The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-26
COLUMBIA TESTED,
Easily Passes the De-
fender in a Mile
Race.
SECONDS A MILE FASTER
Result Of First Trial Pleas
es Experts and
Yachtsmen.
SECONDS A MILE FASTER

Newport, r. L, June 25.-The first
trial trip of the new American cup de-
fender Columbia, which took place in
Narragansett bay, turned out to be
more 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 a friendly
brush of a mile to windward and van
quished her with greatest ease.
The race between the 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 nattened.
1t took the Columbia about three min
utes, sailing from the Defenders wea-
ther quarters, to blanket her, and in five
minutes she was ahead, going past the
old cup defender as if the latter was
anchored.
Under these conditions it would seem
as if the Columbia was fifteen to twenty
seconds a mile faster than the Defend
err, and if she can make the same gain
in hard blow, anxiety as to the safety
of the Americas cup will be consider
ably allayed.
The trip today was the builders trial,
and although the managing owner, Mr..
c. Oliver Iselin, and a number of his
yachting friends we're on board, still the
Columbia's famous designer, Nat Herr
eshoff, was in charge, and after the sail
down the bay, the boat was towed back
to Bristol for few minor repairs,
1t is expected the boat will have an
other trial either tomorrow or Tuesday.
and that by the end of the week she
will be formally turned over to Mr.. Ise-
lin. In the meantime her interior fittings
will be finished and her bowsprit which
apparently started in the socket dur
ing tCday's BRUSH with the Defender,
probably will need some attention.
Before the Columbia left for Bristol
this afternoon Mr.. Iselin expressed him
self as being more than satisfied with
her, and it was a happy lot of yachts
men that watched her performance and
went to Bristol with her tonight.
The Columbia left Bristol shortly be-
fore o'clock under her own sail with
Nat Herreshoff at the wheel. The wea-
Their was threatening, but the wind had
died almost to a calm 1t took Just an
hour to beat from Hog Island light
ship at the entrance of Bristol harbor
to Rowe island, off Newport. nine
miles. Her last tack was over towards
Conanicut island.
AS she came over after the latter
tack she met the Defender and NaVa~
hoe coming out of Newport harbor, &C
companied by fleet Of steam yachts
and sailing craft. The Navahoe hauled
I'D to the windward but the Defender
came down the wind, passing unCer
the stern of the Columbia. Instead of
keeping on, the Columbia was headed
after the Defender, and the two boats
sailed three miles up the bay before
the wind.
Inst before the Defender came out,
the working topsail was set on me
Columbia, but it was taken in imme-
diatelv and the boats had their nrst
trial together under the same sails
main sail, forestry sail and Jlp. Inc
Columbia was first to swing around
into wind, after the run to ieeWard'
anJ the Defender followed immediate
lv. Both boats made NUMBER Oh shoIt
hitcbes hut as they were half nile
anart little could be judged of their
c6nnarative speed. The Columbia was
to the windward and seemed TO gam
on the Defender, pointing higher shu
outfooting her. -, +ool<o,1
to mort under the jamestown shore' tEe
Columbia was eased off, ana, running
down toward the Defender, TOOK Pc
sition on the Defender $ Wed tlTl NC
ter. Capt. Barr on the C ,'n..t 70 70
bar+bed tbe new boat in the worst pc
sition for a race, and with the lWo
Yachts scarcely fifty yards apart, re
6rst real brush to windWard between
+ba old and new boats was on.
cont Rarr gave the Columbia goou
,o,, an while Capt. Rhodes on the
Defender did not try TO plncn out ait -
II was a fair, honest test Oh me eail
ing merits of the two boats uhueI nal
tened sheets. The Defender ilau pleiIeg
81 ,.ooy,o tn reach out ahead over hei
80 apd only required the necessary
snaad to 40 il, That she failed IN the
attennt must be the source OIL lhe
greatest qualification to american
S,achtsmen in general, and her owner
and builders in particular, for II showed
tbe new boat is to be another Wohoer'
and that the Shamrock VIII haEe ~
sail with marvellous speed 70 VIII 'iie
Americas cup. of+ar cant
2a,r started after the Defender, ne
had blanketed heI, and III IlNe nm -
tiroa ne was we'll out ahead. Both
boats stood over towards Fort ADAMS
and then the staysails OF the CoIuil pa
came down, and she was headed tor
an anchorage outside the torpedo STA
ton. while the entire North Aua llcLc
squadron, and dozen OF I IiloIT "a
sailing yachts, including Co llL ~ =
%organ's flagship Corsair, gave her a
silent welcome by dipping their col
ors. - a,oborad
near the Columbia and Mr.. Butter Dun
can. who has the other cup 9eIenIeI
in charge, went aboard the Columbia
- offer his congratulations. IT was
exnected that the two boats would have
mother try in the bay during the az,
ternoon. but threatening weather kllleu
the wind. as.o,.roo,,
The rain continued all the atteTho gI.
and about . o'clock the tender 81 MI
oI-eete took the Columbia in tow, ana
started up the bay to Bristol
RACK TO BRISTOL.