The sun., 1901-09-05
COLUMBIA wins CLOSE RACE.
EXCITING FINISH nETWEEN TINE
TWO YACHTS.


NKwpoRr. Sept The Constitution had
all the hard luck there was 90 be found to
day and los, tho trial race with the Columbia
| by seventeen seconds IL Was one OF the
| most exciting yacht races ever Witnessed
and certainly the most interesting OF this
season. From the start 10 the finish tho
result OF the race was In doubt. and after
the yachts had crossed the line the winner
could not be picked until the Regatta Com
mittee had given the Official hgure-.
The race was sailed In a moderate to
| fresh sailing breeze. The course was
fifteen miles To windward and return. Al
the start the Columbia had worked into the
! weather position, and tho Constitution tried
TO pull through tho Columbias lee. Capt.
Barr. In order to prevent this. bore down
| ON the Constitution thres times In order
TO hack wind that yacht and check her
headway This. according 20 some of the
be-t authorities, is a distinct violation Of
the rules The Columbia hugged the line.
| and rather than start under the Columbia .
lee Capt Rhodes round and gybed
and then Crossed the line at the other end.
hut was handicapped twenty-cne seconds.
| IL he had crossed under Columbia's IL.
| the Constitution would have leen badly
| hampered. but by taking the other end of
| tho line she had her wind clear. although
| tho Columbia was well TO windward Of the
new yacht. The Constitution picked up
| on the Columbia. hut when standing IN
| toward the Narragansett shore she had tn
| lun in TO windward in order TO let u coasting
schoon.r Ias- ahead 81 her. Thi- cost her
| a few seconds.
When we'll clear Of Point Judith. Capt Barr.
SEEING that the Constitution was gaining.
| made several short tacks. but the Con-
stitution was too good for the Columbia
| At this work and the two yachts got very
close together. The Constitution ~ the
windward mark was only <o seconds i-'-
hind the Cohimhis. She had started hy
| tual time I minute and - seconds be-
hind 80 that In actual sailing she had gained
So seconds Taking her tim" from th"
handicap gun. which was her Official time
at the start. she mad gained 10 seconds
There was about a ten-knot hr~eze on th.
heat out. They tackled around the mark
and -, spinnaker~ 20 port and then broke
out balloon jibtopsails. The Constiiu-
ton. after about twenty minutes sailing
was on oven terms with the Columbia.
and then the Two yachts sailed sid" bv
side for long time The tide hal sent
them to the eastward of their cuur-r. and
when the finishing line VAS thre" miles
away the spinnakerS were lowered main
rhce,s trimmed in. and they reached with
the wind over the port quarter. Columbia.
having the ~eaiher position, soon passed
the Constitution and n hIfing match en-
sued. Tho picture th-S" two BEAUTIES
made with their hig balloons drawing,
their rails well down to the waters edg.
and both travelling faster than any OF
the steamers following them, was on"
ths, will long b- remembered 10y those who
saw II
The Columbia drew clear - the Constitu-
tion and then Capt. Rhodes bore On with
the Constitution a. though he would try
to sail through the Columhia's lee. A
soon as Capt. Barr had put hi helm up, the
Constitution was mred sharply "a work
that Yacht to viulward. A sharp pun
caught the balloon jib topsaiI at this mo-
ment and. having the full weight Of the
wind in It, IL was torn To ribbons. Tie
piece- Of tho iora sail rutterci In the wind
and greatly hindcred the yachts sailing
The Columbia, protiting by the accident
to the Constitution. took her balloon iih
top-ail In, and n onCr sent up a reaching
iib. A. soon a. this sail was broken out
IL pulled the yacht well ahead. On the
Constitution tho torn sail could not Ice
cleared away quickly enough to So, another,
aud the Columbia crossed the line 10 SEQ
onds In the lead. On th. run home the
Constitution had gained p seconds, ON
cially, the Constitution had beaten the
Columbia 81 seconds. boat for boat. taking
the Constitutions time from the handicap
gun She had allowed minute II seconds
to the Columbia over ~" course. ~ that
the Columbia won the race 10y II seconds,
corrected time.
Allowing for the handicap 81 the Con-
stitution. that yacht beat the Co umbis
1 minute Is seconds boat for boat Taking
the time tho Constitution crossed the line
as her actual start. she would have won
the race by four seconds. The loss Of her
balloon iib topeail lost some time aud but
for this the Constitution would have un-
: ,iouhtedly-~on the race Will. the working
schooner getting In her way caused her Ia
lose more time On the sailing to-day
she was the better boat 81 the two, and
showed much better form than in her last
few races She had better sails than when
she raced here on Monday, The mainsail
was the same one she used in her first races
when she sailed against the Columbia and
Independence. II h not a good-looking
-,il by any means. hut u seems Ia have
! the draugh, in the righ, place and th.
! Yacht sailed much better with u than with
her newest sail
There was a nasty curl AT the lsach and
there Appearcd 10 be a hard spot Ia the
middle Of the sail Her club topsail set
very well indeed She had a new jib that
was a good or,-. and the fore staysail had
l--n used ono. before. bat had b.--n recut
Z and had three hattens Ia th. each The
% no also had battens In II. The balloon liza
. top~ail was not a. large on the foot ~ that
of the Columbia and did not trim In a. nea .
20 the boom a. the balloon on the ol,ier
beat BY some IL b thought tes, 10 have
. a smaller balloon Jib topsail when carrying
a spinnaker. a. " gives the wind a chance
I . 10 draw ou' and not Jam IN h-twr~n th.
sail- so as Ia stop the Yacht
, W n Duncan, Jr was ---en on beard
4 ,h. tender Mount Morris after the rso-s
. . Sf-,aking of the start he said
As I understand tho r,ll~s. Capt RrI
had no right 90 tear down ga us and try "a
4 I hinder the Constitution from passing ~
, s~ward he dld that thr~- times w
| could have cru-s-d tho line under the ~
Of the Columtia. but ~ould have i-r~f
uinned ,h-r- II was much lsit-r to i-Nl
, "A and gyl- and take the otl.t end ~ ~.
lin~. Although tho Constitution vas hAndi
cap;.~d hy the move
sshAll you make q Iiruis~i'
NO Tho yachts ar, beng rac~-d 'os~, h.'