The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-09-05
CUP RACES.

How far the record OF the past may be
an augury for the future, in luck or cal
culation, is always an open question. Past
successes do count for prestige, certainly.
They inspire confidence and are a basis OF
credit Eels get used TO skinning and En-
glsh cup challengers have become pretty
well accustomed to being defeated.
The Americas cup, that "cheap and
nasty" little trophy that our English
cousins put up in 1851 for regatta open
to all nations, was captured by the
Yankee schooner without a struggle.
Some OF the II other yachts that COM
peted were two or three times the tom
mage OF the America, but although she
was disabled By the carrying away of her
jib-boo the Yankee won without any
trouble, the reported answer made to the
Queens inquiring as to which boat was
second, "Your Majesty, there is no Sec
ond, having been made proverbial by
later matches.
Indeed, except in two or, at the
most, three heats " in races TO
win and to defend the Americas cup,
there has never been much OF a
second to the defending yacht. In 1870
the English schooner Cambria came after
the cap, which since 1857 has been in the
trusteeship OF the New York Yacht Club
as n perpetual international challenge
trophy. The Cambria raced for the cup,
Just as the America had, against a whole
fleet, and the English boat finished tenth
Her owner, JAMES AsHBURY, who seems
to have been the DUNRAvEN OF his day,
built another yacht the next year, es-
pecially designed to compete for the cup,
the schooner Livonia, and she raced
against single yacht, the arrangements
providing for five races and the American
committee reserving the right to pick any
one OF four yachts TO best suit the
weather of the respective race days. The
Columbia won the first two races, but
lost the third by reason OF the breaking
OF her steering gear, and the cheat"
thus won by the Livonia was the only
race for the cup ever taken by an English
boat. The Sappho took the next two races.
In 1875 the Canadian yschtsmen took a
hand in the fun, but their schooner, the
Countess OF Dufferin, was badly beaten by
the American Madeleine in two races
straight. In 1881 the centerboard sloop
Atlanta came from Canada and the sloop
Mischief found no difficulty in defending
the cup against her. This was the first
race for the trophy between single stick
ers.
In 1885 Sir RICHARD SUTTON, an English
man, challenged with the Genests, a
single sticker Of SO tremendous size that
we had nothing to compare with it. 1t
80 '"' =" sonicso 'ha. hnerican yacnts-
men were stirred up to the point Of being
frightened as the size, power and speed
OF the British cutter became known. II
was evident that none of the fine schoon-
ers that American yachting had devel-
oped could compete with this big cutter,
nor could even our largest sloops, for all
the time allowance that they would get.
Two big single stickers were hurriedly |
built to meet the challenger, and Puritan,
built by the late EDWARD BURGESS, was
selected. The American boat in light air
.ook the first race by over 16 minutes,
put won the second only by about a
minute and half. The coming OF the
jslatea, the next year, was not OF so
much moment, as the Genesta was bs.
ieyed TO have been better boat than the
ialatea, but two new American cutters
we're produced and the Mayfiower found
10 trouble at all in defending the cup.
There was again good deal OF excite
nent and alarm when the Thistle, built
~ WATSON for a syndicate OF scotchmen,
ha!lenged for the cup in 1887, but BUR-
less turned out the Volunteer, most
beautiful boat, and she took her two
aces straight without making any fuss
'yer the job Then there was a lull until
s93, when DUNRAvEN's Valkyrie,
WATSON boat, came after the cup. We
lad built four boats for this emergency.
nd Vigilant, OF HERREsHoFF build, was
elected. The first race was a close one
md an immense amount Of popular ex-
'itement was aroused. But the Vigilant
Won three straight races, the two latter
being won handily, the arrangements in
hat year providing, as they do this y.r-.
or best three in five races.