The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-03

five Minutes st the FIRST MARI 'en
stitution Drifts 20 the Front. but is
Again Passed by the Old Champion
New Beats sails Not sauisf actor.
NEWPORT. Sept. 2-For Ave hours and a
hall the Constitution and Columbia sailed
today trying to cover n course thirty
miles In length. They had succeeded In
rettins within two miles and a half OF the
fnishing line when the time limit expired
and they were towed in. The trial was an
unsatisfactory one from all point- Of view
The wind was 30 light that at times the
yachts hardly had steerage way. and the
Columbia again showed that she h . better
beat than the new Yacht This. too. was
demonstrated m weather that has always
shown tho Constitution at her best. The
course was triangular. ten miles 20 a Veg
The first Veg was laid TO windward and the
wind was not stronger than five knots an
hour al the start. On the first leg u hauled
q couple Of points and then backed 20 its
original quarter. A. one time II breesed
up % about a seven-knot strength. hut
then died away again. and when the second
mark was reached there was a 'Paddys
hurricane and there was not a ripple on
the water.
The start was delayed for an hour and a
half waiting for the wind 90 settle. and when
Il gave promise OF holding the COMMITTEES
gave the usual signals. The yachts ma
nruvred for position n Capt. Rhodes
placed the Constitution successfully on
the weather Of the Columbia. but Capt
Rarr was able 20 get tho Columbia on ever
,crms with the Constitution and both crossed
the line at the same time. II was a very
pretty piece Of handling on the par 81
each skipper.
With the Constitution In the wind ward
position. the wind light and ths sea smooth
Is was expected that she would at once
show some Of her early form and draw away
from the Columbia. but che did not. She
pointed fully m high a. the Columbia. but
that boat lifted out Co windwsrd with every
pun and after two minutes sailing the Con
%s,itution took the port tack and the Col
umbia a few seconds later followed and
had taken the weather position from the
Constitution.
They held tho port tack for twenty three
minutes. and to wine hauled moro to tho
south, giving a slight lift 20 the Columbia
For some time the wind was very fuky.
hauling and backing a point or two. and each
boat tackled into every favoring pun The
Columbia gained all the time. and at the wind
ward mark she was leading by -four minute
fny-hve seconds They started on the
s~cond leg with bag jib topsails TO reach
the ten miles. but when half she leg had
been sailed the wind backed enough to
enable HON 90 carry balloon jib topsails On
this leg the Constitution a a gain of
twenty-five seconds. which was due To
her getting the frst OF q fre>hening breeze.
which, however, died away again before
they reached the second mark. A. this
mark the Columbia, after gybins. set y
~spinnaker to port. II was guyed well
forward and u did not draw At all. Capt.
Rhodes prohted by this. and although
the Constitutions spinnaker pole Was
lowered the big sail was not us>d. The
Constitution lured out to ~windwsrd 81
the Columbia and was slowly picking her
w. Then the C~olumbis's ~spinnakar was
lowered. and with hardly any wind. hut
with a favonng tide. tho two drifted to-
ward tho lghtship. The Constitution i'm
proved her position. and NJ SIS o'cloc
she passed the Columbia and drew ahead
until she Ld by about a quarter Of a mile
There seemed very little pro.pect Of tho
race being finished within the time limit.
hut shortly after g O'Clock the wind freshened
and the Columbia soon drew up on the
Constitution add she was again the leading
boat ut - O'Clock The wind had come
too late. and when tho time limit expired
at $50 O'Clock tho Columbia was leading
by about a third OF a mile, and she was two
and a half miles from the finishing line
The two yachts were lowed In and " was
dark when they reached their monring-
N Constitution seems g. have lost her
light weather sailing qualities. and every
one il wondering what l. the matter with
the yacht. Nat Hcrreshof was on board
during the race and everything that could
he lone To make the yacht 90 was tired.
When the Constitution anne 10 the line
Der sails were in good shape and appeared
better than they did on Saturday. This
vas probably duo To the damp weather
shrinking the cloth, hut ust a. soon A. shs
struck into the warm air and they hegan
to dry out thcy went badly out 81 SHAPE.
The draft in the mainsai slowly worked aft
until .he had n gag almost two-thirds ~
the way on from the luh Tho peak
dropped down and sagged OF This played
havoc with the boat and she hegan To fall
on. The jill and stayrails also suffered
hy the drying-out process. and hefor" half
the windward leg va finished th"~" sails
were badly Tapping OH the after teaches
II looked a. " they wanted jogging up;
certainly the reak did The sails 81 IN"
Columbia throughout tho race -et TO per
fection and were properly trimmed Con-
siitution's balloon was trimmed better to-
day than " was on Saturday, tho sheet
heing well lifted. and her skipper showed
good Judgment ~ tho SECOND mark when
he refused to follow Barr In setting a spin
maker.
Tn. rain - sunday had cleared away
when yachtsmen prepared for the rac~
to-day Clouds hung In the sky which
rrr~ened tho suns rays and n nicc wind
from the northeast gave prumi-e 81 a good
DAYS sport While aunche- from tn"
many steam vachts IN tho hRTbor were
running to and from tho club station. taking
ui, visitors and guests for tho day. M"
sailors on tho CONSTITUTION and Columbia
werc busy making ready for the mce
Tho covers werH taken ~ the mainSatlS
and a. q ~ o'clock tho crew 81 IA. Columbia
took hold ol thu halliaris and the hig main
ssil slowly l-gan o. slida up the fnnsi
cant Hhod.s WAS NJ work only n frW min
,I,~s after the Columbia and tho two main
sAils were hoisied alS,ut the same tiinc
When tho club t~nIrails Wei" sent alon
n was -son that each oaptatn had selected
a sail 81 medium sisr Head sails were
up w. stops Mr. " II duncan. Jr and
Nat Il.rr--hof. Who had cusn. from Bristol
On the Early incoming train. Ralph y Pills
n ML - ~ N--N