The Washington times., 1901-10-05
Circulation Statement.
The Cup Remains Mt Home.

The Cup Remains Mt Home.
With all the sympathy in the world
for Sir Thomas Upton in his defeat,
and with all the respect and admiration
decent Americans must feel for so gal
liant a sportsman, it still is to be said
that, in the light of the event of yester-
day, and of the preceding contests, he
never has had much of a chance to
realize his pet ambition, which has been
TO lift the Americas Cup and take it
back to England, whence it was
brought as fairly won prize fifty years
ago.
The lesson taught in the result is that
competition against American builders
of racing yachts is hopeless. If the
highest skill in the line which the
United Kingdom can boast, placed at
the disposal of challenger to whom
money was not an object, could twice
fail TO produce a boat capable of beat
ing the Columbia, there would appear
to be but a small prospect that British
genius will bring forth anything better
In the near future The superiority of
American designers today is seen to be
what it has been since the yacht Amer
lea, on August %, 1851, won the cup by
beating the feet of the Royal Yacht
Squadron at Cowes, consisting Of seven
cutters and six schooners.
The history of the many attempts
that have been made TO carry the
trophy back to the old country is an
interesting one. The cup rested quietly
in its case for nineteen years before
any challenger tried to lift it. Then
Mr.. James Ashbury came over for it
with the schooner Cambria, and on
August S, 1870, was beaten in the follow
ing order by the American schooners
Magic, Idler, Silvie, America, Daunt-
less. Madgie, Phantom, Alice, ana Hal
cyon. On October 16, 1871, Mr.. Ashbury
again tried his luck with the schooner
Livonia, and was beaten by Mr.. Frank
lin Osgood's schooner Columbia. This,
in one respect, was the most notable
contest in the series, in that il was the
only one in which q challenger has won
a heat. In the third race the British
boat lead the defender by fifteen min
utes and ten seconds. Every other trial
of speed has resulted in favor of this
country. The Sappho continued the
races with the Livonia, beating her on
October q and October %, 1871.
The Countess of Dufferin, belonging
to Charles Clifford, Esq, came across in
1876, and in that centennial year suf-
fered defeat at the hands of Mr.. Dicker-
sons Madeleine. Then in 1881 the
Quinte Yacht Club, of Canada, took a
try with the sloop AtaIanta, and was
worsted by the American sloop Mis-
chief. On September II and Is, 1885, the
Puritan beat the challenger Genesta; on
September 9 and II, 1886, the Mayflower
laid out the Galatea; on September q
and 80. 1887, the sloop Volunteer beat
the cutter Thistle; on October Z, 9, and
1s, 1898, the sloop Vigilant Of the New
York Yacht Club beat the Royal Yacht
Squadron VaIkyrie II; in September,
1925, the Defender beat the Valkyrie III,
and in October, 1899, Sir Thomas Lip
toms Shamrock l was beaten by the
Columbia, as her successor, Shamrock
II, was in the races which closed yes
terday by the same boat
1t is worthy of mention that. with
but a single exception, these con-
tests have been productive of hearty
good feeling between England and the
United States. Sir Thomas Upton,
princeIy sportsman and gentleman as
he is, has had worthy predecessors
among the knightly adventurers who
have donned their marine armor To go
"cupping,'' as the Knights OF the Round
Table were wont to don theirs TO go
'grailing" 1t is hardly worth while
TO mention the exception, but, as
matter Of fact, there was cad of the
name of Quin who happened also to be
Lord Dunraven, and who became a
challenger on two occasions, and so fell
into the company of sportsmen and gen
tlemen on this side of the water But
he showed at last that he did not be-
long in either class, and since his ex-
pulsion from the New York Yacht Club
has been practically forgotten.
AS we have remarked hitherto, it will
be a matter of sincere regret among his
American friends and admirers that Sir
Thomas Upton has not been blessed
with better luck in his last essay. 1t Is
especially a pity that yesterdays race
should have been taken from him on al
lowance time But he has this thought
TO comfort him. The Columbia may be
d better and faster boat under some OF
all conditions than the Shamrock II,
but the record shows that the difference
is small