The New York herald., 1870-03-23
The Yacht Americn,s Trophy.

/
We give to-day, in another part Of the paper,
| a document Of some interest in yachting an
nals--namely, the speech of Commodore Ste
vens, made upon his return home after the trip
to Europe with the America. How viyidly
this speech recalls the spirit Of the time when
! it was spoken our readers can Judge for them
selves. II is scarcely possible to 90 over the
! Commodore's words and not be awakened to
| the most active interest in the great event he
! describes, and TO feel the iveliest sympathy
| with our cOuntrymen in their struggle and the
deepest pride in their triumph. In the few
graphic sentences in which he touches the pre-
| liminary brush with the Laverock, upon the
Americas first arrival near Cowes, as well as
| in his happy description Of the great day of
| contest, when hundred yachts were under
weigh in and about the barbor, he is every
where the true gentleman, yachtman and
| patriot that all remember him. Since there is
just now some discussion of race for the cup
| the America won we have thought it might be
! timely to refer the public mind to the circum-
stances of the first race for that cup, and to
] fresh the spirit Of yachtmen with the Commo-
| dore's own graphic view Of noble piece Of
| international sport.
Mr.. Ashbury, owner Of the English yacht
! Cambria, wrote in a letter, dated November
| A., 1869, that he then aud thereby gave the
| required six months notice of his intention to
race for the Americas cup. He gave that
| notice in the supposition that he might cross
! the Atlantic in March. His notice would then
| have been good for the middle of May this
year. AS, however, he does not cross the
Atlantic until four months later we suppose
his notice for the Americas cup viii be under
stood as moved forward an equivalent time,
| since The contest for that trophy is one incen-
tive to his visit. The gentleman having thus
! given due notice, and having also forwarded to
the Secretary of the New York Yacht Club, in
a letter dated July 20, 1869, a certificate Of
| the fact that he would come as the representa-
tive of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, it only
remains that the parties should arrange the
terms Of the race. In the conditions on which
the cup is held 1t is stipulated that s'the par
| ties desiring to sail for the cup may make any
match with the yacht club in possession of the
same that may be determined upon by mutual
consent" Here it appears that the cup
may be made subject to the Issue Of
a Snatch race" which in this sense is
a race Of two yachts, and the only
sanction such race needs is ''mutual consent"
| to its terms on the part Of the holders and the
! challenger Mr.. Ashbury seems to have fixed
his attention rather closely upon this freedom
] to snake any match," and to have neglected
| the reference to mutual consent" Perhaps
he was even a little precipitate With terms.
He said :-'T propose that your club select its
! champion schooner, Of q tonnage not to exceed
| ten per cent of the Thames measurement Of tho
| Cambria. would then at an early date
race the said vessel round Long Island, two
races out of three to decide as to the cham
| pionship and the final possession Of the
| Americas cup In all his subsequent COM
muncations he refers TO this point as settled,
speaking Of ''your selected vessel" 'syour
champion schooner" SC.
In thus hastily assuming this fact he has,
however, coupled his proposed match race
with conditions that we cannot suppose will
| be mutually agreeable. He, for instance, Pc
remptorily rules out all centre-board boats !;
| he also rules out all boats above a certain
| size. He, moreover, seems inclined to specify
| in what waters the race shall take place and
what rules it shall be sailed by. lie rules out
centre board boats, for q reason satisfactory to
| himself, but one that will hardly find favor
here, the more especially as these boats have
| an excellent fame in the New York Yacht
! Club. His reason is that centre board boats
| are not permitted to enter for prizes given by
the Royal Yacht Squadron, and as the
| Americas cup was originally ''won at Cowes
under tl.e rules Of the Royal Yacht Squadron,
il thereby follows that these rules are binding
| here, and that, therefore, 'sno centre board
vessel can compete against the Cambria in
this particular race" We, however, do not
see that this follows. But here we find Mr..
Ashbury somewhat Inconsistent. Does he
| really mean that the rules under which the
+, cup was won at Cowes must govern in regard
. to it now? This is what he seems to say in
ruling out centre board boats as ''nere racing
machines" What, then, does he mean by all
that he has said in regard to ruling out boats
above certain tonnage. and by all the discus
| sion he started in regard to Thames measure
ment and other systems Of measurement for
sscertaining the size of yachts ? Is he igno-
rant that size was no element in the race
Mt Cowcs-that the emp was prize ''for
yachts Of all nations, without regard to differ
ence Of tonnage:"
1t needs but little consideration of the view
the challenger takes of this race to see that his
| terms can never be fixed by mutual consent, "
and this fact will perhaps render it impossible
to contest the possession of the cupby match
race. This contingency is distinctly and de-
fnitely provided for in the conditions of the