New-York tribune., 1900-10-14
YACHTING.
REVIEW OF THE CONTESTS FOR THE
AMERICAS CUP.

Sir Thomas Liptons second challenge for the
americas Cup means a twelfth attempt by Eng
iaho 70 win the trophy In the old days
could be sailed for about the present cost of hr-
ing one tug in the chaIleuger's fleet. Defending
yachts were not built specially for one series of
races, and the New-York Yacht Club was ac-
customed to turn out it's best boat, its best
neet OF boats, to meet the invader
The Cup was originally by the America in
4SoA' against a feet Of English craft. and until
after the Ashbury races the defence on this side
was conducted by a feet. Mr.. Ashbury
planned that boat could have no chance against
a neet that determined on the blanketng
process, and in subsequent years one boat only
was produced to defend the Cup against a sole
challenger A challenge arrived from England in
1870. and then Mr.. Ashbury raced the Cambria,
a vessel still sailing, against the Magic and was
beaten in the one race then sailed In 1S1 Mr..
Ashbury brought over the schooner Livonla which
was beaten by the schooner Columbia. a yacht
still sailing at Philadelphia and by the schooner
Sappho. Then followed the years of wordy war.
led on England's side by the late Dixon Kemp
yachting editor. through which the trophy got its
nrst worldwide fame. But nearly every one who
took part in those controversies has passed away.
ana the Cup contests Of to-day more nearly
those OF pure sport than they ever were before.
The Canadians were the first 10 step the
barriers raised by the late James Ashbury Dixon
Kemp and others. and in 1876 a schooner called
the Countess of Duffern came to New York and
retiring defeated. In 1881 the designer Alex
ander Cuthbert, brought his sloop Atalanta and
sailed two races against the Mischief. with the
usual result.
It until Sir Richard Sutton's challenge
arrived. proposing race with his cutter Genesta.
that boats were built especially compete in trial
races before selection was made Of a defender The
Puritan designed by Edward Burgess of Boston.
met the Genesta September IA and 16 1883, and
the keel boat of England was beaten by the
board boat of America IN the first race In the
second forty-mile contest, twenty miles 20 leeward
on Sandy Hook and return, the Genesta only
beaten by one minute and thirty seconds
prising result judged according TO the present time
allowance scales, the tonnage of the Genesta
was only eighty, against the Puritan's one hundred
and forty tons. Edward Burgess again stood the
test when Lieutenant Hem, of the English Royal
Navy, brought over the Galatea The American
sloop Mayhower again retained the Cup on this
side. The Volunteer, the next creation Of the cee
brated Burgess, built to meet the cutter
Thistle owned by James Bell. This boat the
predecessor Of the 1898 Nigilant. The structural
depth of the Mayf0wer was feet, and the Amerl-
can boat showed a gradual descending in depth
took a sudden drop to 10 feet. The Defender was
succeeded by the Columbia. Of last year in which
the draught of water is 20 feet 3 inches.
Both challenger and defender were for the first
time and out keel boats in 1895 II was In this
series that the unpleasantness with the Earl of
Dunraven arose. Into those troubled waters came
Thomas Upton Knight of the Royal Order Of
Good Will with his olive branch and a boat of the
color. and the best thing he said was; I
believe that all the for the America : Cup
have been sailed fairly