Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-07-09
Given Columbia and Indepen-
dence by Constitution.
Former Is Humi|iated Beyond Widest
Hopes Of Yachtsmen.
While laWson's Wonder Demonstrates iha
She Cannot Even DrjN.

the threc-corEercd races, Saturday,
was significant and definite. her win
ming, today. may well be chara acterized
as overwhelming and the defeat 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
carboat which marked the end of the
finish line. tediously waiting for the
Boston boat to cross. while her rivals
were well up the harbor on their way
to their moorings.
The new Herreshoff boat had beaten
the Columbia by nearly half an hour
! over the 30-mile course. while the rec
ord against the Independence was over
an hour. She came very near travelling
around the triangle while the Crownin-
shield creation was covering two legs
OF il.
Today's race establishes the new
Bristol sloop as record breaker in
light airs. She has accomplished what
yachtsmcn considered impossible in
thus beating the Columbia, while her
performance has put the Independence
entirely out of the running in condi-
lions like those of today.
What her showing may be in heavy
weather is still a matter of conjecture.
| as it is with the Independence. but the
experts are now almost ready to accept
any achievement of the Constitution
| without surprise.
OF all the conquests in the history of
| the renowned races for the Americas s
| h., ,f ic
markab able. Not only Of the races proper
but also of those incident to the selec-
| tion of a cup challenger or a cup de
fender. The Constitution has proved
herself the best light weather craft of
| this generation.
| The wind was light from the south
| west at the start and there was a long
greasy ground swell from the south
4 ward when the start was made from
Il point five miles east southeast of
Brenton's reef lightshp. The first leg
| of the triangular course of so nautical
/ miles was a dead beat to windWard Of
10 miles.
| The start of the Constitution was not
| able. She did not seem to want to take
| the windward position but being in a
hurry 10 cross. started from pretty
nearly the lecward end of the line and
| luned up to cross as the guns sounded.
| This would have been a serious handi-
| cap to a racer less swift. as it would
have been the cause OF a berth further
| to lceward.
| But a little while after the Columbia
and Independence had crossed. the
Constitution showed her naughty dis
| I'd of nf fhapn hI-
ceeding on the starboard tack with
little jibtopsail defiantly shaking its
lUti, then going about and crossing the
bows of her opponents, and when sat
is fed with the lead she had obtained.
tacking and occupying a commanding
berth to windward and a lead which
she maintained to the end of the race.
The Constitution overcame every OBJ
taklc that offered in the way Of fiukeS
and doldrums and sailed with tact and
won at the first mark by 10 minutes.
81 seconds over the Columbia. That
* eat yacht never before had such
humiliating experience
On the next leg n reach Of 10 mics
with only a gentle zephyr everything
the starboard beam with fine reach
ing jibtopsail she sailed faster than
the wind and by rare skill and superior
ability worked herself through what
seemed an almost ineXtricable tangle
of humidity and haze, greasy ground
swell and dead calms to another ex-
traordinary achievement. She rounded
the leeward mark s minutes AMI AZ
seconds ahead of Columbia.
And then with triumphant shake of
hcr hitv chintr bcr h.,1
looner and again scurrying faster than
the wind. which never during the rae
ing day exceeded the force Of a G-knot
air, made the crowning record of her
history by sailing over the 10 knots in
49 minutes and 46 seconds.
Then came the cheering and the
notes of acclaim from whistles and
syrens in honor of the greatest boat
that ever sailed fast light weather
roce. What she may do with topmast
housed is quite another narrative. She
is up to this time superb in light airs
But stronger breath may conquer
her.
In writing Of the brilliant work ofCo-
lumbia. mention should be made of the
valiant efforts the old ship made to es-
cape from the hOOdOo of greater merit |
on the part of the Constitution. The |
brave and determined efforts OF f. d. |
Morgan. the plucky amateur, Barr, |
the able skipper. and n crew whose like |!
can never be surpassed. who kept up |
the great fight to the finish and in the i
smart handling of sails never lost a
point. were all recognized by appre-
ciative spectators. That she lost was
owing to the same reason that Defend |
er lost in the last contest. She was
Outclassed as vessel. not that she
had a crew of less ability.
The same apology for the bad defeat
of Independence may with greater
truth be asserverated. The Independ-
ence was not Handicapped by her per-
sonnel but simply by her inability to
sail fast under the conditions that pre-
vailed. She made fairly good start.
she experienced no particularly bad
luck. In fact in the reach to the sec
ond mark she had the greatest bit Of
luck in her life, as she made faster
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