Waterbury Democrat., 1901-07-24
1T LIGHT HOUSE POINT
The Two Big Racing Yachts
 Having Another Trial.

The New York Club Fleet Made Run to New London-The Breeze Ill the Early Morning Was Very Light The Yachts Started at 11:04. and After Going Two Miles Columbia Was Leading
 New Haven, July 24.-BreeZes of all | kinds except the very Hghtest seemed | to have sunk back into the traditional cave of the winds when the New 1ofk | club fleet bestirred itself this morning l for the days run of thirty nine miles to l New London. There was not enough air to blow out the pennants at the l mast head. The sea was like polished 1 glass. only cracked here and there by l the wake of some naptha launch hur- rying back to the feet from the city. When yesterdays fickle breeze left | the fleet last night, most of the old weather vanes along shore were point | ing northeast and it was from that quarter this morning that the first pull came some two hours after sunrise. It was nothing more than puff at first and hardly disturbed the water. It was an hour or two before it gained force enough to change the glassy sur face of the sound into the faintest blue. Fortunately last nights breeze lasted long enough to wait the last of the | fleet to an anchorage, so that when | Commodore Ledyard came on deck this morning, he found his entire fleet clus- tered about the flagship with the long mast of the Constitution towering above all others. Although the water | in the harbor is not particularly deep,
 MT Duncan sent the new cup defend CT right in yesterday afternoon much l to the delight of the New Haven peo- ple who ffocked down in every conceiv-
 able sort of craft to gaze at the racer.
 The Columbia, however, did not
 come in but anchored behind the out
 side breakwater. The fleet of small a mile south of the New Haven light
 house was large this morning.
 At 10:35 the yachts in the schooner class were sent across the starting line five minutes after the smaller boats
 were started. The Constitution is nov
 ing about the starting line under her
 mainsail, while the Columbia is still
 near her moorings.
 The start of the Constitution and Co lumbia was made at 11:O4 as timed from this station and they appeared
 from this angle to cross the line nearly together, though it looked as if the Columbia were quarter of minute ahead. As viewed from here the start was one of the prettiest imaginable,
 and the jockeying for position was su perb, the Columbia seeming to have little the best of it. Both yachts cross
 ed within thirty seconds of the start ing gun, with the Columbia in wind ward position. They are now on the starboard tack speeding along with a
 good tenknot breeze, apparently com
 ing from the south-southwest.
 As the big yachts disappeared from view, they seemed to have made no perceptible change in their relative
 positions, the Columbia apparently
 holding the slight advantage gained at the start.
 The steam yachts of the fleet are | leaving, while the small craft which
 started first have passed below the hori-
 zon with big sloDps fast following. After the yachts had travelled about 1 two miles, the Columbia was appar- aentiy leading by about one-eighth of | a-mile.