The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-01
YACHT RACE OFF NEWPORT
independence Appears TO BE Gain
ing on the Columbia.
The HOston Boat Left Far Behind In
the Early Part of the Cont"st-A
Lively Competition for Honars He
tween the Hn,yIs and SchOoners.

| the regatta of the Newport Yacht Racing
| Association, which commenced here this
morning, Of course. centres in the contest
between the old Cup champion Columbia
and the Boston candidate for international
/ honors. MI Lawson's yacht Independence.
There was a fine eisht-knot breeze hust-
ling over the ocean when the yachts be-
gan TO hoist their mainsaiIs preparatory to
! getting under way 70 the starting line of
! the Brenton's Reef Hghtship this morn
ing. The wind came from the northwest
but it was expected TO haul around to the
| southwest before the morning had got
! very far along There was no gale nor
even a half one. but the wind blew steadi-
/ ly and the Indications were for a good
/ aI-day breeze.
Yachtsmen were also delighted with
conditions Of weath-r and ocean that
could not have been improved upon. It
was cool, the blue sky was patched with
hong mares tails and fluffy mIckerei
/ clouds, and the ocean was not at all
rough.
/ II was announced last night that the
] racers would sail over an cquilateral tri-
angle Of thirty miles, and that the racing
rules Of the New York Yacht Club would
govern the contests. The start was to
be made from an imaginary line drawn
. between the Brcuton's Ref Hghtship and
the committee boat There will be no
time limit in today's. race. and II he
race is not finished before dark white and
red lights Will be- hung at the masthead
OF the committee boat to guide the racers
10 the home marx
II the withdrawal Of the Constitution TO
Bristol l,sseaed the interest in the race
arranged for the Cup defender class that
Tact was not apparent in Newport this
morning The Independence, has arvrsye
mad a large following here. aud. despite
her crushing defeats in the former series
OF races held by the Newport Yacht Rae
lHS Association, the friends of the boston
yacht have remained loyal
Boston yachtsm,u also said that they
are yet lonS way from being convinced
| that the reason for the Independence no
longer exists. They argued that the Yacht
had not found itself in the Sseries two
weeks ago and that she could not fau 10
90 better in the races today and Saturday
The last -ace which the Ia vysoa boat sfil-
cd when she carried away her topmast a
minute after crossing the line and. in
Z spite Of this handicap. finished the race in
! good style, was matter OF great eucour-
agement 10 the BosJouiaus All their pre-
/ tensions. however. have been haseG ur,on
the prevalence OF a heavy wind OF the
boats capabilities in light airs they had
. little TO say although they maintain that
she would DO better under such condi-
lions than she has hitherto done.
THE BOSTON YACHTS CHANGES.
The Independence has undergone some
I radical changes in rig and trim sine she
last raced here. but the most important
/ Innovations have been the addition Of
. what is known here az her baby fin keel.
{ II has been fitted under the bow Of the
/ yacht just forward OF her main fin and is
/ intended to obviate The decided tendency
. 10 leeTard which the boat exhibited I'm her
. previous races -ar.
/ II was generally agreed that the Indc-
/ pendence would bc slower in STAYS as ID
! result OF her new fin. But those in charge
/ OF the Boston Yacht said this morning
( that they were willing 20 sacrifice "a little
! in that respect If they can only ae,3 her
pointed well into the eve Of the wind And
I then. too. changes in the after-rigEiuls
! have been made which it was predicted
/ would add materially 10 the speed Of the
| boat There is no water in her hold now.
/ either there was I'm the previous races.
/ and Mr. Lawson has attributed his
/ yachts poor showing chiefly 10 thar fact
| All iU all. the friends Of the independence.
| this morning had quite recovered that
/ jaunty air which they manifested Just
/ prior TO the first race between the three
/ big siuElr-stiCkcrs three weeks ago
morning that the Columbia could give the
Independence just as thorough a trying
/ out as the Constitution would al the pres
ont time The % boat is ia perfect tune
and it is questionable if she ever sailed
better than she has this season. But ;he
! Constitution has yet 10 find herself. and
| that she will by the time Mr.. Duncan and
! the Herreshons are through with her. no
! fair-minded yachtsmau doubts The way
| her hull slides through the water in a
/ light wind leaves little doubt. saw the
| experts. regarding the perfection Of her
I hull, the trouble is in the rig and possi-
l bly, the trim; that can be- remedied
/ Great interest also attached TO the
races IN the yawI and Cl-foot cutter class
/ IS The Vigilant and Navahoo have done
some Of the prcttiest racing this season.
! and although the EugIish-built AiIsa has
When tho Vigilant raced over in Eng
/ land some years ago as a sI0op tho AilsI.
also under sIoOp rig. defeated her quite
[ frequently. but now the brave old de-
/ fender is having sweet revenge. having
! beaten the English yawl in nearly every
! race sailed this season. More evenly
/ matched yachts than the four English
| built cutters Hester Isolde. EeIin. aud
| Seuta have never sailed IN one class he
fore and they have added much 70 the in
tercst Of an interesting yachting season.
| The same may be said OF the schOoncrs
| EImiHa and Ouissetta.
! The number Of yachts which for the
/ past several days have been lying at an
chor iu the harbor was somewhat tEinncd
| out by this morning. but 1t was chiefly
sailing yachts which have weighed anchor
and taken their departure. A great many
| steam yachts stin occupied the narrow
! roads lead and some twenty OF thirty OF
them followed the racers out 70 the start
ing line. OF the larger yachts there were
the Parada. NourmahaI, Electra. Taurus.
! Virginia. Anita. May, Duqucsue. SataucI-
Ia and TarO The two big excursion
| boats Warwick and City Of Lawrence
| were out again and the torocdo boat de-
stroyer Morris. and a number Of tugs
Commodore s. Nicholson Kane an
/ nouuced this morning thit Mr. Duncan
had notified the regatta committee that
the Constitution would be- ready 10 rae.
on August DO. The Newport series Of tho
New York Yacht Club will accordingly bc