The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-09-21
THE INTERNATIONAL YACHT
RACES.
BY GEORGE H. PARKER.

America and England are the two
greatest maritime nations of the
world, and during the past week they
have been engaged in friendly con-
test that was an event of international
interest. To understand the great
interest these two nations take in the
races for the American cup, brief
recapitulation of the facts in regard
to the winning and defending of this
famous maritime trophy is necessary.
1t was in 1851, the year of the Crystal
Palace Worlds Fair, the idea of
building schooner yacht to cross the
Atlantic and contest with our British
cousins for supremacy in yacht rae
ing was conceived by Commodore
John G. Stevens, of the New York
Yacht Club. A syndicate was formed,
a yacht built and christened America,
and in the early part of July, 1851, it
crossed the ocean by way of Havre,
France. English interests had been
stimulated by the errand of the Amer
lea and an international regatta was
arranged for as part of the Worlds
Fair, the regatta to take place Au-
gust %, at the Isle of Wight, fourteen
yachts competing with the America
for the prize, which was the Royal
Squadron cup, worth about one hun
dred guineas. Additional interest
and enthusiasm attached to this
first great international yacht race, for
the fact that the event was witnessed
by Queen Victoria and the Prince
Consort. The story of the winning
has been often told, but will bear
repetition. The course was from
Cowes around the Isle of Wight, and
Her Majesty had taken her position
to see the finish. AS the America
hove in sight the Queen turned to an
attendant and inquired:
"Who Winss"
''The America, your Majesty" re-
piled the Lord Chamberlain.
"And who is second7" asked the
Queen.
"Alas! your Majesty" replied the
Chamberlain, with tears in his eyes,
"there is no second
The cup thus won has ever since
been called the American cup, and
despite gallant efforts on the part Of
English, Scotch and Canadian yachts
men, this memorable trophy which is
now to yachting what the "blue rib
bon" is to the Derby, has ever since
remained in America. The syndicate
owners of the cup retained it in their
possession until July s, 1857, at which
time it was presented by the Americas
owners to the New York Yacht Club,
under conditions attaching to it which
were designed to make it ''perpetually
a challenge cup for friendly competi-
tion between foreign countries"
1t was not, however, until 1870 that
an Englishman was found to contest
for the American cup The American
Yacht, chosen by the New York
Yacht Club in accordance with it's
privilege under the rules governing
the cup at that time, designated the
keel schooners Sappho and Daunt-
less and the center board schooners,
Columbia and Palmer, to defend the
cup, reserving the right to name any
one of them on the morning of each
race, as the competitor of the Lii
vonia, the English yacht brought
across the Atlantic by Mr.. James Ash
bury. The Livonia failed, as up to
the present time have failed all other
challenges, to carry away the cup,
but this grand maritime fete, the first
of its kind on this side of the ocean,
stimulated American interest in
yachting with results that have been
very gratifying to patriotic Ameri-
cans of all classes.
The next challenge for the cup
came from Canada in 1875 when Ma
jor Charles Griffen, Vice Commodore
of the Canadian Yacht Club, headed
a syndicate that built and sent the
Countess of Dufferin to New York,
only to meet the fate of the Livonia,
the American defense this time being
the Madeline, and the first race TAX
ing place August IL, the Madeline
beating in the first and second races,
making third unnecessary. Again
in 1881 the Canadians sent the yacht
Atalanta, which in turn was beaten in
November by the American cup de-
fender the Mischief, also in two races.
1t was by this time pretty well settled
that winning the American cup was
big contract, but nothing daunted,
in the following year Sir Richard
Sutton sent the Genesta across the At.
lantic as a challenge, the defender