''Columbia'' was one of the two yachts to successfully defend the second

America's Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one f ...

race in 1871 against English challenger ''Livonia''.

Design

''Columbia'' was a wooden

centerboard A centreboard or centerboard (US) is a retractable hull appendage which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a ''centreboard trunk'' (UK) or ''centerboard case'' (US). The retractability allows the centreboard to be raised t ...

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

designed and built in 1871 by J. B. Van Deusen in

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester is ...

for owner

Franklin Osgood Franklin Osgood (December 24, 1828January 13, 1888) was a 19th-century businessman and yachtsman. He was one of the most experienced yachtsman having sailed for more than 23 years. He was owner and manager of the racing yachts Widgeon (pilot boa ...

of the

New York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...

. She was later purchased by Henry M. Flagler.

Career

Skippered by Andrew J. Comstock, ''Columbia'' won the first two 1871 best-of-seven races against ''Livonia''. She was beaten by ''Livonia'' in the third race, in which ''Columbia,'' damaged from the second race, was skippered by Horatio Nelson "Nelse" Comstock. She was the first America's Cup defender to concede a win to the challenger. As ''Columbia'' was further damaged in this third race, she was unable to compete in the final races. The yacht ''

Sappho Sappho (; el, Σαπφώ ''Sapphō'' ; Aeolic Greek ''Psápphō''; c. 630 – c. 570 BC) was an Archaic Greek poet from Eresos or Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. Sappho is known for her Greek lyric, lyric poetry, written to be sung while ...

'' substituted and won the America's Cup for the second time for the U.S. Comstock continued as master of the ''Columbia'' after the yacht was sold to New York actor

Lester Wallack John Johnstone Wallack (January 1, 1820, New York City – September 6, 1888, Stamford, Connecticut), was an American actor-manager and son of James William Wallack and Susan Johnstone. He used the stage name John Lester until October 5, 1858, ...

in 1872. Wallack updated the staterooms and cabins and enjoyed sailing the ''Columbia'' when he was not acting in New York.

End of career

''Columbia'' ended her racing career in 1908, when she was dismasted and used as a

houseboat A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Most houseboats are not motorized as they are usually moored or kept stationary at a fixed point, and often tethered to land to provide utilities. How ...

in Brooklyn Harbor on the

East River The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Queens ...

. Three years later she was rebuilt and sailed as a cruiser out of

Newport News, VA Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...

. In 1920, ''Columbia'' was bought by a fisherman. She was declared lost in 1923.

External links

America's Cup

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Columbia (1871 Yacht) America's Cup defenders Individual sailing vessels Yachts of New York Yacht Club members 1871 in sports 1871 ships