Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-07
THE AMERICAS CUP.

THE AMERICAS CUP.
Previous Races for the Prize for which
the Puritan and Genesta Compete To.
Day.
The Americas Cup, emblem Of the yachting
supremacy of the world, is the prize for which
the Puritan and Genesta will compete off Sandy
Hook to-day. The cup was originally offered
by the Royal Yacht Squadron in a contest open
to yachts OF all nations, at Cowes, in 1851
Commodore Stevens, Of the New York Yacht
Club, determined to have a representative Yam
kee yacht built to compete in the match.
George Steers, who, by the way, was born in
Washington in 1920, was selected as the de-
signer, and at his ship-building yards in Will
liamsburg the America was constructed. She
was launched in March, 1851. and was pur.
stevens, Hamilton wilkes s'e J. Beskma an
Finley, and George R. Schuyler. The
regatta at Cowes was sailed August .22d.
the One Hundred Guinea Cup of the Royal
Yacht Squadron, but since the race IL has been
known as the Americas Cup: IT Is elaborately
weighs at least one hundred ounces. Around
It's brOadest part are medallions, variously in
Hundred Guinea Cup, won Aug. %, 1881, at
Cowes, England, by yacht America, at the
Royal Yacht Squadron regatta, open to all ma
tons, beating" and then follows the names of
all the vessels which started i'm the race of1S51.
On the next medallion is engraved "Schooner
America, ITO tons, Commodore John c. Stew
ems; built by George Steers, New York. 1851"
On the other spaces are inscriptions recording
the results of the races with the schooners Cam
br1a- Livonia and Countess of Dufferin and the
sloOp ATLANTA.
Nine schooners. including the America, and
nine cutters were entered for this regatta. They
ranged from 392 down to AZ tons. There was
no time allowance for tonnage and no pre-
scribed time for accomplishing the distance,
about sixty miles, from Cowes around the Isle
vr0 f0ofo nd ha ctoH tot
10 O'Clock was with light westerly wind. The
America took the lead early in the race and
steadily increased it. When at $40 p. m. the
America, having carried away her jibboom,
rounded the Needles, the Aurora-47 TONS the
smallest entry-was, by the best English report
rest of the squadron was not to be seen. The
America anchored winner at S:35 p. m, the
The owners Of the America kept the cup un-
til July 6, 1887, when they conditionally of
The first attempt to recapture the cup was
made on August 8. 1870 by the English
schooner Cambria, owned by Mr.. James Ash
including the old America. The last named
had been bought by an Englishman, was used
during the war asa blockade runner and
sunk on the st. John River, Florida, to avoid
capture. She was raised at the close of the
war and sent to Annapolis to be used at the
caused the Navy Department to have Ter re-
fitted and entered for the race. The Cambria
was the 10th yacht in at the finish. The Magic
won the race, beating the Cambria by 80 minutes
1877 seconds. The America beat the Cambria
by 13 minutes 47.5 seconds.
Then Mr.. Ashbury had another yacht, the Ii
vonia, built, and seven races were arranged
with yachts of the New York club. Only five
races were necessary, and they were sailed on
October 16, ID, 49, 81 and %. The Columbia
won the first race, over the New York Yacht
Club course, by 81 minutes seconds, and the
second, twenty miles, from the iight-ship and
return, by 10 minutes 33 seconds. The Livonia
won the third race, over the club course, be-
cause of the carrying away of the COiumbia's
steering gear: The Sappho won the fourth race,
over the outside course, by 80 minutes p sec
onds and also the fifth, over the club course, by
25 minutes n seconds.
tess of Dufferin attempted to capture the cup,
in a series of three races, best two out of three
to win. The schooner Madeline met and de-
another Canadian yacht, the Atalanta, under
took the task in which the Countess of Dufferin
had failed, and she was defeated by the sloop
Mischief in two races on November and 10.
TO.day's Race.
The arrangements for to-day's race began on
December Goth, 1884, when Mr.. ]. Beaver
Webb, designer of the Genesta and the Galatea,
owned respectively by Sir Richard Sutton and
Lieut. w. Heen, r. n, notified the New York
Yacht club of the intention of Sir Richard and
the Lieutenant to challenge for the cup. The
and the details were afterwards arranged. The
owner of the Galatea agreed to sail her against
the yacht selected by the American committee
in case the Genesta failed to win the cup.
Then the Americans set about getting together
yacht fit to meet the Genesta. The holders
of the cup accepted a design by A. Cary Smith
for a center-board IRON sloop of about the same
length the Genesta. This sloop was
built by Harlan & .Hollingsworth, at VIII
Priscilla. Several members of the Eastern
Yacht club also set about the construction of a
yacht from designs BY Mr.: Edward Burgess.
Lawley's shp-yard, at Boston. In the first of
the trial races at New York, which was over a
course twenty miles to sea and back through
tall seas and in a brisk southerly breeze, on Au-
gust 21, the Puritan beat the Priscilla IL min
utes and II seconds making the best time ever
race, which occurred on the following day over
the triangular outside course, the Puritan was
a fortunate slant, by minutes and 2S seconds.
The Puritan was victorious in the third race
over the regular club course, coming within 20
seconds of the best time on record over ii. She
beat the Priscilla by Al seconds actual time,
and minute 50 seconds corrected time. The
Americas Cup committee then selected the
BostOnan to battle with the Briton. The Puri-
tan s dimensions are Ninety-three feet in lenthg
over all, 80 feet at the water-line, % feet Z
inches extreme beam, aud teet inches
draught
In the race to-day she will be sailed by her
"dowh East" skipper, Aubrey Croker, who
rious conflict with the Scotch cutter Madge.
Capt. Joe Ellsworth will act as pilot. She will
be manned by twenty two able seamen. The
Il y
Messrs. J. Malcolm Forbes, Charles A. WEIGH,
Edward Burgess, Gen. Paine, George III. Rich
ards, J. II. Busk, and Latham A. Fish. Either
Mr.. Edward PadelfOrd or Mr.. NJ. Roosevelt
Schuyler will represent the owner of the cutter
Genesta aboard the Yankee sloop. Mr.. William
krebs will represent the Puritan on board the
Genesta.
The Genesta's dimensions as furnished by her
designer are: Length over all, SO 4-1O feet;
length at load-water line, 81 6-1O feet; extreme
beam, 15 feet; depth of hold, 11aa feet; draught
49,, feet. Measurer John NJ. Wilson, of the
New York yacht club, turned in his measure
ments Of the cutter Saturday. They are as fol-
deck, 81 2-1O feet; base, from end Of boom to
tip of bowsprit, lao $40 feet; gaff, 46 feet,
water line, 81 Clio feet. From these figures
the cutters sailing measurement, 80. O5 feet was
obtained. The Purltan'S sailing measurement
will not be ascertained until today. Mr.. Bur-
which would entitle the Genesta 10 q time al
lowance of 10 1926 seconds.
The betting continues in favor Of the Puritan,
10 TO being offered in her favor ON the New
York stock exchange Saturday.
The Two Days Program.
The race to-day is over what is known as the
''outside course" 1t will be twenty miles to
windward and return, unless the wind is from
the west or nearly SO. In that case, 1t will be
run of twenty miles to leeward and a beat
be started from the Point Of Sandy Hook If the
wind is due east. II 1t is from the southeast or
southwest the start will be from the Scotland
Lightship. II the wind does not serve in q start
either from the Point OF the Hook or from the
Scotland Lghtship some other point will be Sc
course being laid out the second days race
will he over the ssinSide cOurSe." and will no