The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-10-06
AMERICAS CUP RACES
Contests For the Blue Ribbon
of the Sea.
THIS Is THE THIRTEENTH RACE.

THE Famous Yachting Trophy. Was
First Brought Over Here From
England In 1S51-All Previous Eff
forts of British Yachtsmen to Re
capture 1t UnavailinE.
The famous Americas cup, the blue
ribbon of the sea, which British yachts
men have been trying to %recapture for
over half a century, was originally won
by the Yankee keel schooner yacht
America from a feet of English cut
tiers and schooners in a race around
the Isle of Wight or Aug. %, 1851.
The trophy, which Is valued at 100
guineas, was presented by the Royal
Yacht squadron of Cowes and the con-
test was open to the yachts of all ma
lions. The cup is in the form Of a
silver pitcher and stands q inches in
height, is SO inches in circumference
and weighs 1874 ounces, or over IL
pounds.
The famous cup is kept in the vaults
of Tiffany & Co. in New York and Is
seldom seen except on state occasions
nowadays. 1t will be hard for Sir
Thomas and his friends to drink a
toast out of it, as either through con-
slant use at dinners in the early days
of it's history or some mishap in later
e it has no bottom.
Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock III. Is
the twelfth challenger for the cup, and
this years race will be the thirteenth.
1t was not until 1857 that the owners
of the yacht America, John c.. Stevens,
Hamilton Wilkes, George L. Schuyler.
j. Beekman Findlay and Edwin A.
Stevens, presented it to the yacht clubs
of the world, through the New York
Yacht club, as a perpetual interna-
tional challenge trophy.
Although the cup was presented to
the club in 1857, it was thirteen years
later, or in August, 1870, before The
frst race for the cup was sailed, when
the English schooner yacht Cambria,
owned by James Ashbury, representing
the Royal Thames Yacht club, raced
against a feet Of the New York Yacht
club and finished tenth, the schooner
yacht Magic winning by 39m. lbs.
Mr.. Ashbury challenged again the
following year with the schooner Ii
vonia, and as a result of negotiations
between the two clubs he was only
compelled to race one boat, the New
York Yacht club having the right to
name any boat it saw fit in the morn
ing Of the race. rs a result of five
races sailed in October, 1871, the Ii
vonia won one race out of three from
the schooner Columbia through the car
rying away of the American yachts
steering gear, and was beaten by the
schooner Sappho in two races.
There were no more races for the
u until 1876, when the Canadian
schooner Countess of Dufferin, repre-
senting the Royal Canadian Yacht
club of Toronto, raced against the
American schooner yacht Madeleine in
August of that year.. The American
boat won two straight races. In 1881
the Canadians challenged again, this
time with a single sticker, but with nc
better success, the challenging Alta
lanta being easily beaten by the Yam.
kee sloop Mischief. Four years later
the cutter Genesta, owned by Sir Rich
81 dIu OutlOA VI All LIZA, NdAAS dAlSA
cup in 1885, only to be beaten by the
Boston yacht Puritan in two straight
races.
The following year. 1886, William
HEM, an Irish yachtsman, challenged
with the cutter Galatea, and it was the
same old story. the Yankee yacht, May
flower, winning the two races. sailed
easily.
In 1887 the Scotch came after the cur
with the Thistle, owned by James Bel
and a syndicate of Clyde yachtsmen
This was the first cup challenger de
signed by William Fife, who is respon
sible for the present challenger, an(
she was supposed to stand a goo(
chance. The American yacht, however
won with ease.
Six years passed before there was an
other challenge, when Lord Dunravel
came over in 1898 with Valkyrie II
and was beaten by the Vigilant.
He challenged again in 1895 with Val
kyrie Ill, and after being beaten b.
the Defender in one race and losing thu
second on a foul he withdrew his boa
after crossing the line in the third race
He afterward made charges of fOu
play against the owners Of the Defend
er and, after a sensational trial befor'
the New York Yacht club, was expelled
from the club, of which he was an hon
orary member.
This episode put a stop to racing TO
a time. but in 1899 Sir Thomas Liptol
challenged with Shamrock L., which
was beaten by the Columbia in tire
straight races.
In 1901 Sir Thomas challenged agail
with Shamrock H., and after the mos
exciting series Of races ever sailed TO
the cup the Columbia again won tire
straight races by the narrowest poss
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