The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-09-07
A MILLION FOR THE HONOR
Defense Of the America Cup Said
to Have Cost That.
Defender Alone Represents an Amount
that May Reach S25o,Ooo. a
Fleet of Coasting Vessels
Might be Built with the
Money the kiel Boat Idea,

~ 'iio SSnooucf S'tCilt AlnerlCa LII u race
around the isle of Wight, on Aug. 90,
1851. The cup, intrinsically, is proba-
bly, worth less than $3.50. When it was
won by the America, it was called
$500 cup. Since the memorable day that
Queen Victoria, according to tradition,
found out that there was mo second"
In the original race for the precious
emblem, Yankee sportsmen have OK
pended, the experts conjecture, some
what more than 81 200, 900 to retain it.
The syndicate that owned the America
wasn't then known as a syndicate but
an association of gentlemen, but thew
were just as much Of n syndicate as the
trio of milhonaires, W. X Vanderbilt.
ex-Commodore +. d. Morgan and G.
Oliver 1selin, who are investing their
thousands for glory alone i'll the De
fender. 1t will be impossible to detor-
mine accurately the cost of tho latest
Herreshoff model until after tho inter
national races, but it is probable that
$3.50, 600 will have been expended on
tho Defender before the Valkyrio III,
victorious or vanquished, returns to
Scotland. 1t is safe TO say that twin
screw steamship of the second class, or
q fleet of six OF eight four mastcd coast
ing schooners, might BIZ built with the
money that will be spent on tho De-
fender.
In some respects the gallant ship that
won the treasured cup rcselnblod tho
sleek sloop that is now getting in trim
to protect it. The America was a keel
yacht In building n slOop without
>centerboaId Hcrreshof merely reverted
to original Yankee principles. The CEN
terboard is, in fuct, a British invention
and was first used successfully in
British boat When our esteemed con
temporaries across the sea charge us
with imitation, they fly in the face of
the history of yachting architecture 1t
will be greater glory for Yankeeland to
beat John Bull with his own kind of
boat-originally tho American style
than to beat him with centcrboard.
What will be the limit of expense in
building future cup defenders or chal-
lengers? Will the time come when 81
600, 600 boats will compete off the Hook
or in tho English channel for tho yacht
supremacy OF the world? A comparison
of the costs OF cup defenders in the last
decade may suggest answers to these
questions. Tho Boston syndicate that
Quilt tho Puritan expended, it il esti-
mated, about $40, 600 ON her. The iron
sloop Priscilla, especially constructed to
battle with the Puritan for tho honor of
meeting tho challenging cutter Genesta,
cost probably $4,000. Tho sail areas
OF Puritan and Priscilla were less by
Al
area of the Defender.
Tho building of the Mayfiower in
1886 involved an expenditure of not less
than $4,000 by the Boston syndicate
headed by General Paine. She met the
Puritan and Priscilla and the new rule
o'-thumb" model, Phil Ellsworth q At
lantic, in the trial races The Atlantic
cost little less than tho Maytiower and
much money was used up in getting the
Priscilla and Puritan into shape for the
trials. 1t Is likely that nearly $1,000
WAS spent in 1856 by Yankee yacht
owners before the Mayflower was select
ed to try conclusions with Lieutenant
Hem S Galatea
The syndicate of which General Paine
was the chief member paid about $40.
600 to build and put in racing shape the
steel sloop Volunteer, the last of De
signer Edward Burgess creations Only
the Maytiower competed with tho Vol
unteer for the distinction of defending
the mug against Mr.. Bells cutter,
the Thistle. Tho cost of maintaining
the Volunteer for the season was not
Jess than $4,000. So the expense of
protecting the cup iii 1887 was 500, 600.
The quartet Of aspirants for cup de-
fending glory in 1898, it is estimated,
coat close upon Se25, 900. There was ex-
pended on the vigilant about $Ia5,-
O00A The cost Of building and maintain
ing \the Colonia, Jubilee and Pilgrim
ranged. for each yacht, from S25, 900 to
$50, 900.
Nobody except members Of the De-
fender syndicate ever may know def
initely what an expensive piaythine the
big sloop has been, and will be, until
the cup is saved or lost. Taking into
consideration the money spent in equip
ping the Vigilant to make pace for the
Defender, the total cost of this years
international races to American yachts
men will be nearly $3.50, 0o0
This Is the'way an expert figures ont
she expense Of constructing the Defend
er and preparing her for the fray:
Chartering and fitting out the Colonia
as q training ship for the Defenders