The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-05-03
.hs SemtimeI.
Tne Queens Cup.

In addition to the competitive trials oil
ali kinds incidental TO the celebration OF
our Centennial, there will be, some time
during the summer, another race for the
famous Queens Cup" The owner of the
Countess DufferiD, a noble yacht of 22l
tons, Just completed at Toronto, bas
thrown down the gauntlet to the New York
Yacht Club, a challenge that club is bound
to accept. Eore properly, the owner OF the
Canadian yacht has taken up the gauntlet
which the club, by the simple circum-
stance of holding the cup, has thrown
down to the yachtsmen OF all nations.
The history OF the "Queen's Cup" is OF
no little interest, but is possibly not
familiar to all our readers. In 1851
Oueen Victoria presented a beaut.-
full and costly silver vase to the yacht
winning in the race to be sailed around
the Isle of Wight, competition to be open
under certain stipulations to all corners.
These stipulations were that all compel
ing vessels should be schooneIs; that they
should be members of some recognized
Yacht club, and that the prize should go to
the custody Of the club to which the win
ming yacht belonged, there to be held in
like manner open to the challenge of any
schooner yacht belonging to recognized
club. Thus the mere fact of holding the
cup would be in itself general defiance to
"come and take it,"
The same year Mr.. Henry Storms built
his yacht America, and with Commodore
Stevens dsuntlessly crossed the Atlantic
to enter the lists with his British cousins
The result is well known. The saucy little
America distsnced everything In the race
and reached the goal without
single one OF her two dozen big competi-
tors even in sight. England was mortified
and sghsss, and America proportionstely
exultant. The sstonished British yachts
men FASTENED to alter their vessels, and
make them conform as much as possible to
the lines and rigging of the stranger, while
irrepressible Punch soothed the feelings of
the disappointed in the following strain:
Yankee Doodle had a craft.
n rather tidy clipper;
And he challenged, while they laughed.
The PIitisheTs 10 whip her.
Their whole yacht squadron she outsped
Al d that In their own water;
OF the whole fleet she went ahead,
And they came nowhere arter."
The coveted prize went OF course
to the New York Yacht club, to
which the victor belonged, and Tor
eighteen years remained undisturbed, no
foreign yschtsmsn having, after the event
- h
to sail for il.
In 1863, however, Mr.. Ashbury, the owner
of the English yacht, Cambria, gave the
proper notice that he would eDdeavor to
wrest the cup from its keepers, and, &C
cordingly, brought his vessel to this cour-
try for that purpose. In the race which
followed Mr.. Ashpury did not win back
the cup his queen had given. On the con-
trsry ten American yachts stood between
him and the prize, for he came in eleventh
in a fleet of seventeen. Even the old
America beat him by more than a mile, and
the gallant little Magic, one-thIrd her size
ard tie smallest of them all, led the entire
squadron.
Mr.. Ashbury returned to England disap-
poin ed, but apparently not discouraged;
for, with pluck verify of true tar, he
came back the next year with new yacht,
the Livonis, built expressly to win that
cup. A new plan for the campaign was
agreed upon, and accordingly, instead of
sailing one race against the whole New
York feet, he sailed series of six matches
against as many single boats. He YVES
defeated in four out of these six, the New
Workers retained the cup, and Mr.. Ash
bury went home very much disguised with
American yachts. From then until now
the bone of contention has remained un-
dis " bed, and il the Countess Dufierin
succeeds in carrying 1t off next summer
she will do so by very good sailing and
very clever sea0anshjp.
Whatever reverses our osrsmen msy
have met with abroad have been fully
omperssted for by the successes of
our yachts. Mr.. Douglass queenly
Ssppho beat everything she sailed against,
and is to-day, without doubt, the fas test
sailing vessel in the world. On one occa-
sion, when an international regatta was
being held by French club a, Hsvre, she
weighed anchor half an hour after the rae
ing Ase., sailed completely around it, and
had been quietly moored at her anchorage
for hours when the first OF the racers came
in. More recently Mr.. Loubat took his
schooner Enchsntress abroad to measure
lengths with foreign craft, but repeated
Ill - ~. aAIr IA
failed to bring out one that dared to try
her mettle. Mr.. Loubat afterwards went
on a cruise up the Baltic and met with a
most distinguished reception at the courts
Of sf Pafarshnrn and Sfoekho