The Topeka state journal., 1899-10-12
THE CONTESTS OF A HALF 4
CENTURY FOR AMERICAS CUP.
1t Brought Here First 1851 Remained These
Shores Spite Of Many Attempts 0 Carry it Away

1t IS forty eight years since the
schooner America crossed the Atlantic
for the avOWed purpose of entering the
open races at COwes- The British
yachtsmen called her the American
pilot boat" and one of the leading Eng
lish dailies drew a. caricature OF her, IN
which she was represented with torn
sails being tOWed to the goal That was
before she sailed. But when she had
stretched her sails opinion changed
The result of that contest is known
to all. The America won a sweeping
victory and came back with the trO-
ply.
For nearly half a century the cup,
won by white-sailed America, has re-
mained on these shores. There have
been many attempts to win it back, the
challenger having come often, but all
efforts have been unsuccessful
What will be the outcome of the races
to be sailed here in October? Only
time can tell, for Upton has a good
boat, anG yachting across the Atlantic
has made strides since Dunraven's fail
ure of four years ago.
The cup was established almost by
accident. It belonged to the Royal Yacht
Club not to Queen Victoria, as has
be given to the best yacht sailed in the
open fleet at COWeS.
It was 1850. the year of London's
Worlds Fair, and the yacht race was
to be a feature of the English ExpOSi-
ton Some one suggested that it might
be a good thing if an American yacht
vitation was extended to the New York
Yacht Club to send over a yacht. No
Importance was attached to it,
But the American yachtsmen were
delighted at the honor. Knowing the
merit of home ship builders they gave
the commission to Mr.. Steers, a noted
builder and designer. The result was
a schooner that eclipsed all previously
constructed ones, and in July, 1851, the
America crossed to Havre, thence to
Cowes, for the contest
The result was startling. As soon as
she was placed in English waters she
began showing her heels to the other
boats, and it was soon decided that, IN
order to keep the cup that had been
offered for the swiftest yacht, the
course must be again declared open to
all. Yachts We're summoned from
everywhere. Many boats entered, but
the America flew away from ALL
How little Importance was attached
to this race, however. may be gath
cred from the fact that as soon as it
was over the America was sold, and
Commodore Stevens, the principal
owner, returned to his home in New
York, bringing the cup as his personal
property Many years after, when it
had become an important trophy, the
Stevens family presented it to the New
York Yacht Club for public contests.
MAGIC'S WORK.
To the little Magic belonged the
honor of being the first cup defender.
After the great victory won by Amer
disheartened, and hesitated about chal-
longing for the cup. But in 1870 James
Ashbury, representing the Royal
Thames Yacht Club, expressed a desire
to win the cup.
His boat was the Cambria, a keel
craft of good model, widely different
from the antiquated tubs which the
America had met and defeated twenty
years before. Eight yachts sailed
against her. after the old-fashioned
custom of making the race an open
one. She met the American fleet on
August 8, 1870. The race was sailed
over the crooked tidal course in New
York Bay, and the stranger was badly
defeated.
Not discouraged, Mr.. Ashbury en-
gagged Ratsey, of Cowes, to build him a
better boat. And the following year he
challenged again for the cup. This time
it was decided to sail several races in
stead of one, and to limit the number
of American boats that could compete.
Mr.. Ashbury was again defeated,
this time by the Columbia, a yacht
which was just off the stocks, a centre
board schooner of the national type, 96
feet water line, 25 feet beam and only
6 feet draft, modelled and built by J. B.
Van Deusen, a builder of some promi-
nence.