Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-09
TEST.
BATTLE ROYAL BETWEEN THE
YACHT CHAMPIONS.
The COLUMBIA WINS AGAIN.
She Fairly and SquareIy Outsatls
the Defender, and VIII he Award
ed the Cup-Her Canvas to he Re-
cut.

NEW YORK, July Sat last the big
sloop yachts Columbia and Defender have
met in battle royal that has been sat-
lsfactOry to all concerned. In a strong
ana fairly steady breeze, and smooth
water, they sailed over course Of about
twenty-slx miles to-day and the Column
bia fairly and squarely outsailed the De-
fender by minutes 10 seconds. actual
time. IL the Columbia, after measure
ment, is found TO allow the Defender 3
minutes. she will still have beaten her
by / minute and IS seconds. That means
that she can beat her now. over a full
thrty-mile course, by at least two min
utes. corrected time, and that when she
Is tuned up. say by the September races,
she will easily beat her minutes. which
IS all that IS required Of her.
To-day's race was as fine q smooth
water test as the yachts may ever ex-
pect to get On the first leg Of the
course, reach of about four miles, with
a beam wind the Defender gained 2 Sc
conds. On the second leg, Of six miles,
in which there was some windward work,
the Columbia gained 1 minute So seconds.
On the third leg, a three-mile run before
NAiN NAAihs WIN sHAliidhtlS set, the It-
fender gained 6 seconds.
On the first leg, the second time around,
the Columbia gained 1 minute ii seconds
in close-hauled work, on the second leg,
she gained only 80 seconds. and i'm the
run TO the finish the Defender gained
AZ seconds.
OFFICIAL FIGURES.
The official summary Is as follows:
Start: Columbia, 12:4O:53; Defender,
12.i0:H.
Finish: Columbia, s:2iOo; Defender
S:2710.
Elapsed time: Columbia, 2431s; De-
fender. 2:iG:29.
SAILED THE WRONG COURSE.
The feature of the day. and the only
unfortunate incident, was the fact that
both of the yachts sailed the wrong
course. The first leg Df the course was TO
be eight miles long. the turning point
being off Stamford. Conn. The yachtsmen
OF the Riverside Club were having race
, on the sound. They set their turning mark
right on the course that the Columbia
and Defender were to sail over. but only
four miles from the starting point. When,
after an exciting lufing match, Captain
Rhodes saw this mark, he promptly kept
the Defender off and rounded il. and for
awhile no one knew whether il was a real
race or not. G. oliver Iselin explained to
the Associated Press representative as
| follows:
"The Defender made the mistake. and
we simply followed her 20 make race
| II has turned out a good one. We are
very well satisfied with II all around
We both made n mistake. but it has been
the best all-ar1und race We have yet had.
I am satisfied that the Columbia Is the
better boat. but she will go 10 Bristol
and have her sails recut before she races
again."
The Regatta Committee say that the
event will be considered as a race and
Commodore POstley vii probably award
the cup 10 the Columbia.
COLUMBIA FOULS THE DEFENDER.
LARCHMONT. n. Y. July S-The Co
lumbia. in running In for her moorlnss
after tO-days race, fouled the Defenders
boom with her port topmast shroud, and
! afterwards by the tOpmast back-stay,
bending the Defenders hollow steel spar
almost at right angles. The Columbia
was uniniured, and Immediately after,
ward caught her own mOOrlngS.
The Defender will go to Bristol on Mon
day. where the injured boom will be
straightened. and, If necessary, Will be
cut and spliced.
The Defender had Just made snug when
the Columbia same rolling along slowly
and steered past her, and the Columbia )
shroud and port back-stay caught. All
was excitement on the two boats, and
apprehension that the Columbia's top
mast would be broken off but the steel
rigging slipped off the Defenders boom
in time TO prevent catastrophe.
THE SHAMROCK ALSO FAST.
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND, July S.
The Shamrock had a splendid run from
off Hurst Castle. Yaehtsmen mere declare
that she fulfilled every promise to-day
and gives evidence of being the best
equipped cup challenger ever seen In the
SOlent.