Columbia (1871 yacht)

The Columbia was an American racing yacht designed by William Townsend and built in 1871 by the Samuel Hartt yard in Wilmington, Delaware. She was commissioned by a syndicate of members of the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) to compete in the second America's Cup challenge, held off Staten Island, New York.

Columbia was a centerboard schooner designed under the "American" system of measurement, which differed significantly from the British system, giving American boats an advantage in the rating rules. She was constructed of wood and featured a relatively shallow draft, optimized for the conditions of the New York Harbor.

In the 1871 America's Cup, Columbia successfully defended the trophy against the British challenger Livonia, owned by James Ashbury. The races were marred by controversy and poor weather conditions. After winning the first two races, Columbia was damaged in a storm, and the NYYC controversially substituted Sappho, another of their yachts, for the remaining races. Sappho won the subsequent two races, securing the Cup for the United States.

While Columbia played a crucial role in defending the America's Cup, the substitution controversy remains a point of discussion in the history of the event. Columbia's design and performance were indicative of the prevailing trends in American yacht design at the time, favoring shallow-draft centerboard schooners for their versatility in challenging sailing conditions.