Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-29
RELIANCE LEADS
The Old Defender Columbia by
8 Min, q Sec.
Constitution Disabled, Losing Top
mast and Going Out of Race.
Lipton's Fleet, Four Vessels and ITO
Men, Sails for States.

New York. May 2S.-The Constitu-
TONS hoodoo almost spoiled the race of
The trio of cup defence candidates in
Long Island sound, today. After sail
| ing nine miles of the first leg of the
race the Constitutions topmast was
carried away in a little puff of wind
and with her top hamper hanging in a
mess, she was out of it for the day.
When the accident occurred the Con-
|stitution was half mile behind the Re-
Iliance and was leading the Columbia
| by an equal distance.
Reliance and Columbia finished the
race. but it had become procession,
| for Columbia was never formidable af-
| ter the first five miles had been sailed.
| Reliance crossed the finish line a win
| ner by 8 minutes and q seconds over
| the former favorite. Constitution had
sailed q game race until the accident
and had been handled skilfully but had
been unable to hold the slick Reliance.
| After bit of jOckeying at the start
| ing line, Capt. Rhodes had put the Con-
lstitution in the position he coveted on
the Windward quarter of the Reliance,
though Capt. Barr had sent the Re-
lance the whole length of the starting
| line clear to the mark opposite the COM
mittee boat before he would give way
and permit the Constitution to cross
and take that position. The luffing
game continued after the starting line
was crossed and until the Reliance's
superior speed had pulled her out of a
bad position. Then 20 minutes after
the start the two rivals kept off for the
turning mark. The Constitution was
carrying u big balloon jib topsail, while
| the other boats wore smaller reaching
tones.
Reliance had drawn away half mile
| on the Constitution when the latter
| felt the disastrous puff. The starboard
upper spreader which stiffened the top
mast gave way and the hollow wooden
| topmast snapped off eight feet above
the mainmasthead. The broken spar,
| together with the clubtopsail pole, the
| balloon jib topsail and the topmast rig
| ging hung suspended by the club top
sail, which hung across the main hal
yards. The topsail was torn half across
| its width by the falling gear but none
of the spars had struck the deck.
The yacht was hove to and the
wreckage quickly cleared away. August
Belmont, her managing owner, who
was on board, said that the Constitu-
tons spare topmast was in Bristol and
that he did not expect to get it in time
to sail in Saturdays race. No one had
been injured. Cleared of the wreckage,
the Constitution came limping under
her own sails.
Reliance beat the Columbia, 4 min
utes and SO seconds on the first leg
and 80 seconds on the last leg. The
last leg was long slant, close hauled
| fetching the finish line without a tack
or pinching too closely into the wind
| 1t was the prcttiest spectacle of the
| day, for the wind had freshened to
| IL knots and the Reliance had her lee
rail down into the froth and was reel
| ing off II knots to the hour, while the
prince of former years dragged q mile
and a half astern. Reliance had beaten
her minutes and 5 seconds on that
| leg.