The age-herald., 1901-07-21
THE CUP DEFENDERS
 ARE WORKING HARD
The Constitution Does Not Prove to be Great Deal Better Boat Than the Columbia Nor Crownsheds Independence.
 Some Gossip Among the Leading Yachtsmen
6Y PAUL sTELLcouR.

Newport, R. T., July 2o-If one may judge of the last weeks test races be- tween the big single-stickers off Newport, ambitious to gain the honor of being the defender of the America's cup against Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock IT.. the latest creation of Nat Herreshoff. the Constitu- tion, does not prove to be such an all- fired better boat than the Columbia, nor than Crowinshields Independence. Early In the week, after she had returned to her practice spins and preliminary trial races, she showed up in great form. In light airs she showed a clean pair of heels in her spins with the Columbia and Inde- pendence. Every one seemed pleased with her performances. That she Is good and speedy craft in summer zephyr there Is no reason to doubt; but what she can do when the stormy winds do blow and the seas are running high-well, that is an- other question. There Is little doubt, how ever, that she will give a good account of herself when called upon. The Herre- shoffs have built too many of these racing machines not to know when to draw the liilc "ilcil lilt QueStlOll OI SldDlllLy, Sed- worthiness and speed is concerned. There Is many a man who sails pleasure crafts and knows what they are, believes that the limit of stability and safety on these racers has been reached, if not actually passed. Be that as it may we have got to take things as they are. and make the best of them. If the craft with which the yachting supremacy of the seas Is regard ed as up to date, and both sides are sat isfied there is little more to be said. We must await results.
 Of the three racers at this side of the Atlantic, the Constitution, the Columbia and the Independence, the Constitution Is demonstrating her ability in light airs; the Columbia is as good, If not better, than ever she was. and the Independence Is a dangerous and unknown quantity in any kind of a good blow. That the Col umbia Is an excellent sailor goes without saying. She proved her quality two years ago, and she Is better now than she was then. Moreover she Is handled by Charley Barr with quite as great skill as she has been at any time in her racing career. Possibly the Constitution has not yet found herself, and Rhoades, her skipper, has not yet succeeded In tuning her up to her fullest capabilities. The tests that have been made recently in the light sum mer airs were scarcely strong enough to shake the creases out of lady's handker- chief. How she will do In a blow, when it Is necessary to shorten sail and get right down to close-reefed canvas. with housed topmast, We have had so far, no opportunity of forming an opinion. It isn't possible that so experienced build CT and so capable sailor as Nat Herre- shoff should have lost sight of this quail ity In the construction of the latest cup dafandar a haG dnnQ in the and there is no necessity to fear that he has ignored it in the Constitution, the latest creation of his brain and skill.
 It Is to be regretted that MT. Lawson's Independence should have made so poor a showing in the early tests. There were, however, good reasons for the way the boat behaved. She did not seem ito be in the same class with either the Constitu- tion or the Columbia, whereupon most of the writers on yachting and yacht racing, and the believers that the Herreshoffs far as cup defender constructors are con- cerned, jumped on the Independence, laughed at her performances in a drifting match and wrote and spoke pderisively about the craft. And this, mind you, be- fore they took the pains to inquire If there was any good reason to account for her poor showing. I wonder if they would have written or spoke as they did if they had known that the Independence was handicapped as she was? To reach New port the battlefield of the tests, she had to sail around Cape Cod. and in doing so she underwent terrific pounding in heavy sea, which caused her to leak bad ly. With tons of water in her in the zephyr tests she drifted just as badly as any other good boat would have done. Under similar circumstances the Consti- tuition and the Columbia would have done