The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-08-22
AMERICAS CUP RACES
Contests For the Blue Ribbon
Of the Sea.
THIS IS THE THIRTEENTH RACE.

First brought over Here FROM
England In Is51-Ai Previous Es-
forts Of British Yaehtsmen to re-
capture II UnavaiIing.
The famous Americas cup, the blue
ribbon Of the sea, which British yachts
men have been trying to recapmre for
over half a century, was originally won
by the Yankee keel schooner yacht
America from a fleet Of English cut
tiers aud schooners in race around
the Isle Of Wight on 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
tons. The cup is IN the form Of a
silver pitcher and stands q inches in
height, is SO inches in circumference
and weighs 134 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 viii 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 its history or some mishap in later
years it has no bottom
Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock III. is
the twelfth challenger for the cup, and
this years race win be the thirteenth
It was 3t 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 1t 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 ia 1867, it was thirteen years
later, or in August, 1870 before the
first 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 fleet of the New York Yacht
club and finished tenth, the schooner
yacht Magic winning by 39m 12s.
Mr. Ashbury challenged again the
following year with the schooner Lii
yonia, and as result 81 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 1t saw fit in the morn
ing of the race. AS 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
gear and was beaten by the
schooner Sappho in two races.
There were no more races for the
cup until 1876, when the Canadian
schooner Countess Of Duferin, 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 steker. but with no
better success. the challenging Ata-
Ianta being easily beaten by the Yam
See sIoop Mischief. Four years later
the cutter Genesta. owned by Sir Rich
md Sutton Of England, came after the
cup in 1885, only to be beaten by the
Boston yacht Puritan ii two straight
races.
The following year, 1856, William
Hem, an Irish yachtsman, challenged
With the cutter Galatea, and it was the
iame old story, the Yankee yacht, May
lower, winning the two races, sailed
EASILY.
Ia 1887 the Scotch came after the cup
With the Thistle, owned by James Bell
md syndicate Of Clyde yachtsmen.
This was the first cup challenger de-
iigned by William Fife, who is respon- |
ible. for the present challenger, and |
The was supposed to stand good |
nance. The American yacht. however,
Won with ease.
Six years passed before there was an
ither challenge. when Lord Dunraven /
anne over In 1898 with yalkyrie III. |
nd was beaten by The ylgilant.
He challenged again la 1895 with VAL
.yrle III, and after being beaten by I
he Defender in one race and losing the
econd on a foul he withdrew his boat
fter crossing the line in the third race.
He afterward made charges Of foul
lay against the owners Of the Defend
T and, after a sensational trial before
he New York Yacht club. was expelled
rom the club OF which he was an hon
rary member.
This episode put stop to racing for
time, but in 1899 Sir Thomas Upton
hallenged with Shamrock T.. which
'as beaten by the Columbia in three
-raight races.
In 1901 Sir Thomas challenged again
18th Shamrock IL, and after the most
1citing series of races ever sailed for
le cup the Columbia again won three
raight races by the narrowest posi-
Ie margin.
In the eleven contests thus far for the
lp on this side twenty-eight races, or
eats, haYe been sailed, and only once
rs the challenging yacht won a race,
ld that was when the schooner Co
mbia was disabled in 1871 and was