The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-09-19
AFAMOUS CONTEST.
HOW THE AMERICAN oUTsTRIPPED
THE BRITISH YACHTS IN 81.
WINNING TmF FAMOUS CUP OFFERED BY THE
ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON VICTORY
IN WHICH THERE WAS
mo SECOND"

American cup was won by inc
yacht America against the whole
fleet of British yachts is most
interesting one, and it is made all
the more so from the circumstance
that in all these thirty-four years
English yacht builders not have
been able to produce nor English
sailors sail yacht feet enough to
wrest the cup away from its captors.
And what adds even greater interest
is that in most of the races of late
years for its re-posscssion the fam
Gus old craft which origionally won
it in 1851 has entered the lists and
herself easily vanquished the crack
vessels sent over to seize it. This
proves conclusively that in the
science of ship modelling and ship
sailing Americans are still ahead of
their British cousins.
The yacht Americas, the same
now owned by Gen. Butler, was
built in 1850 by the famous George
Steers, the most successful designer
of ships this country ever produced.
The famous California Clippers were
the creation of Steers genius, and
before his death he had completely
revolutionized American marine ar
chitecture. To him we owe the
beautiful, straight, sharp bows, the
long, sweeping lines and gracefully
rounded sterns which characterize
most American ships of to-day.
He died while still young, but had
he lived we might have been indebt-
ed to him for many other improve
ments in the science of the ship
building.
The America was built by Mr..
Steers by order of five New York
gentlemen, who intended to take
her to England and display her at
the Worlds fair of 1851 as an illus
tration of the progress made in ship
building in America. The gentle
men were Commodore J. c. Stevens
Edwin A. Stevens, builder of the
famous Stevens battery Hamilton
Wilkes, J, B. Finley and George l.
Schuyler. incidentally they meant
is possible, to secure an intemation
al match, though at the time the
Americas keel was laid they die
not know that the royal yacht
squadron had offered a cup to be
sailed for at Cowes, open to all ma
tons. When the America was fin
ished George Steers himself saileC
her to Havre, and in few week,
Commodore Stevens joined her ant
took command.
The appearance of the yacht at
tracted a great deal of attention il
England. Her beautiful model
her graceful lines, her cloud of can
vas, and, above all, her tremendou
heetness-strange tales of which ha,
reached the British ears-made al
the Cowes yachtsmen wary abOu
encouraging or eXceptingchallenges
Indeed, the American hovere,
about the British channel man
weeks before she had even nibbI
at her bait Finally Commodol
Stevens posted in the club house :
Cowlcs challenge to sail the Amcl
lea in a match against any BIRTHS
vessel whatever for any sum trol
1000 to 10000 guineas. This cha
lenge was left open till August, Is;
but no reply to it was receive
The only notice English yachtmC
would take to it was a polite rett
ence to the regatta of August 22n
and an Invitation to enter the Anne
lea there, as Stevens had right
do.
This was not satisfactory altoget
er, for the Commodore did not ca
to race all the yachts Of the roy
squadron to win a mere cup wor
$50 guineas, but finally, at the ci
nest request of Americans in FL
land and of many English who f
ashamed that they had no vac
owner of sufficient nerve to tack
the bold Yankee, he conscntt
The regatta took place August .
and there We're the crack yachts
the British squadron. The pr
was the famous cup offered by t
royal yacht squadron, and t
course lay around the Isle of Wig
Because Of the American entry tn
was a vast concourSe of people
witness it, even the queen runni
down in her yacht to see the fni
1t was the intention of the Anne
cans to give not only display
speed, but also of scamanship, a
so a crack crew was carried o
from New York. under charpp