The Portland daily press., 1899-06-29
Both Boats Were Very
Well Sailed.
Mr.. Iselin Delighted With the
Result.

NsW A<ohuonb Souust suH6 <o.--An u 90
mile beat to the windward today. the new
yacht Columbia bsat the old oup cham
pion Defender eight minutes, besides CIV
Ing the old champion two-minute
handicap. Yachtsmen from New York
and thereabouts are iubilant, for q yachts
most sterling qualities must come out In
q race TO windward.
The race WAS from Brenton's Reef light
ship Off Newport, to New London, good
IS miles, and the Defender. was given o
two-minute start.
Thirty-two miles of the 8s was beat to
windward with such stiff breeze blow
ing that neither yacht cared to. carry o
working topsail, and II was In this kind
OF work that Columbia gained such a
long lead, averaging more than quar-
ter of minute after each mile than De-
fender. At this time the water was very
rough, but the new boat rode very easily
and did not buffet the waves as much
as Defender.
When Newport awoke this morning, it
looked like an all day storm and stif
breeze from the southwest kicked up
quite sen outside, putting white crests
o n the waves in the inner harbor.
Defender hoisted anchor shortly after
10 o'clock and ran down thu east passage
under her jib. Her mainsail was hoisted
on the way out.
The crew of the Columbia hauled anch-
or at Ills and she was t0wed down as
far as Castle Hill. w here the hawser was
cast OH and the yacht beat out to sea un-
der three lower sails.
On board Columbia were Mr.. @. Oliver
lselin, ,managing owner; Woodbury. Kane,
Newbury d Thorne and Herbert C.Leeds
and Mrs. Iselin.
On Defender were MIR. Butler Duncan,
Ir.. Harry Hayemeyer and Il. g. Potter.
The sioop yacht Navahoe, having on
board Mr.. and Mrs. Royal Phelps Carroll,
Miss Whitmore and Mr.. Richard Mo
Cready. started out from Newport an
hour before the other boats, bou3d for
New London. The weather was rainy
Oolumb bia ran up to Defender rapidly and
continued on the starboard tack until the
hshtship was passed. Columbia was at
that time three hundred yards to leeward
Of Defender and half her length ahead.
At u o'clock both boats tackled around
this hitch for about five minutes, Column
bia iufing up TO take haul on the jib-
haIyards
At1a2O Defender broke out her stay.
sail and the race was on with Defender
to winow ard. At 1870 both ships tackled
TO port heading toward Point Judith
footing very fast. At first Defender
gained trifis, but as they continued on
this hitch Columbia crswled up slowly
and but for a shift In the wind more to
the south. would have crossed Defenders
bow on the next tack. The shift in the
wind help Defender considerably, and
when at O'Clock Columbia tackled to
Judith whistling buoy. she could have
almost forced Defender about. but the
latter tackled hundred feet of the form.
or under her lee bow.
Capt. Barr could not stand having his
wind stolen by Defender long. so he
fetched about at i.05 and stood up along
shore on the port tack Then Columb mbia
the same time got into the wind better.
In % minutes, the new boat had worked
across Defenders bow and was to wind
ward of her. With plenty of wind Co.
lumbia and Defender held down the
shore on the port tack, the former contin-
aing to gain. OF Noyes's Point at 2.a0
Columbia Was over half mile ahead and
steadily increasing her lead. When she
finally came about OF the end OF Fishers
Island, the distance between the two
was nearly q mile.
AT 3.33 Columbia took her final port
hitcE. this time fetching well by Race
Rock. ast
Defender held on the starboard tack
and then turned in after the leader. The
boats proceeded up the harbor, Columbia
coming to anchor at 4 2S and defender
l. So The great white yachts made
splendid marine picture as they raced up
the bay with their eporomus sails, belly
,ing out, with the strong breeze from over
the quarter ami with the water curling
away from their sharp bows. Columbia
made gain on the race over Defender SO
far as could be observed from the AS
ISOLATED Press tug. on the Pequot, Co
lumhi dropped her jlb and forestay sail
and let go her anchor. Well out In the
stream Defender anchored near her. Both
boats were sailed skillfully. Capt. Barr
was ut Columbia's wheel the entire dis
tanoe and Capt. Rhodes steered Defender.
After the first ten miles the race was
embarrassing to watch, for Columbia
had in that short distance worked out
into fine windward position and gained
steadily on Defender. White everything
was being made snug aboard Defender,
her managing owner, Nj. butler Duncan,
ROVER over TO Columbia and congratulate
ed Mr.. Iseiin on the splendid showing the
new boat had made in today's racing.
MIR. Iseiin and every body aboard Colum-
Il l~tI T. a