The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1899-10-28
INTERNATIONAL YACHT
RACES BEGAN 4S YEARS AGO N
ENGLAND,
When America Won the Cup and
Has Held it Ever Since.

/ great contest Tor the possession
Of the Queens Cup has just ter.
minated off New York and vic
tory again perched itself on the
side Of the Americans.
In the year 1851, or AS years
ago, an International race of
yachts was gotten up in England
and gold cup costing 500 gum
cas- was put up as a guerdon to
the winners oftthe race. A lot of
fine vessels made their appear
ance and pat up their entrance
money, and were regularly enter
ed for this great ocean tourney.
/ fhe race was around the Isle OF
Wight by sail yachts, and the
sea is nearly always rough there.
There was an American over
there on his own yacht who had
plenty Of money, and whom ev-
erybody liked. His name was
Stephens, and he proposed 10
enter his vessel for the contest.
His sloop did not look like a grey
found of the seas, as she seemed
not to be fanciiully constructed,
but she had the centre board
contrivance, then a new thing
among sailors. The name of the
vessel was America. The Yacht
Club permitted the entrance Of
this vessel for the race more for
fun than for anything else, and
no one expected the little trans
Atlantic vessel would be a for
midable contestant.
Yacht races then were strange
things, and the beauty and chiv-
airy not only of England, but Of
France and Germany were there
to see the novel sight, and large
money was at stake on the vari-
Gus contesting vessels, while
there was only a little money
from Capt. Stevens put IN on the
American yacht, VINO presented
a quaint appearance with her
cotton sails. The race came on
and all the yachts plunged their
bows into the raging waters to
race all round the Island. Bon
ME flags were on high. The Lilly
flag of La Belle France was
dancing there, while the Lion
and Unicorn of merrie England
flashed above its wn fierce white
waters, and Old Glory, the stars
and stripes of Columbia, waved
above the American vessel. that
beat all their yachts, and proud
England, who claims the empire
of the seas, and whose people re-
joices in the saying
"Brittapia needs no bulwarks,
No towers along her steep;
Her march is o er the ocean
wave,
Her home is on the deep
saw all her fast sailors left be-
hind, and the golden cup, the
gift of her then young and ioy-
Gus Queen, borne away across
the Atlantic by the American
vessel.
It was a proud day for Yankee
land when the America brought
the well earned trophy home,
| which was donated by the winner
to the New York Yacht Club, to
be retained as a souvenir of vic
tory, to be raced for by any for
eign yacht who should sail to
New York on her own bottom
and demand a race for the cup.
Fer years and years England has
come over as contestant for the
cup, and every time has been
beaten.
| This year they brought over
the Shamrock, a vessel built with
extremest care, while the Amer
icansS.5net their effort with the
ColuafDia, which was painted
white. The Shamrock, which is
the name OF the old national
flower Of the Emerald Isle, was
painted green. These vessels
we're 10 it'll things. but spread
IA, 600 feet of canvass each, and
measured from the tops of their
masts TO the water 175 feet. The
race was 10 miles out and around
an anchored buoy and then back
again. They were greatly trou-
bled this year for wind, and they
made flukes las they call fail
ures) many days. AT last in the
presence of all the vessels that
could be paraded, loaded down
with sight reerss thew Got eff and
the Columbia beat the Shamrock
10 minutes and s seconds, much
TO the astonishment of the Brit