Evening star., 1901-07-12
OLD BEATS NEW DEFENDER
VICTORY LEAVES QUESTION OF ST.
PREMACY IN DOUBT.
Boston Boat Makes Much Befte
sbowina in Brisk Breeze,
Finishing Third.

The Columbia won yesterdays race OH
Newport. r. l.. in fine shape, with the
Constitution second and the independence
a remarkably good third. The Boston boat
sailed an exciting race with the two Here
shoff yachts and led the Constitution at
the outer mark, only to be beaten by her
a little over two minutes on the run TO
the finish before the wind. The breeze yes
terdav was much stronger than on pre-
yious DAYS. and the Independence sailed
the fifteen miles TO windward without her
lib topsan and seemed to hold higher, at
the same time footing just as fast
The result of yesterdays race leaves the
question of the supremacy of the three
ufne;--footers uncertain. the Independence
being not so slow. after all. while the Con-
stitution has yet TO prove her unqueStloned
sllperiOrity 10 the other two yachts IN any
thing except very light airs. Ihe hopes
OF the Boston contingent have therefore
gone upward with a bound. and the eN-
merits are TRYING TO figure what the lnde-
pendence will do when it blows stlH 1T
tl. harder The race itself was very t&-
citing. especially when little less than an
hour after the start the independence, by
keepSg near the Narragansett shore, forced
the Constitution about and for few min
l.tes was the leading boat in the race
Lead of the Independence.
From that point to the turning buoy the
fight between the two new yachts was one
Of The. closest contests seen for many years
With the mark about eight miles dead to
windward, the TWO flyers battled for the
lead Three times did the Herreshoff
Yacht attempt to cross the bow of the
CroWniuShieid boat, only to be beaten Dach
and forced about
CAPTAIN Half kept the Constitution right
under his lee and was able to maintain TINS
commanding position through the speed
~ q
even with one less sail. the Herreshoff
boat carrying, as usual, her baby JlD top
sail.
the independence being always on the
sunny side of the Bristol yacht While
they battled. however, Captain Barr OF the
Columbia saw his chance and took adNan-
tage OF this contest between the other TWO
Yachts to slip out to windward, and he
thus reached the mark nearly four minutes
ahead.
Astern of him were the Independenee
and the Constitution. each striving FOR the
buoy the Boston boat giving blow for
blow and Iuff for luff in every case and
finally swinging around with the COnsti-
tution's howsprit right over her tanran,
Two brief seconds after the Constitution
also turned.
Last Saturday the Constitution beat the
Independence nearly an hour to the outer
mark Monday the Herreshoff yacht was
forty minutes ahead in the ten-mile beat
10 the wiudward mark. On the run home
both the Herreshoff boats pulled away
from the Indepe udence, but the gain was
comparatively small and not at all dis
couraeing To the followers Of the Boston
yacht.
Shruuded in dense canopy of fog the
Columbia swept across the finish line
Three minutes and forty-two seconds after
came the Constitution. and right astern
by less than half a mile sailed the lnde-
utufencs defeated. but not humiliated.
The thrive crews cheered each other, the
IuI,pendence tars being particularly DEM
ou>tratiVe.