The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-07
Weather Was Nasty, Battling Winds,
Lumpy Sen and Rain Squalls
Making Conditions Bad for Racing.
WINNER NOT YET PERFECT
THOUGH SHE DEFEATED HER OPPO.
NEWT BY NEARLY FOUR MINUTES.
Sails Of New Yacht Badly Set, and She
Defender in Windward Work.

NEW YORK, July 6.-By the race between
the new defender Columbia and the old De-
fender, sailed to-day over a triangular
course of thirty miles-ten miles to leg
1t has been plainly demonstrated that no
matter how skillfully constructed a yacht
may be, her sailing and ability TO go to
windward may be killed by imperfectly set
ting sails. The Columbia won the race by
a margin of three minutes, ffty-three Sec
onds unofficial time) There is no doubt
she would have won by a larger margin
If her sails had fitted as we'll as the De-
tenders In the windward work while the
wind was strong Columbia was unable
either to outfoot or outpoint the Defender.
chiefly on account of the bad set of her club
topsail, jib topsail and forestry sail. She
covered the first leg of ten miles to wind
ward three minutes faster than the De-
fender, but minute of that gain was
made when the wind became light and less
than two miles from the turning point On
the second leg the Columbia gained fifty
eight seconds. 1t was reach both yachts
carrying large (not balloon) jib topsails On
the last leg-close hauled work in a light
breeze-she lost five seconds to the Defend
which favored the Defender.
Despite the failings mentioned yachtmen
who saw the race are convinced that the
Columbia is worthy of defending the pre-
cious trophy which Sir Thomas Upton and
his merry tars hope to take back with
them in the Shamrock next fall. AS stated,
the Columbia's forestry sail and club top
sail are anything but perfect and cracked
in the wind to-day like Transfers whip,
demonstrating that in general way she
will need a good deal of tuning up. Yet
based on the showing she made as a better
boat than the Defender under adverse con-
ditions. the nautical sharps are strongly
convinced that Sir Thomas will sail home
without the silver mug, the possession of
which has given the yachting supremacy
Of the world since 1851
UNSATISFACTORY CONDITIONS.
To-days race was an unsatisfactory one
Shifting, battling winds and bad, lumpy
sea, with dirty rain squalls, made the con-
ditions anything but ideal for yacht racing
The pillows of mist which enshrouded the
Jersey shore prevented the crowd on the
highlands of Navesink and Sandy Hook
from seeing the race, but the enveloping
haze only added picturesqueness to the con-
test fer those who went outside infancy
craft to see it. For them the world was
blotted out. and over the dim, gray sea,
under the dull sky the yachts raced with
nothing but themselves and the attendant
train Of following boats to witness the con-
test.
In windward work the Columbia, with
sails drawing badly, demonstrated her su-
periority, and in long reach with sheets
eased she outfooted the Vanderbilt boat.
The sudden shifting of the wind prevented
a trial at running with spinnakers In
light weather, close hauled, therefore it
can be said she is undoubtedly the Defend
er's superior but what she can do In a
piping breeze remains to be seen.
A thick haze hung over the harbor this
morning when the two superb yachts left
their anchorages off Tompkinsville astern
of two proudly pulling tugs for the arena
Of to-day's battle. AS the Columbia passed
out she was saluted by every steam craft
in the lower bay. So gentle were the pulsa-
tons Of the waves in the harbor that many
craft of many kinds ventured out to wit
ness the race. The large fleet included
side-wheelers. swift steam pleasure yachts,
snub-nosed tug boats and sailing craft Of all
descriptions. They led. followed and &C.
companied the racers. Small stickers, sloops
and schooners were there In profusion.
Fortunately most of them kept their dis
| lance and few of them bothered the racers
with wash or swell.
DELAY AT THE START.
There was considerable delay at the start.
| The breeze had freshened as the yachts got
| side by side, and what the old salts term
| a 'lumpy sea- was running. After Com
| modore Morgan's flagship. the Corsair, with
| Commodore Morgan, Chester Griswold, ex-
| Commodore Nicholson Kane, Rear Admiral
| Francis Higginson, Irving Grinnell and a
| large party of guests aboard, had signaIed
| the course and the racers had cast off their
| lines a sharp rain squall killed the breeze.
| But the squall was brief, and half hour
| later a steady twelve-knot breeze was blow
! ing from the southwest. The Corsair sig
| nailed the first leg to windward down the
| Jersey coast and the yachts began to jockey
| for positions. Captain Barr had the tiller
| of the Columbia, and aboard with him were
| c. Oliver Iselin, Mrs. Iselin. Newberry
| Thorne. William L. Iselin. Herbert w.
Leeds and Woodbury. Kane. The crew wore
the Iselin colors. Captain Rhodes had the
| helm Of the Defender. William Butler Dun
| can and Mrs. Duncan, clad in a becoming
| yachting costume. and John G. Beresford
| were aboard OF her. An industrious band
aboard the Dolphin kept busily at work
| during the preliminary hours.
| AS the warning gun was fired the Column
lila. without waiting for the starting gun
rounded Sandy Hook lghtship and headed
across the line. Either 1t was bad blunder
on the part of Captain Barr or it was de-
| sgnedly done to give the Defender start
| equal to her time allowance, which is figured
at about two minutes. Just as the starting
GUN boomed the Defender crossed on The nor,
| tack Meantime the Columbia jibed and. re-
| turning. came about and headed for the line