Columbia was the defender of the tenth America's Cup

America's Cup

The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...

 race in 1899 against British challenger Shamrock

Shamrock (yacht)

Shamrock was the unsuccessful Irish challenger for the 10th America's Cup in 1899 against the United States defender, Columbia.-Design:Shamrock was designed by third-generation Scottish boatbuilder, William Fife III, Jr., and built in 1898 by J...

 as well as the defender of the eleventh America's Cup race in 1901 against British challenger, Shamrock II. It was the first vessel to win the trophy twice in a row (a record not equalled until Intrepid

Intrepid (yacht)

The Intrepid is a 12-metre class yacht which won the America's Cup in 1967 and again in 1970.-Design:Intrepid was designed by Olin Stephens, and was built of double-planked mahogany on white oak frames. She featured important innovations both above and below the waterline. The rudder was separated...

s back-to-back wins in 1967 and 1970.)

Design

Columbia, a fin keel sloop, was designed and built in 1898-9 by Nathanael Herreshoff

Nathanael Herreshoff

Nathanael Greene Herreshoff I , was an American naval architect-mechanical engineer. "Captain Nat," as he was known, revolutionized yacht design, and produced a succession of undefeated America's Cup defenders between 1893–1920....

 and the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company for owners J. Pierpont Morgan and Edwin Dennison Morgan of the New York Yacht Club

New York Yacht Club

The New York Yacht Club 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. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ...

. It was the third winning defender built by Herreshoff.

Columbia had a nickel steel frame, a tobin bronze

Tobin Bronze

Tobin Bronze was an Australian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse who competed with great success during the 1960's.A chestnut son of Arctic Explorer from the Masthead mare Amarco he proved to be a crowd favourite due to his stunning good looks and winning 24 of his 44 Australian race starts.His...

 hull, and a steel mast (later replaced with one of Oregon pine.)

Career

Columbia was launched on June 10, 1899. It easily won the elimination trials against the rebuilt former defender, Defender

Defender (yacht)

Defender was the 1895 America's Cup defender.-Design:Defender was designed by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff and built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in 1895. It was Herreshoff's second victorious America's Cup defender design....

. Skippered by Charlie Barr

Charlie Barr

Charlie Barr , was an accomplished sailing skipper who captained the winning yacht in the America's Cup three times.-Early life:...

, it won all three races against the British defender, Shamrock

Shamrock (yacht)

Shamrock was the unsuccessful Irish challenger for the 10th America's Cup in 1899 against the United States defender, Columbia.-Design:Shamrock was designed by third-generation Scottish boatbuilder, William Fife III, Jr., and built in 1898 by J...

 in the 1899 America's Cup

America's Cup

The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...

. Notably, Hope Goddard Iselin

Hope Goddard Iselin

Hope Goddard Iselin was an American sportswoman who was the first woman to compete as a crew member in the America's Cup yacht race. She also owned thoroughbred racehorses....

 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 it was badly beaten in the selection trials by the yacht Reliance

Reliance (yacht)

Reliance was the 1903 America's Cup defender, the fourth America's Cup defender from the famous designer Nat Herreshoff, and reportedly the largest gaff-rigged cutter ever built....

.

Columbia was cut up for scrap in 1913 at City Island

City Island, Bronx

City Island is a small island approximately 1.5 mi long by .5 mi wide. At one time attached to the town of Pelham, Westchester County, it is now part of the New York City borough of the Bronx. As of the 2000 census the island had a population of 4,520. Its land area is 1.023 km²...

.

Specifications

• Overall length: 40.15 m
• Length at water line: 27.25 m
• Beam
  Beam (nautical)
  The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
  
   (width): 7.39 m
• Draft
  Draft (hull)
  The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
  
  : 5.97 m
• Displacement
  Displacement (fluid)
  In fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its place. The volume of the fluid displaced can then be measured, as in the illustration, and from this the volume of the immersed object can be deduced .An object that sinks...
  
  : 148.7 tonnes
• Sail area: 1189 m²