The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-06-26
Owners Of New Boat
Delighted
Less Anxiety For Safety of
Americas Cup.

Newport, r. l., June 26.-The first
| trial trip of the new American cup de.
fender Columbia. which took place in
NarragaDsett Bay today turned out to be
mora successful than either her builders
or her owners had reason to hope Not
only did the new boat show herself to be
able in every particular. but she met the
old racer Defender In u friendly brush of
a mile to windward and vanquished her
flyers which was over in five minutes,
was sailed In an eight knot breeze under
the same conditions, each boat carrying
three lower sails with sheets well fiat
tened. 1t took the Columbia about three
minutes sailing from the Defender 8
weather quarter to blanket her, and In
five minutes she was 100 yards ahead,
going past the old cup defender as If the
latter was anchored. Under these condi.
tions, 1t would seem as If the Columbia
was fifteen to twenty seconds mile
faster than the Defender and II she can
make the : same gain in hard blow,
anxiety as to the safety OF the America s
tdP WIN 10 COnoiuoEdbl} dAlhy6us
The trip today was the builders trial
and though the managing owner. Mr.. C.
Oliver Iselin. and numbe of his yacht,
ing friends were on board, still the CO.
lambda famous designer. Nat Herreshotf
was In charge.
1t is expected the boat viii hav an
other trial either tomorrow or Tuesday,
and that by the end of the week, she will
be formally turned over to Mr.. Iselin.
In the meantime. her intsrior fittings
will be finished and her bowsprit, which,
apparently, started in the socket during
the days brush with the Defender prob
ably will need some attention. Before
the Columbia left for Bristol this after
noon, MIR. Iselin expressed himself as be-
ing more than satisfied with her. and 1t
was happy lot of yachtsmen that
watched her performance and went to
Bristol with her tonight.
At quarter past nine. the anchor broke
ground and the Columbia was OF on her
initial trial. beating slowly down the bay
with Nat Herreshoff at the wheel. AS the
yacht stood OF the jib was broken out
and her staysail went up, but the wind
was so light that after standing over on
the port tack in order to put her about,
the naptha launch had TO be called upon
for assistance. The launch after getting
her around, towed her well over towards
Hog island at the entrance to the harbor
and then, the wind freshenipg bit, the
tow line was cast off. s5sl n
After q number of short racks, the Boat
stood out into the bay between Hog is
land and Bristol Point. The hreeze, how
ever, was scarcely over three knots an
hour yet the Columbia slipped along
making hardly ripple, and with all the
ease of a racing she'll. Evensin the light
wind, Mr.. Herrsshof was able to throw
her round on an average of s5 seconds
and later. when Captain Barr took the
wheel, he tackled in 80, 90, 22 and even in
20 seconds. showing the new boat to be
between ten and fifteen seconds quicker In
stays than the Defender.
Standing out OF the harbor, the Co.
lumbia was headed across the bay to the
shore of the island Of Rhode Island, and
just before ten o'clock she went about
and with constantly freshening breeze
from the south, southwest, stood over to-
ward Prudence island on the west side Of
the bay. As she passed the Hog island
lightship, the latter's crew saluted her
with shree strokes on the fog bell which
salute was answered by the tender St.
Michaels. SCANNING along behind with the
press tug. It took just an hour to beat
from Hog Island lightship at the en-
trance Of Bristol harbor to Rowe Island
off Newport, distance of about nine
miles with a favorable tide. The Colum-
bia made.five bitches on the way down
Narragansett Bay.sa long leg to the north
of Prudence island, another to the south