New-York tribune., 1901-07-09
CONSTITUTIONS VICTORY
AGAIN BEATS COLUMBIA AND
INDEPENDENCE.
BOSTON BOAT LEFT OUT OF SIGHT
BELOW THE HORIZON. NINE MILES
BEHIND BREEZE WAS LIGHT.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rR1BuvE.I

/
tory over the Independence will be filed In later
because at the time Of writing she has nor yet
arrived at the fnis, line
The Constitution sailed to-day in a way that
Iett no doubt as to her qualifications to defend
the Cup under the conditions of to-day's racing
Ihese conditions We're of the most irving kind
| the water being all humps and rolls and the
winds being of the lightest. In the thirty mile
triangle that was sailed she was sent on the first
| leg ten miles to windward and az the frs, .ur,
| she succeeded in heing timed nearly eight min
utes ahead OF the last defender of the Cup That
| the majority OF the Cup races are sailed OF at
| tempted TO be sailed In Just such weather is
point 20 consider in estimating the value of
the boat for this special work At no part of
'he game could the Columbia be seriously con-
sluered as rival. except. perhaps at the start
where she came to the line in the best position
out SIMPLY could not move out to take advan-
| tase OF her good placing the wind being too
hght % move the heavier boat at any good gait
| Ihe secrets of HerreshOff's new methods OF con-
struction were never before so fully revealed as
| when the Constitution with similar outside
shape and similar sail area was able to uft
away from the heavier Columbia. The amount
OF useless weight that was got rid of through
| the longitudinal framing of the Constitution has
never even been guessed at in figures much less
| told. and for the first time the story came
vaguely to-day in the wonderful performances
| 'i the DOat- Ihe Constitution left her mOOrings
at 80 a. m, when the wind in the harbor was
| light out Of the north. and the Columbia soon
| followed out in company with the big schooner
Sea Fox. w. o. Gays I0-footer Athene w x
| Nanderbilt's Virginia. Mr.. Walters Narada
Colonel Payne's Aphrodite the schooner I.ucflIa
the steam yacht Parthenia the Tara the Uvira
| the Eugenia, the Aileen, the cara and a large
following fleet OF sailing yachts. headed by the
gunboat training ship Newport The Indepen-
ra-7
| Half at the wheel. and after her jib and fore
| sail were sent up in stops and broken out at
| 1880 O'Clock the Boston boat went off on the
| starboard tack and headed around for the Bren-
| ton Reef Lightship Here the race committee
on board the steam yacht May moved the start
ing lire out five miles. the wind being southwest
| and the wish being to send the yachts dead to
windward on the first leg and TO keep them clear
of all headlands. When the mark tug anchored
the catboat at the intended starting line the
committee, headed by Herman B. Duryea the
chairman. signalled the triangular as fol-
lows: D. F. N (southwest). D. c. G. (east by
south). and d. c. s north nerthwest).
The first gun was fired Has a. m. there
being then hardly enough wind to steer the
boats. The committee yacht May owned by
Commodore A Van Rensselaer, anchored TO
make the windward mark The Independence
was now Surthest from the windward end and
the Constitution came down to Ieeward OF the
line and gybed The Columbia stayed to wind
ward of the May and the Independence came in
and turned in the same spot as the warning gun
went off at 11:50. Here the Columbia went
into the starboard tack TO get to windward OF
the Independence. but the Boston boat came
about ahead of her and retained her windward
| berth
HOW THEY STARTED.
All were carrying jibtopsaTs. The Constftu-
| tba Jipa by-O
and had to run down TO leeward inside the line
At thirty seconds before the gun. the Indepen-
! dence began to round up the windward end OF
the line. and then the gun fired at IL :55 and
the Constitution crossed at 11:55:26. far down
the line. The Columbia spun quickly and slipped
in between the Independence and the stern OF
the May crossing at 11:j6.01. The Indepen-
derce timed at 11:56:22, and crossed when
blanketed by the Columbia. Both these boats
to windward had little way on and though in
a good position could not get out to where the
Constitution moving at a fair pace The
latter tackled to port minute and a half after
crossing. and she had the legs TO plank her
self to wndward of both of them as they came
out. With half her crew placed on the lee side
she came about to the starbOard tack and prac-
tically they never knew her again.
The Columbia then began to out from
the Independence and the Boston boat. being
hopelessly blanketed by both the others. payed
| off to get a good full TO sail out from under
meath it. There was heavy dead roll coming
| out of the south. and the wind was southwest,
so that the boats did better when they We're on
| the port tack the starboard tack taking them
| straight into the ocean roll. The Independence
was therefore hitting water pretty hard she
bore away to get clear of the others. which she
was soon able to do. though her leeward footing
| was a bit expensive. II is true that she
sometimes stopped good deal by heavy seas,
| or a succession of them, but il could not be seen
| that she was hurt any more or even as much
the others The tremendous fiat floor OF her
great forward overhang prevented her from div
ing beyond a certain point when the floating
| power of the Overhang got to work
The leaner Columbia took the head roll worst
of the three. She has not the same supporting
mower forward as the other two. and she plunged
deeply At time ii was seen that her entire
bowsprit was under water. which perhaps meant
that she had good deal of water on the for
ward decks When the Boston people saw the
| Independence footing ahead they were delighted.
not reckoning that this was leeward sailing. but
10 give the big raceabout her due 1t must be
; added that in this first part of the it
! min and tuck between her and the Columbia for
! a long time. Shortly after the start all
headed away' on the starbOard tack. the Consti-
tuition was five lengths TO windward of the CO.
1uubia and increasing the lead all the time
. and there was about six lengths difference be-
tween the Columbia and the independence. the
, | latter being out ahead though 10 leeward. She
pointed up better after she got clear of the
| b,anket and held about even with the Columbia
TIE Constitution at 12:14 was going out fast
, to vvindward of the others. and at 1920 was a
o,artar of n mile nearly dead TO windWard OF