The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-10-11

a perpetual international challenge
trophy, and became known as the
Americas cup. 1t was great triumph
of American designing skill and Amer
lean skill in sailing. The America be-
came one of the most famous vessels of
the times. After her conquest she was
purchased by an Englishman, and for a
time during the civil war served as a
blockade.runner. She was sunk in the
St. Johns river, Florida, and after the
war was raised and put into commission
as training school for the naval cadets.
For nearly twenty years the Americas
cup remained in the undisputed posses
sion of the New York Yacht Club. In
1870 the English sought with the Cam
bria to recover the trophy, which was
successfully defended by the Magic.
The race was a sort of e.to-all aft air
in which the America, after twenty
years of fortunes vicissitudes, again
competed, and the fact that she was
fourth in the race, while the English
Cambria, twenty years her junior in
build aud design, was tenth, gilds her
with glory almost as bright as that she
bore away from the Isle of Wight in
1851. The America is still aflOat, the
property of the son of General Butler,
and was for many years owned by the
general himself.
AT various times down to 1885 the
English, and twice the Canadians,
challenged the Americans to defend
their prize. This they always success
fully did, the English during that period
winning only single heat-in the race
of October 10, 1871 In that contest,
between the Columbia and the LivOnia,
the latter won the third and last heat
Since that time the challenger has not
enjoyed the distinction of winning even
a partial victory.
Down TO 1881 all the defenders of the
cup were yachts built for their owners
pleasure, with no special reference to
the idea of competing in aquatic races
or defending the Americas cup. On
the other hand, several of her cha
lengers had been designed and built es-
pecially to contest in the races for the
recovery of the much coveted trophy.
Trial races on the American side for
choosing defender of the cup were
| Er,t ha1J IN 1901 Ern,, 1901 10 1897
the English yachtsmen sent no chal.
lenge to America. After the latter
date the interest in these international
contests rose to high pitch and has
since become as wide as the world
Then new departure in yacht con-
struction was instituted, through the
designs of Edwin Burgess in America
and Beaver Webb in England. Mr..
Burgess produced the Puritan and Mr..
Webb the Genesta. The race was
sailed in September and won in two
straight heats by the Puritan. Again,
in 1886, the American MAyfower de-
feated the English Galatea. In 1887,
the British Thistle lowered her colols
to the Yankee Volunteer.
For six years the challengers, unsuc
cessful in seven determined contests.
brooded over the subject of providing
vessel that should defeat the Amer.
leans and bring the trophy back to
England after its uninterrupted stay of
more than two score years on the Amer.
lean coast. They have at length de
signed craft whose qualities have in
spired in all England high hopes of
victory, and have created among the
cups defenders a solicitude for the out
come of the contest they have never
before felt. The first race, between the
Valkyrie, the latest product of English
skill, and the Vigilant, the embodiment
of Americas best efforts to provide a
successor to the glorious line of the
cups victorious defenders, was sailed
on Thursday, but light and tickle winds
prevailed and neither boat reached the
goal within the time fixed by the rules
and the race was void. Another trial
was made on Saturday, when the Wig
liant was victorious, leading her rival
some two miles. The national feeling
has been strongly stirred, and even
those who cannot distinguish a yach
from a wash-tub are watching the pro
gress of the contest with intensest
interest. Half-suppressed cheers OF
reinsurance went up over the Vigilant''
first success, which swelled into chorus
pregnant with the sure promise of tina
victory when the result of the seconC
race on Monday was announced. The
second trial was far more decisive thai
the first. The boats sailed before
stronger breezes and under condition.
that better developed their sailing quail
J tiles. In this trial the Vigilant crosse,
the line on the home ward run near,