Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-09-11
The international Yacht Race


Up to the year 1851, the Englishmen eX-
celled the world in the speed as well as
number of their sailing yachts. These were
numbered by hundreds--in 1850 there
were over SCrCn hundrCd English pleas
ure yachts of over forty tons burden-and
the English builders fattered themselves
that they had about reached perfection,
both in build and rig. And when i'll the
wear 1851, an American yacht appeared ut
Cowes to take part for the first time in
race open to all nations, they smiicd at the
hurdihood of their American cousins, and
had no more fear that the cup would
90 across the Atlantic than that it would 90
to the moon. But to their establishment
and that of all Europe the American yacht
won the race, with all ease, IN Il fair
contest, walking sQuarely away from all
her competitors, demonstrating her ~,pe-
riority to the satisfaction of al! beuOidcrS,
and openiug'the eyes of the itu-H~hueu
to the fact that England no longer rdled
the seas in the manly art a.i port Of
yachting That was the fam, Us schooner
Yacht America, built by George Steers,
and owned and sailed by Commodore
stevens of the New York Yacht club. In
build she had the conCave lines first intro
duced by American builders. She was II
shallower and broader craft than the Eng
lish racing Yachts, and her sails were laced
to the booms. in the Yankee fashion not
then adopted abroad, which gave Halter
surface to the sails and contributed
materially to her success. Many of our
readers remember the excitement and cX
ultation which prevailed throughout this
country, when the America brought back
the English cup. She is now owned by
Gen. b. f. Butler, makes her twelve miles
an hour with "A good breeze, and holds her
own well in a race, with all but the crack
modern sloops.
The Englishmen gave up that they
were beaten in rig; but have never gen
orally confessed that their build was not
the best They still cling to the narrow
and deep Gutter hull. and the race
which comes off next week will be cutter
against sloop-the latter term being now
a-days not confined to craft with IL sin
Gle mast but applied to the broad ana
comparatively shallow American hulls,
provided with IA centreboard or movable
/ keel
English yachtsmen have made several
attempts to regain the Americas cup, IN
the last thirty-four years hut it has been
steadily held for more than ii generation,
on this side of the water and there seems
to be little fear that it will be taken back
to England by the Genesta. The latter
was launched in May, 1854, ON the River
/ Clyde, and has a steel frame, with elm
and teak planking. She Is owned 10y Sir
Richard Sutton, Il member of an old Eng
fish family, always interested in sports.
| He sailed her in thirty-four races in Eng
/ fish waters last season, of which he won
seven, took second prize in eight and
third prize in two-the prizes amounting
to upwards of $1,000 and he has now
brought her to this country to try for the
Americas cup. There is no doubt that
she is admirably manned and will be right
skillfully sailed. The American yacht,
Puritan, on whose performance the keeping
of the cup depends, is a new centre-board
sloop of wood, designed by Burgess Bros,
and built by George Lawley Il Son, at
South Boston. She is the property of
members of the Eastern Yacht club of
Boston. While both are of about the
same length, the following dimensions
will show how much they differ in breadth
and depth