The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-01
THE AMERICAS CUP RACES.
HISTORY or THE CONTkSTs FoR THE
POSSESSION OF THE TRoPHT.

The Shamrock's Attempt Will BE the Tenth
10 Wrest the "BIue Ribbon of tho Sea-
from the Hands of the Now York Yacht
CIub-Sketches of the Rival Captains.
For the eleventh time the cup won by the
schooner America In 1881. and which 10 now
named after that famous yacht. Is to be raced
for tht- week Since the grand old schooLer
brought the trophy across the ocean nine at
tpmpts have been made to win II back, and now
SIR Thomas Linton with the Sham ock is to
make tho tenth. Seven OF the former trials
were made by British yachtsmen and two by
Canadians. Englishmen. Scotchmen and one
1rishman Lieut.. Henn) have tried and now
with tho Shamrock boat owned by an Irish
man built from designs by q Scotchman by q
rr1n OF Engishmen. an attempt 10 to be made
by the combined talent OF Great Britain. II
the sham rock loses Sir Thorn as has said no OK
cuses will be made. because she Ia the best that
Great Britain can produce. The way the CUP
was won and has been defended Ia an ott-told
.'ory and dear one to all American Yachts
men and is almost tho history OF yachting In
this country.
Tine America won the cup on Aug. %. 1851.
There was worlds fair in London that year.
aud the Royal Yacht Squadron decided to offer
Hcup for a race around the Isle OF Wight.
regatta open to yachts OF all nations. The race
was to be sailed without time al owance and
wa for Yachts OF all rigs and sizes. Comino-
dore J C. Stevens and some OF his frienda de-
ried to build a schooner and cross the Atlantic
10 show the Brittshers what Americans could
d in the way oil yacht building and yacht sail
ing The syndicate was composed OF j. O. Ste
vous. Edwin A. stevens. Hamilton Wilkes. J.
Hickman Finlay and George L. Schuyler. These
men went to George Steers. who had yard at
Williamsburg. and asked him to build yacht
that would beat the fleet OF the world. Mr.
Steers had designed several famous boats,
among them being the pilothoat Mary Taylor.
the most celebrated craft Of that kind in those
days. and the sIoop yacht Una. The old Una Is
stu ahoat. but is rugged as schooner. The
result was that George Steers built and
launched the schooner America and that vessel
with the enterprising yachtsmen on board
sailed from the loot OF Twelfth street on Juns
III 1851. She arrived safely on the other side.
aud. after defeating the cutter LaverOck In o
match race. entered the big regatta The way
phe won this race Is now an old story Fifteen
yachts started. some OF them being much larger
than the American boat. but the America won
much to the chrgrln OF the members Of the
Royal Yacht squadron and the cup was brought
a. this country.
The America finished at S:35 IN tho evening
and the nearest British yacht was eighteen
minutes behind. Commodore Stevens had
tried TO cover the expenses OF the trip by max
ing n few waGers but the Englishmen declined
20 bet anything worth taking. A sparmaker
had made a Jihhoom for the America, which by
the way. carried away during the race. He
agreed to bet the price OF the spar and Ratsey.
the sallmaker. bet the price OF flying lib.
The cup. which weighs 100 ounces In silver
was decided to the New York Yacht Club as
perpetual challenge trophy. by the owners OF
the America on july 8. 1877. nearly ak years
after it was won The yacht clubs ali over the
world were notified OF this fact and that
challenges would be 10 order, but it was
not until 1870 that challenge for the
cup was received Mr. James Asbury
then brought over the schooner Cambria and
he raced his yacht across the Atlantic against
tho schooner Dauntless and won the race
This victory naturally put the Cambria stock
VI premium, and the wiseacres then. as they
have in nearly every race since that time
thought tho cup would go back to England
The conditions for the first race were the same
that governed tho rnce when the America won
the cup. but With time allowance. The
challenger had to race against the fleet
of the New York Yacht Club. Twenty
four vessels started to defend the cup. and
ofthese.sx were keel schooners. The race was
started of stapleton. Staten Island. aud tho
course was down the Bay to the Southwest
SPIT. then to the Sandy Hook Lghtship and
hack again. Tho start was made from an
anchorage. The schooner Magic. owned by
Franklin Osgood. was the first boat to finish.
her elapsed time being hours minutes. "a
seconds The Cambria was the tenth yacht to
reach the line and her elapsed time was 4
lours "a minutes. 81 seconds The old
America started in this contest. She beat the
cambria j. minutes, secon Is. elapsed time
md the Dauntess beat the challenger still
more. The Cambria remained in these waters
for some time and several matches were ar
ranged. the American boat winning each one
WI, hsnury was not eatisned with this defeat
snn' IKE Loru DuhraVeh' uecinen 10 Try again.
TINS was IN lSl. He wanted all sorts OF
'hI "se'hle conutlone arranged. one OF whlch
was tna' ne should hring yacht over with
'Ha,'hHeS rom tw"IVe BRUSH cIuos and sail
'or ne 'up 'WelVr times II MS yacht won one
,"'r ne was 10 'ake me cup Inc New iorK
'"'"' I'up WonIu not agree 10 any such ar
'o''E"m'ht' put hgreeu tnht ohy one boat