The age-herald., 1901-07-07
NEW CUP DEFENDER LSCOLUMB|A IndependenceWas a Disappoint-
 ment to Her Admirers WEATHER CONDlTlONSGOOD The Constitution Showed the Greatest Speed in the Run Homeward, Gain ing Nearly Ten Minutes on the
 Old Defender Columbia.
WEATHER CONDITlONSGOOD

Newport, R. L. July 6-An unqualified victory for the Constitutions; an over whelming defeat for the Independence; a most commendable showing for the old champion, the Columbia, Is the record of the first days contest Of the big sloops in the Newport Yacht Racing Associa- tion's series. From the firing of the starting gun, which sent the yachts off to windward in a light easterly breeze, the Constitution held her rivals off. At the turning buoy she was a little more than two minutes in advance of the Columbia. while the Independence was hull down to leeward. But it was on the run home that the new Herrschoff yacht showed her greatest strength, beating the Columbia over eight minutes in the fifteen miles down the wind, and when the new cham pion of the Americas cup swept across the line the Boston yacht was over seven miles astern. The race lacked the charm that attends a scupper breeze, but 1t was nevertheless full of interesting, if not ex- citing events. The chief incident of the contest was, of course the failure of the Independence to meet the expectations of her adherents. That she was a failure in the weather conditions that prevailed to- day cannot be gainsaid At no time dur ing the contest to windward did she show any weatherly qualities whatever. She did not point as high as her opponents, nor did she even for a brief interval dem 1 onstrate that she possessed a fraction of that speed which she seemed to have shown when sailing by herself. That she may be vastly improved Is possible, but that she profoundly disappointed her friends today cannot be concealed, for it was in light winds that her excellency was chiefly supposed to rest. When she got fairly out into the open sea she pounded heavily in the southwest swell and the more she pounded the more she seemed to lose headway.
 Whether the Columbia will beat the Constitution in hard weather remains to be proved The Columbia was sailed in a most meritorious manner from start to finish. All the arts of the professional sea jockey were practiced by Barr, the sailing master, and Ed Morgan, the manager, to overcome their abler oppon- ent. That they should have kept the in- ferior boat so clase to her superior an- tagonist in the race to the outer mark was wonderful piece of work. That the Constitution Is by far the better all- around boat, let 1t blow high or low, is hardly to be doubted after her showing today. The following figures show the race:
 Constitution-Start, 12:1O:o2; finish, 6:4S:0s; elapsed, 53S:oS; corrected time, 6:3S :o6.
 Columbia--Start, 12:10:17; finish, 5:59:29; elapsed. 6:4s:12; corrected time 5:47:55.
 Independence-Start, 12O0. (Did not finish within the hmit)
 Thus. on correct tlme Constitution beat Columbia by nine minutes, z9 sec onds over the whole course.
 On the first leg of the course the beat to windward, Constitution beat Columbia one minute 58 seconds. On the run home Constitution beat Columbia minutes eeconds. Constitution won by Il minutes 6 seconds on elapsed time.
 Constitution allows Independence 43 seconds and Columbia 27 seconds.
 Times at the outer mark Constitution, 3:43:35. Columbia 3:45 :53