The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-19
HISTORY OF The CUP.
Foreign Yachtsmen Have Made Thir-
teen Attempts to Lift Trophy
Won by America.
Dope on Relative Speed Of Reliance
and Shamrock III. Indicates
Close Races.

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Close Races.
This years races for the Americas cup,
which begin tomorrow off Sandy Hook,
will be the thirteenth series Of contests
since the cup was first brought back from
England by the schooner-yacht America
in 1851 The cup was offered for yachts of
all nations for a race around the Isle of
Wight, and the America finished eighteen
minutes ahead Of Aurora, the second boat,
Had the race been sailed with time allow
ance Aurora would have won for she was
forty -six-ton boat, while America regis
tered ITO tons. Soon after America re-
turned to this country. the trophy was
decided to the New York Yacht club for a
perpetual challenge cup.
In the first race following, James As
bury Of the Royal Thames Yacht club
brought over the schooner Cambria, which
sailed against a fleet of American boats.
The challenger finished tenth. Franklin
OsIsood's Magic was first, beating Cambria
by thirty-nine minutes and twelve Sec
onds. Cambria allowed Magic nine min
utes and twenty eight seconds.
In 1871 Mr.. Asbury challenged again
with the Livonia and the New York Yacht
club decided to pit only one boat against
the challenger and to sail a series of races.
Franklin Osgood's Columbia was selected
as the defender, and won the first two
races. In the third race Columbia was
disa bled and Livonia took the race Sap
pho, owned by w. P. Douglas, was then
substituted for Columbia, and she won the
next two races.
The Canadians now took a hand in chal-
longing, Major c. Clifford Of the Royal
Halifax Yacht club sending the Countess
of Dufferin, which was defeated in two
| r loIy >1~s,,
Canadians made a second effort to capture
the trophy in 1881. Alexander Cuthbert's
Atlanta was named by the Bay of Quinte
Yacht club, and was defeated in two
straight races by John R. Rusks Mischief.
This was the first contest in which the
contending boats were slooprigged, all pre-
vious challengers and defenders having
been schooners.
The next race sailed was in 1885, the
Royal Yacht squadron of England naming
Sir Richard Sutton's cutter Genesta. The
Puritan, built for syndicate, and raced
under the name Of J. Malcolm Forbes, was
| selected as the defender after a series OF
| trial races with the Priscilla and Bedouin
Puritan won the first race. over the in
side course, but in the second race Puri-
tan fouled Genesta, which was awarded
| the race. Sir Richard Sutton refused to
take the heat, and the race was sailed over
the outside course, Puritan winning by q
small margin.
Lieutenant Hem, representing the
Royal Yacht club of Scotland, challenged
in 1886 with the Galatea, and the May
| flower was selected as the defender after
a series Of trial races with Puritan, At
lantic and Priscilla. Like the Puritan
| the Mayhower was designed by Edward
! Burgess. She defeated the Scotch boa
easily in two races.
| The Scotchmen challenged again in 1SS'
| xrrff 1icfIn Hy,i1f frn
| Watsons designs for a syndicate of mem.
bers Of the Royal Clyde Yacht club Bur.
CESS designed the Volunteer for Genera
Charles J. Paine, and the American boat
won handily.
/ The next challenge came from the
/ Royal Yacht squadron, and the challenger
i was Lord Dunraven's Valkyrie II. -Four
I boats, the Vigilant, Colonia, Pilgrim anG
Jubilee, were built to compete for the
honor of defending the cup, and the Vigi-
| lant designed by Herreshon for a syndi-
cate headed by C. Oliver Iselin, won the
| trial races, and defeated the Valkyrie In
three straight races. The time made by
[, the Vigilant in this race was 8 hours, "a
| minutes and 80 seconds, the best time
! ever made In a thirty mile windward and
| leeward race for the cup, yet Vigilant won
by only 40 seconds, and would have lost
had not Valkyrie lost her spinnaker.
The first unpleasant mess over the cup
races occurred in 1895, when Lord Dun
| raven challenged again with Valkyrie III.
Defender was designed by Herreshoff.
| who has built all the defenders since that
| time, and was managed by G. Oliver Iselin.
Defender won the first race 1andily, and
was given the second on a foul. The Val
kyrie was withdrawn from the third race
after crossing the line, and Lord Dun
| raven accused Iselin of cheating by add
ing ballast after being measured The
| New York Yacht club investigated the
charges, decided that they were absolute
| ~ false, and expelled Lord Dunraven from
| honorary membership.
This is Sir Thomas Liptons third at
tempt to lift the cup. He challenged In
! 1899 with Shamrock l., in 1901 with Sham
rock H.. and this year with Shamrock
III. Columbia defeated both Shamrock
| I. and Shamrock II. The Constitution
which was built in 1901 for the defender
proved not SO good an all-around boat
! as Columbia, which accordingly had the
honor of being the only boat to defen6
| the cup twice.
| Taking into account the last five races
sailed between Shamrock III and Sham.
rock T., the former averages IS seconds E
mile faster than the old boat: In fail
4 weather and true winds, Reliance ha.
proven Is seconds a mile faster thar
| Columbia, and in the 1899 race Columbia
was 1871 seconds a mile faster than Sham
rock l., so that Reliance apparently is onl,
31.7 seconds faster than Shamrock I. The
margin Of difference between the twt
racers this year will probably be yer.
slight.
Captain Barr, who will sail the Reliance
| sailed Columbia in the 1899 and 1901 races
Captain Robert Wringe of Brightlingsea
1 England, skipper of Shamrock III, wa!
on Shamrock l. four years ago, but wa
then second in command to Captain
i Hogarth.