The Washington times., 1901-08-04
WORK OF THE Big YACHTS.
Columbia Better Than the COnsti-
tuition in the Races Sailed.

.
tuition in the Races Sailed.
4 The Two About Equal i'm Light Cur
Winds and the Old BOnt superior
in Breeze How They May Bs
Compared - Records of Contests
NEW YORK. Aug. 3-Although the
4 Constitution and the Columbia had had one
/ or two previous brushes, nothing could
/, be learned of their relative speed until
4 they met for the first time in the New
York Yacht Club races off Newport. The
first was held on July /, and was fifteen
miles thrash to windward and return
! The race was sailed in 2:52:0i by the Co
I lumbia and 2:52:52 by the Constitution,
giving the victory to the older boat by
! a little over two minutes corrected time.
In the windward work the Columbia beat
her older sister one minute and ffty-hve
seconds, but was beaten on the run home
one minute and nine seconds, largely ow-
ing to the fact that the Constitution got
a following wind and caught up with her
rival There was not much comment
upon the defeat of the new boat, as it
was felt that, in all probability, she was
not in her best trim, and would do much
better. The next race was failure for
the Colurnbia's martingale buckled, ard
she had to give up the contest.
The Independence joined the pair in
the next four races, which were under
the management of the Newport Racing
Association, but except in one instance
she was not dangerous. The first con-
test was July 6, and was fifteen miles to
windward and return. The breeze was
light, and gave no real test of the boats,
for none finished in the time limit for
Americas Cup races. The Constitution
won this time however, in 5:3S:Oj, the
Columbia taking 549:O6, elapsed time, as
are all other races compared in this ar
ticle. The Columbia was beaten one min
ute and tfty-eight seconds in the wind
ward thrash of fifteen miles, and in the
run home was beaten eleven minutes and
eight seconds. The showing Of rhe Con-
stitution to windward was still not salts
factory, as the Columbia was still too
close to the new boat to make her as
much faster as was expected.
| 1he second race Of the Newport Asso-
! citation series was sailed on July :, and
| was over a triangular course of eight
miles to a leg. The first leg was to wind
ware in a very light breeze, little more
| than a drift. and the Constitution beat
| the Columbia by 10 minutes 81 seconds,
sailing at the rate of about four miles
an hour. The wind was d little better
! in the broad reach of ten miles, and
again the Constitution won by minutes
| - seconds the leg being sailed at the
rate of five miles an hour. In the run
home the breeze freshened, and the Con-
| stitution did it in 10 minutes seconds
! less time covering the distance at the
rate Of about twelve miles an hour. In
| the whole race the Constitution won by
! 1925. on July 10 the third race was tried,
| but was a failure, as there was no wind,
and il was resailed on July IL. The dis
tance was fifteen miles to wirdward and
return, and the Columbia beat the Con
i stitution to the outer mark by min
utes 20 seconds, while the Constitution
won the run home by l minute 10 sec
onds the Columbia winning the race by
5 minutes 20 seconds. The last race of
the series was sailed on July IL In
fine breeze. and again the Columbia won.
this time by minute seconds. 1T was
over triangular course. and on the broad
reach to the first mark TIE Columbia beat
her rival by / minute Is seconds To the
second mark was windward work, and
Barr overstood the mark by mistake, so
that he was beaten by the Constitution
| by ! minute 26 seconds. In the broad
reach home he did better, and beat the
Constitution by so seconds.
The yachts next met in the New York
Yacht Club cruise, in saH OF twenty
one miles from Glen Cove to Huntington
| OIL July %, in all sorts of winds in which
| luck was a great factor, as the yachts
got different winds at the same time. The
race was sailed by the Constitution in
2NS:25 beating the Columbia by min
utes IS seconds In the run of twenty
eight miles from Huntington to Morris
Cove on July 23 there was a drifting
/ match in which the Constitution took
6:0l :0S, and beat the Columbia minutes
and l6 seconds On July "A the run TO
| New London. thirty-nine miles, was
reaching and running, and the Constitu-
tion won in varying breezes by S minutes
g seconds. On the following day the run
was from New London to Newport. dis
tance of forty miles. 1t was begun in a
fine breeze, which petered out at the end.
! The distance was sailed in 6:5S:3l by the
Columbia, beating the Constitution by 2
minutes seconds. In the run the new
defender scraped on the rocks, but subse
quent examination showed that 1t was
not sufficient TO retard her a fifth of a
second.
Neither yacht took part in the last two
runs of the cruise. and their next meet
ing was Monday, in the race for the
Astor cup. There was fine breeze all
through the this Eight miles of the
course, and the Columbia won on every
point of sailing. In the run before the
wind of thirteen and one-half miles, the
Columbia took ] 80, which was thirty
two seconds more than the Constitution
The next leg was eighteen miles to wind
ward, and the Columbia covered the dis
tarce in 1:45:25. beating her sister by two
minutes and nineteen seconds. The reach
home Of six and one-half miles made
10y the Columbia in z9:lS. or Just three
seconds better time than the Constitution
The whole race was sailed In 3:46.l9. by
the Columbia. which was faster by two
minutes and ffty-four seconds than the
time made by the Constitution. The dis
appointment was great on the Constitu-
tiOn, and she was sent to Bristol for
new mast and rig, which, it is hoped will
make her go where she looks, and give
her more speed
The result therefore. of the ten races
is five victories for each. In two of the
contests the finish would have been too
late under the Americas Cup conditions,
and the Constitution won both This
leaves eight races which can he judged
The three races won by the Constitution
were sailed at sc, Sc. and 81 miles per
hour respectively. The five won by the
Columbia were sailed at the rate of 5.S
49, Ill, III. and 12-2 respectively. In
windward work. in set races in cup time
limit, the Columbia beat the Constitution
three times and was beaten twice One of
the defeats was due to the previously
stated error OF Captain Barr. In running
the Columbia won once and lost three
times. In broad reaching the Columbia
won three times and rnc Constitution
once. In Thursdays race the Columbia
sailed at the rate of eight miles an hour
and beat the Independence so handiIy
that she is still further away from the
defence of the cup.