The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-28
How II Was won and Has Been De-
Tended.
From the New York Post.

From the New York Post.
1t is exactly fifty years since the cup
now recognized as a perpetual interna-
tional yachting trophy was brought to
this country. Originally, the cup was
prize offered by the Royal Yacht
Squadron of England for competition
In race open to yachts of all nations.
The race was set for Aug. %, 1851, and
the course was around the Isle of
Wight. At that time the American
schooner yacht was in English waters.
The owners were j. C. Stevens, Ed
win A. Stevens, Hamilton Wilkes, j.
\ Beekman Finley, and George l.. Schuy
Ter, who had sent her across the At
lantic for the express purpose of
trial of superiority with the English
yachts. The America was entered for
this race, in which fifteen yachts COM
peted. She was registered as of ITO tons
end sailed against four schooners and
one cutter of more tonnage; the small
est vessel of the fleet was the cutter
Aurora, forty-seven tons. To the blank
establishment of the British yachtsmen,
the America sailed away from all her
competitors, and, Notwithstanding the
fact that her jlb-b boom was carried
away, won the race, with eighteen
minutes to spare from the second boat,
the little cutter, Aurora, the rest of the
fleet being out of sight
The cup that was thus won was
brought to the United States. but very
little was heard about it for several
years British yachtsmen were cha
grined by their defeat in their own wa
ters and in sport that they had held
as peculiarly their own. They were
compelled to acknowledge the super
iority of the American yacht, and to
recognize the admirable manner in
which she was handled, but they made
no immediate attempt to recover the
cup.
AS yet the cup was the property of
the owners of the America, but in 1857
they presented it to the New York
Yacht Club as an international chal-
lenge trophy. 1t was eleven years lat
er, however, before British yachtsmen
made up their minds to try their luck
again. In October, 1868, James Ash
bury of the Royal Thames Yacht Club
of London sent a challenger for the
cup. 1t was not until 1870 however,
that the race was sailed. That was the
first contest in American waters for
the cup, the races this year before the
Columbia and the Shamrock being the
eleventh Mr.. Ashbury brought over
the schooner-yacht Cambria, and sail
ed against a fleet of twenty-three
American schooners, including the
America and Dauntless. The center
board schooner Magic won, with the
idler second, the America fourth and
the Cambria tenth. The course was
from off Stapleton to and around the
Sandy Hook lightship and return.
In 1871 Mr.. Ashbury brought over the
new schooner Livonia, 260 tons. Five
fvrrn
put against the challenger the Column
bia in the first three races and the
Sappho in the last two. The Columbia
won the first and second races, the LII
vonia the third, and the Sappho the
fourth and fifth.
Canadian yachtsmen came forward in
the centennial year with challenge
for the cup. A syndicate representing
the Royal Canadian Yacht Club built
a schooner yacht that was called the
Countess Dufferin. The New York
Yacht Club selected the schooner Mad
cline to defend the cup. Three races
were arranged for Aug. IL, IL ana IA.
On the first day the course was from
Stapleton around the Sandy HOOK
lightship and return, and on the sec
ond day twenty miles to sea from the
point of tie Hook and return. Both
races were won by the Madeline.
In 1881 another Canadian boat, the
sloop ATLANTA, made try for the cup.
The challenge was issued py tne nay
of Ouinte Yacht Club OF BelleVllle'
ont, in behalf of Capt. Alexander
Cuthbert. who designed and 8lilt the
Atlanta as we'll as the Countess or
Dufferin. The Mischief, owned by j.
r. Bush, was the defender, and. as IN
1876. two races only were sailed. the
Mischief won on the first day by 81
minutes 1515 seconds actual time, ana
on the second day by al minutes actual
times. After the contest OF TINS year
the Gun was returned by the New
york Yacht Club to George L. Schuy-
Ter the only survivor of the original
members, in order that another deed
of gift of it might be executed that
should prevent any more SUCH infe-
rior performances as those or the
Countess of Dufferin and the Atlanta
In 1882 the cup was returned to the
club by Mr.. Schuyler under new con-
dtions.
Tn 1855 the Royal Yacht Squadron,
that tbirty-four years before had Of
fered the cup for the America to win,
challenged for it in behalf of Sir Rich
ard Sutton, who owned the cutter &C.
nesta. 1t was considered necessary
TO build yacht specially to defend the
Gun. and the Puritan and the Pris-
ella were built for this purpose. Inc
Puritan was chosen as the defender
after a series of trial races. The con-
fest this year was notable in many re-
snects. 1t was the first really impor-
tant series of races that had been sailed
for the cup in American waters. Those
that had preceded it were races in
name only 1t was the first OF the
half-a- dozen great races for the cup
that have distinguished contemporaries
Gus yachting annals. For the hrst
time the now celebrated ninety-footers
tried for the cup, and then also began
the practice of building special cup
defender. Moreover. the Genesta came
the nearest to carrying away the cup /
of any challenger before or since. Two
races were sailed. One over the club
course. Sept. IA, was won by the Puri-
fan by 16 minutes 10 seconds, corrected
time. and the other, twenty miles from
Scotland lightship and return was won
by the Puritan by l minute 50 seconds.
In 1886 came the Galatea, owned by
Lieut. Hem, r. N, member of the
Royal Northern Yacht Club. The May
flower and the Atlantic were built for
new defenders. and the Puritan and
the Priscilla also re-entered the lists.
The Mayflower was chosen and beat
the Galatea two straight, first by IL
minutes seconds, corrected time, and
second by 16 minues 3 seconds.
James Bell Of the Royal Clyde Yacht
club brought over the cutter Thistle
in 1887. The Thistle was designed by
George L. Watson and built express