The herald., 1895-06-23
AMERICA
CUP RACES
The First One Was Sailed
and Won FOrty=f0ur
Years Ago
SOME YACHTING HISTORY
Center Board Boats Afforded the
Britishers Some Sport at
First Sight and Ever
Since
Rx U,IeffN Montaiuu

stOrleS OF Speeuy DrlbisH CIalt anu CUuH-
ter accounts of the splendid lines OF the
new yacht Defender, that is being fin
ished In the Herreshoff yards sat Bristol.
1t is matter of national pride that
the cup won by the old America in 1851
and kept on this side through every vi"
cissitude since then should be always
held by the New York Yacht club; and
that regardless OF any matter of cost.
Now that the world-famed regatta is be-
ing so ardently discussed on the Atlantic
seaboard and over on the islands, it seems
only proper to pay tribute to the staunch
old boats and their patriotic sailors who
won and defended the cup in the past
1t was one July afternoon in 1874 that a
small party OF gentlemen met on Commo-
dore John G. Stevens sloop Gimcrack as
she was anchored off the Battery, and
out of that meeting was organized the
New York Yacht club. In 1850 syndi-
cate of patriotic and public.spirited citi-
that revolutionized yacht making in
America. The boat went to Europe to
show the foreign yachtsmen that the
United States was not to be ignored In
the contests for supremacy over the sea.
In 1851 during the international fair
AZ LOnuon Jne IOyal 1dCIlt sluduFoll Iau
the cup made for which British and for
eign yachts were to contest. They
thought they had sure thing on retain.
ing it and fondly imagined that nothing
but British boat could win. Among
the visiting yachts was little 1OO-foot
schooner, America. broad and shallow
and with centerboard-a fixture the
Englshmen regarded with good deal of
polite amusement. On August %, 1851,
the first race was run and the English
were paralyzed to find that the Yankee
schooner easily distanced their fastest
sailors. The regatta raced from Cowes
around the isle of Wight and return, and
| when the America sailed home alone,
with dejec ted BritisheIs slouching along
after her well into the next day, the
dun bfounded islanders began with char
acteristic tardiness to realize that some
thing had befallen their sailing reputa-
ton. The Yankee bore the cup back to
New York ana has defended it valorously
ever since. May it ever remain with us
and bait the Britishers. who SO fondly
imagine themselves to be Neptune's only
favored children.
The following are the dates on which
the different races for the cup were sailed,
the names of the winning and losing
boats, with the names OF their owners
| and courses over which the races took
| place:
Ter and others. 10 :37 90; Aurora. Thomas
lie Marchan, from Cowes around Isle OF
| Wight. Aurora second.
August 8. 1870, Magic Franklin Os-
good, 3:5S;ol; Cambria. James a bury,
| 4 .37 49, n. Y. Y. Course; Cam bria tenth.
| October 16, 1871, Columbia, Franklin
| Osgood, 6:l9 Al Iivonia. James Ash bury,
| 6 :46 :45; N. Y. Y. y. course.
October IS, 1871, Columbia, Franklin
| Osgood, 3O7 :4l34; Livonia, James Ash
burv pO m los tn w nd wa rQ off
Sandy Hook lightship and return.
| October 10. 1871. Livonia, James Ash
| bury. 1902 %: Columbia, Franklin Os-
god, ALI :35; N. Y. Y. G. coulse-Colum-
bia disabled.
| 6:09 23; 20 miles to windward off Sandy
Hook lightship and return.
| October %, 1871 Sappho, w. 7. Doug
lass. 4:46:l7; Livonia. James Ashbury,
Oil "A; N. Y. Y. G. course.
August II, 1876 Madeleine, ]. S. Dick
c. Clifford, 5 "a :53: n. Y. Y. G. course.
August IL. 1876. Madeleine, j. S. Dick
erson, 7:1S:46 Countess of Dufferin,
Major G. Clifford, 7:46:oO; 90 miles to
windward off Sand Hook lghtship and
return.
Rusk, All 100; Atlanta. Alexander Cuth-
bert 4 40 :20I; n. Y. Y. c. cuorse.
November 10. 1881. Mischief, J. r. Busk
! 4 :54 :53: Atlanta, Alexander Cuthbert,
4:33:47 16 miles to leeward from buoy 5.
off Sandy Hook and return.
September IA, 1885. Puritan; J. M.
g4ross G:sa:s4: S;oo;y' n " Y. e 9. course. M '''"
September l6, 1885, Purtah, j. M.
Forbes. 5:03:14; Genesta Sir r. Sutton,
| 5:O4 :52: 20 miles to leeward off Sandy
Hook lghtship and return,
September 7, 1856, Mayflower, General
C. j. Paine, 5:26:41: Galatea. Lieuten-
ant Hem, II. NJ, OBS :43; n. y. Y. {.
| course.
. September IL, 1885, Mayfower. General
G. J. Paine. 40 100; Galaeta, Lieuten-
ant Henn r. n. 7 7:lS 100; 30 mi lies to lee
ward off Sandy Hook lightship and re-
IS September ei 27. 1887 Volunteer, General
C. j. Paine, :53:lS; Thistle, James Bell
and others, 10 AK; n. Y. Y. G. course.
| Septem ber 81, 1887, Volunteer General
| C. ]. PANE, 5 :42 :56l4; Thistle, James
Bell ana others. :54:i5; 20 miles off
| Scotland lightship and return.
October 7, 1898. Vigllant. =. U. lseiln
and others, :05 AT; ValkyIie. lord Dun
raven, All 80; 10 miles off Sandy Hook
| lightship and return-a reach.
October, 8. 1898. Vigilant, G. o. Iselin
and Others 3 :25 :o1; Valkyrie Lord Dun
raven 3 80 SO: 80 miles over an equilat-
eral triangular course.
October l3. 1898. Vigilant. G. o. Iselin
and others, IA 80; Valkyrie, Lord Dun
raven. 3 :25 IA; 10 miles Off Sandy Hook
lishtship and return.
There has been some little grum bling
by the tary. tarry tars regading the build
OF the new boat, and speaking of the
feeling against the cutter type of the De-
fender, the Rudder perpetrates the follow
ing jingle:
What. no boara! Great Scott, a cup
defender--
A blasted British, type of boat,
With no door below to send her
Along the wind. What, put ahoat
Great Scott!
That's hot
And will she be a peerless yacht?
Well, | guess not!
There are seven more stanzas, but they
are personal and libelous, to the family
peace, because the yachtsmen must all
hang together on this big event.
1t is rather remarkable what q hold this
inter aational yacht racing for the cup has
upon the people of the United States.
principally, perhaps, on account of. the
inherent Erivalry with mother England
since the apron strings were cut 50 forcI-
bly,.
But Americans are proud that they
have the men to humble the vain asser-
ton that "Britannia rules the wave, "and
they, as a man, are backing theNew York
as much strain apparently over the result