The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-08

I hUo jdL tlEl PASCe Az Stli IilC iAbC cup lhJtt
and Captain Cranfeld, of the Falky
rie III, in the Valkyrie lI-V Vigilaut con
tests. Though both men are masterful in
the handling of boat the English cap
tain is considered the all round bet
ter man.
The crews Of the two yachts constitute
as hardy, good looking and nimblea lot of
| sailors as ever walked the deck of a ship,
and athey handle their respective crafts
admirably. The English tars are, with
few exceptions, the same men who were
here in 1893 on the Valkyrie II. Every
| one Of them cones from Wiyenhoe, on
the English coast. Wivenhoe enjoys the
distinction of being designated the era
die Of the English cutter, and its men are
all sailors, bing trained from boys to
yachtracing.
The Defenders crew also comes from
place where sailors are bred from boy
hood Deer Island, Mime. II is fish.
ing town, and its male population is
almost to man engaged in the business
From among its best seamen Captain
Half picked out twenty-five Of the best,
and gave them a thorough preparatory
training on the Colonia. 1t is composed
entirely of Americans, not a foreigner
being among the number.
The racing sails of both yachts are Of
a comparatively new textile 30 far as
sailmaking is concerned, the cloth being
known as Ramie or Rhea grass or
China grass, which contains fibre excep
tIonally strong. It does not differ in APP
pearance from the ordinary duck except
that it has just tinge Of yellow. Though
Ramie sails have been talked about for
long time, this was the first real test Of
them; the racing sails of each boat are
valued at about $40 900. The Defender
has 10, 400 square feet of working sails,
or 403 square feet Of area to each foot Of
wetted surface, while the Vankyrie I'll
has II, 900 square feet, or Ala square
feet of sail area TO each foot of wetted
surface.
For light winds the Valkyrie III is
undoub' edly the fastest boat ever built
in England. It showed this clearly in
the run of June 20 with Britannia and
Ailsa at Rothesay, and as in on the 18th
of July in a run and reach of thirteen
miles, in which she came in ten minutes
ahead oI the same competitors.
The Cgp and Its Defenders.
The prestige which has accrued to
the America 8 cup and which, in a meas |
ure, sust9ins our claim TO nautical emf |
nence, has been attained by long line
Of victories in contests similar to that
which took pl4oe to day The firstcup race |
wss on Aug %, 1851, at Coves, when tie
America, a boat built aud operated by a
syndicate, accepted the proffered h0spi |
taliiies of the r )yal Yacht Squadron |
aud went across to Eoglald to try con
cluslons II entered au international |
regatta against four, eon competitors
and, though she started last, won an
easy victory
The famous cup, nov "the blue ribbon !
of the ocean, was a subscription trophy.
contributed to at general meeting Of
the Royal Yacht Squadron, aud was
sailed for without allowance OF time for
of hull or sail. The cup was
not intended as a challenge cup, but was
the actual property Of the owners f the
America; but in July 1857, they decided
to offer it to the New York Yacht Club
as perpetual challenge cup, open on
specified conditions, to any organized
yacht club IN any foreign country for
competition.
The first challenger was Mr. James
Ashbury, owner of the schooner yacht
Cambria, and representing the Royal
Thames Yacht Club. The challenge was
promptly accepted and on August 8,
1870, the first race on this side for the
la1 hn 10 husa
ted with the New York Yacht Clubs en-
tire feet of schooners. Though the Cam
bria was courteously given the best
windward- position, she was hopelessly
beaten by the little Magic.
But Mr.. Ashbury was not satisfied. So
he went back to England and ordered
the scho pner Liv3nia built. She was put
together in great secrecy and reached
this side On September 2, 1871 Races
were soon arranged and the first one
sailed October 16, the Columbia being
her opponent. 1t was a snap for the
Columbia, she winning the races on the
10th and 18th, and losing the one on
the 10Th through an accident, having
parted her flying jib stay. In the next
two races of the series the Livonia CON
fronted the glorious old Sappho and was
beaten both times.
For four years "the old mug" lay un
vexed by challenges, until in April, 1876,
the Royal Canadian Yacht Club chal
lenged, naming the schooner Countess
of Dufferin as their champion. On
August II, 1876, she tried conclusions
with the schooner Madeleine. All three
of the contests were won handily by the
Madeleine.
Four more years of rest, and then the
Bay of Quinte Yacht Club, of Belleville,
Ontario, challegsd Captain Cuthbert's
model sloop, Atalanta She met, at
the hands of the sloop Mischief, the same
fate hat had come to her pred ccsso's.
These races were sailed October 9 h and
10th, 1881.
The mkt four years wa an evolu
tionary period in the matter of yacht
construction The conventional types
begsu 10 be discarded, and a gradual
convergng Of ideas in modelling was ob
servable on both sides of the ocean
With the single exception of the Sappho,
all the American victories had been wen
with center board bo&ts The construc
ton OF the knife Oh edge" ''lead mine"
cutter Madge and others of her kind
marked new era in emp contests.
When Sir Richard Sutton challenged 10
1885, with the Genesta we seemed help
less Bu Boston 81 Indicate saw the
pred cement in time, ami wer3 the pre-
servers for the time of GU yachJiog pres
l