The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-07
Wind Was Light and There Were No
Exciting Incidents at Any
Time During the Race.
FAILURE OF INDEPENDENCE
A SORE DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE
FRIENDS OF MIR. LAWSON.
Pounded Heavily in the Open Sea and
Could Make Little Headway
When the Breeze Waned.

NEWPORT, r. l., July San unquallneo
victory for the Constitution, an overwhelm-
ing defeat for the Independence, a most
commendable showing for the old cham
pion, the Columbia, is the record of the
first days contest of the big sloops in the
Newport Yacht Racing Associations series.
From the firing of the starting gun, which
sent the yachts off TO windward in light
easterly breeze, the Constitution held her
rivals. 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 Herreshoff yacht
showed her greatest strength, beating Co.
lumbia over eight minutes in the fifteen
miles down the wind. and when the new
champion of the Americas cup swept
across the line the Boston yacht was over
seven miles astern.
Owing to the lightness of the wind, there
was no brilliant or dramatic scene TO chron
icle. The race lacked the charm that at
tends a scupper breeze, but it was never
theless full of interesting. if not exciting.
events. The chief incident of the contest
was, of course, the failure of the Inde-
pendence 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 during 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 demonstrate that
she possessed fraction of that speed
which she seemed to have shown when
sailing by herself
That she may be vastly improved is pos
sible, but that she profoundly disappointed
her friends to-day cannot be concealed, for
it was in light winds that her excellence
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.
So far as the Constitutions success was
concerned, IL was no more than was ex-
pected of her by those who have watched
her keenly since her launch. Handled
splendidly and with rare judgment, but not
in the least better than Columbia, her SUI
perior size and bigger sail plan told. The
boasts of some experts that Nat Herreshoff
had reached his limit when he designed the
Columbia are not justified by to-days race
Whether the Columbia will beat the Con-
stitution in hard weather remains to be
proved.
The Columbia was sailed in a most mer-
the arts of the professional sea jockey
were practiced by Barr, the sailing mas
ter, and Mr.. E. ID. Morgan, the manager
to overcome their abler opponent. That
they should have kept the inferior boat so
close to her superior antagonist in the race
to the outer mark was wonderful piece
of work. That the Constitution is by far
the better all-around boat, let it blow high
or low, is hardly to be doubted after her
showing to-day. The following table shows
the race in figures:
Cor
Elapsed rected
Start. Finish Time Time
Constitution ..12:IO:02 5:4s:0S 5:3s:oS 5:3s:o6
Columbia ......l2:l0:lI 5;5y:29 6:49:2 5.4I 90
Independence .l2:l2:00
'Did not finish within limit
Thus, on corrected time, Constitution
beats Columbia by nine minutes forty nine
seconds over the whole course. On the first
leg of the course, the beat to windward,
Constitution beat Columbia one minute ff-
ty-eight seconds. On the run home Consti-
tuition beat Columbia nine minutes eight
seconds Constitution won by eleven min
utes six seconds on elapsed time. Consti-
tuition allowed independence forty-three
seconds and Columbia seventy-seven sec
onds.
Times at the outer mark: Constitution.
3:43:35; Columbia, 3:45:5S.
Mr.. Duncan, the manager of the Consti-
tuition, came ashore at the Yacht Club in
his launch just before o'clock this even
ing. When asked If he had anything to
say about the victory Of his boat, he SIM
ply stated that all on board were thor
oughly satisfied with her performance Ev-
erything worked TO perfection The Con-
stitution is all ready for the second race
on Monday. She will probably remain at
her moorings tomorrow, and her crew will
be given a rest.
The independence was back in the harbor
about O'Clock. nearly an hour after the
other two yachts had caught their moor
ings. Mr. Croninshield left the yacht at
that time. being taken ashore in a launch.
Soon after the Independence was moored
Mr.. Lawson went aboard from the Decatur
and had chat with Captain Half. No
one on the Boston boat would talk for pub
lication. Mr.. Chapman, private secretary
had any comment. to make. He added that
the Independence would be ready for an
other race on Monday. No one on board
the yacht seemed particularly depressed
over the poor showing of the yacht, treat
ing the matter as the result OF hard luck.