The Portland daily press., 1895-09-07

&NR lions as to detail,
of course. Since
6S(esY 1851, when Conlmo-
doreStevens brought
@ the cup to Ameri-
A-z ca the English
competing boats
namely: one race against Columbia by
Livonia in 1871, when the American
yacht was crippled during the race by an
accident to its steering gear. There were
five races altogether that year for the
American cup, and the Livonia was de-
feated in four of them.
During all the time international cup
races have been in vogue it is amusing
to peruse the excuses made by the Eng
fish yachting authorities for their defeats
Even today it is enormously believed in
Great Britain there is never anything but
light winds during races in this country.
1t is notable fact that one Of the most
decisive of the cup races, when Liyonia
raced Sappho, after the disabling of the
Columbia, was finished almost in a gale.
Livonia fell behind the American yachts
most noticeably when. the wind was
strongest.
The greatest point of superiority, in
fact the only one Of Importance, mani
tested by the English sailors in the inter-
national cup races has been the skilled
management of their craft, including
what is known as "quickness in stays ~
They seem to depend as much on jockey
ing or manervring for position at the
start and during race as they do on de-
sign and general features of construction.
This is probably due to the custom OF
racing over triangular courses to be saiIed
around two or three times, which is
followed in British waters, where position
as regards the start and the currents,
channels and winds throughout the race
often, if used to the best advantage,
brings in the slower boat first at the
finish over more meritorious yachts less
skillfully handled. In spite of any advan
tage of skill in yacht handling, which il
so invariably claimed by the English
press after each international yacht race
the superiority of American defenders o
the cup has been decided, as q careful re
view Of the past battles will show.
Starting with che old America, which
must be acknowledged to be the mos
famous racing yacht ever built either y
America or Great Britain. the Yanke'
supremacy begins. Its history is Away
interesting. The yacht was built by Com
modore J. G. Stevens of the New Yorl
Yacht Club according to design b.
George Steers, who adopted the wav'
theory of outline, first brought to publ,
notice by a Mr.. Russell Of England
three or four years prior to 1851. America
was built because the Americans were
conscious of the fact they were designing
and constructing faster yachts. tug and
harbor craft, and especially faster
merchant clipper ships than any othel
country at that time. AS early as 184I
English merchants preferred to ship goods
| in Yankee bottoms because insurance
| companies granted more favorable insur
ance rates on goods so shipped, thus Civ
| ing the most substantial proof Of the
superiority of American ships and sailors.
The effect of the
ARRIVAL OF AMERICA IN ENG.
LAND
in 1851 is facetiously described by the
London Times of that date as causing the
same sort Of scattering among British
yachtsmen as hawk would occasion by
swooping down upon covey of partridg-
es. Commodore Stevens could not for q
long time find any yachtsmen in England
with the courage to give him a race. He
challenged the whole world, and made
his defiance more specific by posting upon
the door Of the Royal Yacht Squadron
quarters at Cowes challenge to any
amount of money. The yacht squadron,
however. offered a-prize cup open to all
corners, to be raced for around the Isle o.
Wight, starting and finishing at Cowes'
and Commodore Stevens determined 10
enter the race for this cup. He ASKED lol
no time allowance or other favors IN the
way of rules. There were eight schooners
and nine cutters pitted against Aiaerioa
in the race. With such a field OF yachts II
was an extremely difficult TASK iol
America, which was rather slow IN start-
ing, to pass them all without ioullng'
America was we'll sailed, however, ana al
one time was, eight miles ahead OF the
leading English yacht, with none OF tins
others in sight. Becoming becalmed after
passing the Needles, Aurora, an English
cutter. favored by local breezes crossed
tha line eight minutes behind America:
The Lo ndon Times correspondent said
in his account of the race;
ssThe Yankee flew like the winds leap
ing over, not against the water Its can
vas was as fat as a sheet OF paper Nc
foam. but rather water jet, rose from