, and cracked in the wind today like teamster's whip, demonstrating that in a general way she will need good deal of tuning up. Yet, based on the showing she made as a better boat than the Defender, under ad- verse conditions, the nautical sharps are strongly convinced that Sir Thomas will sail home without the silver mug the pos session of which has given us the yachting supremacy of the world since 1851.
 But today's race was an unsatisfactory one Shifting, batting winds and a bad, lumpy sea with dirty rain squalls made the conditions anything but ideal for yacht racing.
 Sails Drew Badly
 
 sails drawing badly, demonstrated her su- periorty, and in a long reach with sheets eased she out-footed the Vanderbilt boat. The sudden shifting of the wind prevented a trial at running with spinnakers. In lightweather close-hauled it can be said that she is undoubtedly the Defenders su- perior, but what she can do in piping breeze remains to be seen.
 A thick haze hung over the harbor this morning when the two superb yachts left their anchorages off Tompnsville astern of two proudly puffing tugs for the days bat tie. As the Columbia passed out she was saluted by every steam craft in the lower bay. So gentle was the pulsation of the waves in the harbor that many crafts of many kinds ventured out to witness the race. The large fleet included side-wheel- CTS, swift steam pleasure yachts, snub- nosed tug boats and sailing craft of all de- scriptons. Small stickers, soops and schooners were there in profuson. Fortu- nately most of them kept their distance, and few of them bothered the racers with wash or swell. There was considerable de- lay at the start. The breeze had freshened as the yachts got outside, and in the old After Commodore Morgan's flagship, the Corsair, with Commodore Morgan, Chester Griswold, Ex-Commodore Nicholson Kane, Rear Admiral Francis Higginson, Irwin Grinnel and a large party of guests aboard, had signalled the course and the racers had cast off their lines, a sharp rain squall killed the breeze.
 Squall of Short Duration
 But the squall was brief and half hour later steady twelve-knot breeze was blowing from the southwest The Corsair sgnalled the first leg to the downward down the Jersey coast and the yachts be- gan to jockey for positions. Captain Barr had the tiller of the Columbia and aboard with him were c. Oliver Iselin, Mrs Ise- lin, Newberry 1norne, William E. Iselin, Herbert w. Leeds and Woodbury Kane. The crew wore the Isein colors Captain Rhodes had the helm of the Defender. Will liam Butler Duncan and Mrs. Duncan, clad in a becoming yachting costume, and John G. Bersford were aboard of her. As the warning gun was fired the Columbia, with out waiting for the starting gun, rounded Sandy Hook light ship and headed across the line. Either it was a bad blunder on the part of Captain Barr it was design edly done to give the Defender a start equal to her time allowance, which is fig ured at about two minutes. Justsas the starting gun boomed the Defender crossed on the port tack. Meantime the Columbia jibbed and returning, came about and headed for the line, crossing it exactly two minutes after the Defender Both yachts carried four stay sails, jibs, baby jib, top sails and club tops. The beat to windward made a beautiful race The in- terest was intense for the first few min- ruif fl,f,,