Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-09-21
THE INTERNATIONAL YACHT
RACE.

THE INTERNATIONAL YACHT
RACE.
Up to the year 1851, the English
men eXcelled the world in the speed
as we'll as number of their sailing
yachts. These were numbered by
hundreds-in 1860 there were over
seven hundred English pleasure
yachts of over forty burden-and the
English builders fattered themselves
that they had about reached perfec-
ton, both in build and rig. And
when in the year 1851, an American
yacht appeared at Cowes to take part
for the first time in q race open to
all nations, they smiled at the hardi-
hood of their American cousins, and
had no fear that the cup would go
across the Atlantic than it would go
to the moon. But to their astonish-
ment and that of all Europe the
American yacht won the race, with
all ease, in a fair contest, walking
squarely away from all her compe-
titors, demonstrating her superiority
to the satisfaction of all beholders,
and opening the eyes of the Eng
lishmen to the fact that England
no longer ruled the seas in the
manly art and sport of yachting.
That was the famous 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 introduced by American
builders. She was shallower and
broader craft than the English racing
yachts, and her sails were laced tC
the booms, in the Yankee fashion
not then adopted abroad, which gave
a fiatter surface to the sails and con
trlbuted materially to her success
Many of our readers remember the
excitement and exultation 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 honr with q good breeze
and holds her own we'll in a race
with all but the crack modern sloops
The Englishmen gave up that the,
were beaten in rig but have nevel
generally confessed that their buil(
was not the best. They still clin2
to the narrow and deep ''cutter' hui
and the race which came off las
week was cutter against sloop-
the latter term being nowadays no
confined to craft with a singh
mast; but applied to the broad AM
comparatively shallow American
bulls, provided with a centreboard o
movable keel.
English yachtsmen have mad
several attempts to regain the Amer
ica's cup, in the last thirty-fou
wears: but it has been steadily he'll
for more than a generation, on thi
side of the water; and there seem
: to be little fear that it will be take
back to England by the Genesis
+ The latter was launched in May
t 1884, on the River Clyde, and ha
= a steel frame, with elm and tea
e, planking. She is owned by s
5 Richard Sutton, a member of an oil
j, English family, always interested
S sports. He sailed her in thirty-for
It races in English waters last season
" | vi WlllCu LC WOu 0CNCu1 IOOh oCSOu
[ prize in eight and third prize in tw
n the prizes amounting to upware
: of $4,000; and he has now brougl
o her to this country to try for IL
s Americas cup. There is no doul
il that she is admirably manned al
l. will be right skillfuily sailed. III
= American yacht, Puritan, on who's
h performance the keeping of the CT
l. depends, is new centreboard sloo
Is of wood designed by Burgess Bros
E. and built by Geo. Lawley & Son,
le South Boston. She is the proper
I'd of members of the Eastern Vac
Sc club of Boston. While both are
he about the same length, the followi
st dimensions will show how much tn
Ell differ in breadth and depth: