The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-14
YACHTING

Interest is fast centering on the big
international yacht race which will
soon took place between the represen-
tative boat of Great Britain, the Sham
rock and the Columbia, who will
endeaVor to retain the champion
ship cup so long held in this coun-
try. Here in Montana. where yachting
is not but little taken into account in
sporting circles, gossip runs consider
ably to the talk of the merits of the
event of the year Recent dispatches
from Bristol have contained much
concerning Columbia. Here is one
that tells in brief of the probable date
of launching:
"Quartermaster Roscoe L. Fifeld,
one of the Columbia's crew, who had
charge of Defender during the past
two months, prepared this evening to
turn the old champion over to the
crew which Captain Uriah Rhodes is
expected to bring from New York in
the morning, via Fall river.
"All departments of the Herreshoffs'
works are still under high pressure
about the Columbia. The announce
ment to-day that the first official trial
with Defender will take place July
l removes all doubt that she will be
turned out complete practically a month
ahead of the schedule. as it is stated
on high authority that there are likely
to be several trial spins in the vicinity
of Newport before the two yachts are
taken over the Sandy Hook course.
When Columbia is launched the
latter part of this month, unless some
thing goes awry, her hull will show
no material divergence form the de-
scriptions already given, being much
| like Defender except in fatter iull
and longer overhang, fore and aft"
The history of the friendly rivalry
| between this country and. England for
supremacy on the sea- with reference
to yacht racing, is of interest to every
American, whether he lives on the
sea coast or in the Rocky mountains.
America has never been defeated. The
| first of the memorable matches was
| when, with every inch of canvas draw
| ing, with every rope taut and trim,
| the schooner yacht America, of the
| United States. far in the lead, scudded
| swiftly over the finish line of the first
| international yacht race between
American and British yachts forty
| eight years ago. On August %, 1851,
| she won the cup now known by her
name, and since that date British
| yachtsmen have tried in vain to carry
it back to the land whence it came.
| So decisive was the Americas vic
| in sight when she finished. and the
| English sailors who had been awaiting
| the result of the race turned disconso-
| lately away from the scene of the finish
| and would not be consoled Nor have
| they imbibed from the cup of consola-
| lation since that time. For many years
! the cup was allowed to remain in this
| country without a challenge from the
| British yachtsmen. During the inter
val the war of the rebellion began and
was ended. In 1862 however, the sub
| ject of an international race began to
| be discussed and challenge soon came
| across the water. The race was sailed
August s. 1870, over the course of the
New York Yacht Club, and was won
| by the American boat, Magic, owned
| by Franklin Osgood. The English chal-
lenger, Cambria, was tenth. The Cam
| bria was owned by j. Ashbury In the
same year Mr.. Ashbury decided again
| to make an effort to TeCapture the cup
| from the United States, and issued A
| challenge which, like that of 1870, was
accepted by Mr.. Osgood. The race was
sailed on October 16, is and 10, 1871,
between the Columbia. owned by Mr..
Osgood. and the Livona, owned by Mr..
Ashbury. The Columbia won on Oc-
tober 16 and IS and lost on October 10
to the LivOna, the British yacht. On
| October p and %, 1871 the Sappho al
American yacht, owned by w. P.
Douglas. defeated the Livona.
Since those early days the results OF
the International matches have been as
| follows the first named being the
| British and the latter the American
boats; 1875, Countess of Dufferin, de-
| feated by Madeline; 1881, Atlanta, de-
feated by Mischief; 1885, Genesta, de-
! feated by Mayhower; 1887, Thistle. de-
| feated by Volunteer; 1899 Nalkyrie H.,
defeated by Vigilant; 1895. Nalkyrie
Ill. Defeated by Defender.
In a column interview cahled from
/ London to the New York Journal, Sir
| Thomas Upton, owner of the Sham
| rock. said We are counting strongly
| on the seamanship of ShamroCk's crew
| to bring the Americas cup back t. En-
| gland We know we cannot spring any
| extraordinary surprises in model ana
| building that you Americans will not
| have met. We have, il is true, a secret
metal for plating, but l have no doubt
| Herreshoff, while perhaps not possess
| ing our material. is using something
very fine for the Columbia The strug-
| gle of the builders is like a battle OF
giants, each being certain to produce
master craft.
Then will come the contest of skip,
pers On the long course, British sea,
manship and yachting genius will have
a great showing, and if hundreds Ct
years of training count for anything
Shamrock's crew. will show it,
A dispatch from New York says;
! Charles r. Flint signed a contract &