The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-07-09
CONSTITUTION IS A WONDER
AGAIN DEFEATS COLUMBI4 AND
 INDEPENDENCE.

Her Work in Light Airs Rcmar&abIe-
 Sails Faster Than the Wind-CoIum m bia
 Nearly Half an Hour and Independ-
 ence Over an Hour Behind at the
 Fintsh--The CrowninshieId Creation
 Has Absolutely No Chance in Light
 Weather-Her Ability in Heavy
 Weather Now the Only Thing in
 Doubt.
 Newport, R. l., July S-If the vic- tory of the Constitution over the Co., lumbia and the Independence in the first of the three corner races on Sat urday was significant and definite her winning to-day may we'll be charac- terized as overwhelming and the de- feat of the Independence as positive and almost hopeless. The approach of evening again found the committee boat anchored far out in Narragansett Bay, alone with the catboat which marked the other end of the finish line, tediously waiting for the Boston boat to cross, while her rivals were well up the harbor on the way to their moor- ings.
 The new Herreshoff boat had beaten the Columbia by nearly half an hour over the thirty-nile course, while the record against the Independence was over an hour. She came very near travelling around the triangle while %h, ;o1I ing two legs of it. To-day's race es- tablishes the new Bristol sloop as a record breaker in light airs. She has accomplished what yachtsmen consid- cred impossible in thus beating the Co., lumbia while her performance has put the Independence entirely out of the running under conditions like those of to-day. What her showing may be in heavy weather is still matter of con- lecture, as it is with the Independence but the experts are now almost ready to accept any achievement of the Con- stitution without surprise.
 Of all the conquests in the history of the renowned races for the Americas cup that of to-day is the most remark able, not only of the races proper but
  of cup challenger or cup defender. Constitution has proved herself the best light weather craft of this gener- ation. Volunteer, Vigilant, Defender and Columbia have in the past achieved 1 wonderful and glorious things in the | cause of defending the cup, but Con- stitution to-day caps the climax.
 The wind was light from southwest | at the start and there was long and | greasy ground swell from the south l ward when the start was made from point five miles east-southeast of Bren- | tons Reef lightship. The first leg of | the triangular course of thirty nautical miles was a dead beat to windward of | ten miles, the course being southwest The start of the Constitution was mo- table. She did not seem to want to take the windward position, but being in hurry to cross started from pretty nearly the leeward end of the line and Iuffed ID to cross just as the gun sound This would have been the cause G q berth further to leeward. But little while afterward Columbia and Independence had crossed the Con- stitution showed her naughty disregard If the pair of them by proceeding on the starboard tack with a little jib top sail defiantly shaking it's Huff at every thing af1oat, then going about and crossing the bows of her opponents md when satisfied with the lead she 1ad obtained, tacking and occupying 8 berth to wind and a lead which she maintained to the end of the ace.
 There was haze and dampness and ln unpromising outlook generally, but he Constitution overcame every obsta- lie that offered in the way of fiukes ,nd doldrums and sailed with tact and won out at the first mark by 10:37 over Columbia. That great yacht never had ;uch humiliating experience,
 On the next leg, reach of ten miles, with only a gentle zephyr blowing on he starboard beam with 8 fine reach ng jib topsail set to whatever airs
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