The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-05
She Defeats the Old Defender Ten
Minutes and Seven Seconds in
Thirty-MiIe Contest.
NO SELECTION YET MADE
But 1T IS CERTAIN COLUMBIA WILL
BE PJTTED AGAINST SHAMROCK.
Latter Spreads Her Wings, Takes Her
First Practice Sail and Makes
Thirteen Knots an Hour.

NEWPORT r. l. Sept. Ain to-day's
race the second and last of the official trial
races for the settlement Of a defender OF
the Americas cup, the Columbia. again
demonstrated that she Is the superior or
the Defender. the 1895 champion, by de-
feating her ten minutes and seven seconds
over a triangular course in an eight knot
breeze and a smooth sea. The contest was
a procession throughout with the Columbia
leading at the start by thirteen seconds
and gaining every leg of the course.
The first leg was reach from the start
ing line at Brentons reef lightship south
east one-haIf east to fiagmark. a distance
of ten miles, and from the moment the Co
lumbia crossed the line she steadily sailed
away from her rival, gybing round the first
mark three minutes and thirty six seconds
ahead
The second leg was also a reach, little
broader than the first. but even if the De-
fender did set her spinnaker mile from the
turn she dropped two minutes and nine
teen seconds more in the run to the second
mark.
The third leg Of the triangle was almost
a dead beat to the finish, the two boats
making a long hitch clear up to the Nara
gansett shore. The Columbia made two
other short tacks before she fetched the
line but the Defender by holding longer in
Shore managed to reach the light ship with
out another tack. Still the Columbia
gained. showing that with sheets close
hauled she is the fastest American sailing
yacht afioat. On this last leg she added four
minutes and twenty two seconds to her lead,
making total for the entire course of ten
minutes and seven seconds.
There will be no more official races, that
,s,,1c
OF the committee which of the two boats
is better fitted to meet the Shamrock. The
cup committee. however. is permitted TO.
defer Announcing the name of the yacht
selected to defend the cup until a week
prior to the date OF the first contest and
therefore the decision was not made public
to-day. OF course there is not the slightest
doubt that the Columbia will be the craft
chosen.
What all the yachtsmen would like. to
see is a contest between the boats when
they could carry only their lower sails. On
the run of the New York Yacht Club from
this port off Vineyard Haven during the re-
practically defeated the Columbia on time
allowances and there are to-day many who
think that the old boat Is the faster in a
stiff breeze with lifted sheets. On the run
TO the Vineyard, the Columbia had a pine
mast which no doubt handicapped her to
is whether she Is improved in heavy
weather by the steel mast as much she
Is In moderate breezes.
MAINsAIL NOT YET PERFECT.
The Columbia's mainsail fitted little bet
ter to-day than 1t did on Saturday. due. TO
doubt. to the stretching II received in the
first trial race and the subsequent hauling
out on the boom and gaff. Still there is an
opportunity for much improvement. as there
is a curl TO the leach that some Of the
yachtsmen do not like, particularly when
they compare 1t with the Defenders per-
feet fitting sail. The Columbia's club top
sail was bit better to-day than in the pre-
vious race but there was futtering at
the head that did the boat little good All
doubts as TO the strength OF the rigging
and the steel mast must have been dispelled
by the thorough tests they received both
before and during the race. Fifteen minutes
before i. the start, while joekeying for posi-,
sheets fiattened. so that she heeled down TO
an angle Of nearly forty-five degrees, still
everything stood the strain.
There was little opportunity for shifting
sails. although at one time the crew OF the
Defender were kept pretty busy setting and
plished within the short period of ten min
utes.
on the first leg both boats dropped the
balloon staysails. which they hoisted at the
start. and substituted working staysails.
As the shift was made simultaneously on
both boats. IL gave the erroneous impression
sails. Aside from changing jib topsails two
or three times. the Columbias crew had
little 10 do but lie out TO windward.
Everyone who was the Columbia in
to-days race was delighted with her work.
and one Of the gentlemen said afterward
that they had got the Columbia about right
now and that there would be tut few
changes made before the cup races In Oc-
tober.
There Will be a race Tomorrow between
the Columbia and Defender for a cup offered
by William Goddard. OF Providence Mr.
1selin'S father-in-law.
The contest Will be over a course fifteen
miles TO windward ieeward and return
starting from Brenton's reef lightship at
D. m. The race Will be run by the New
York Yacht Club regatta committee The
reason for holding this race is 10 try a new
bia
Following is the Official summary of TO.
days race:
Columbia. Defender
Silt ----s...... .......-..-ll.zs:B 11:26 p
Einisn $500. .....-...- 1893 2:53:ss
@iap<fn tlme----.- 3.ls "a 3.2s:Sf
So the Columbia wins by ten minutes
seven seconds. actual time. In a race OF