''Columbia'' was an American racing yacht built in 1899 for the
America's Cup races. She was the defender of the tenth America's Cup race that same year against British challenger
''Shamrock'' as well as the defender of the eleventh America's Cup race in 1901 against British challenger ''
Shamrock II''. She was the first vessel to win the trophy twice in a row (a record not equaled until ''
Intrepid''s back-to-back wins in 1967 and 1970.)
Design
''Columbia'', a
fin keel sloop, was designed and built in 1898-99 by
Nathanael Herreshoff and the
Herreshoff Manufacturing Company for owners
J. Pierpont Morgan and
Edwin Dennison Morgan 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 the third successful defender built by Herreshoff.
''Columbia'' had a
nickel steel
Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow to r ...
frame, a
tobin bronze hull, and a steel mast (later replaced with one of
Oregon pine
The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are thre ...
.)
Career
''Columbia'' was launched on June 10, 1899. She easily won the elimination trials against the rebuilt former defender, ''
Defender''. Skippered by
Charlie Barr
Charles Barr (11 July 1864 – 24 January 1911), was an accomplished sailing skipper who three times captained winning America's Cup yachts.
Early life
Charlie Barr was born in Gourock, Scotland in 1864 and first apprenticed as a grocer before ...
, she won all three races against the British challenger, ''Shamrock'', in the 1899 America's Cup. Notably,
Hope Goddard Iselin was the only female on the crew, serving as afterguard.
''Columbia'' was selected again in 1901 to defend the Cup, and again under the command of Charlie Barr, won all three races against ''Shamrock II''.
In 1903 ''Columbia'' was refitted with the hope of being selected for a third time, but she was badly beaten in the selection trials by the yacht ''
Reliance''.
''Columbia'' was broken up in 1915 at
City Island and sold to
Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company owned an iron works in Philadelphia.
The company was established by Henry Adam Hitner and incorporated on 28 December 1906. It purchased many retired United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the mar ...
of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
for
scrap.
Today, the mast sits in the Forest Hills Gardens neighborhood of New York City in a park known as "Flagpole Green."
References and external links
America's Cup's Ac-clopaediaThe 19th Century Yacht Photography of J.S. JohnstonHope Iselin - 32nd America's Cup
America's Cup defenders
Individual sailing vessels
Yachts of New York Yacht Club members
Sailboat type designs by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff
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