Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-06-05
Famous Yachts.

The glory of the vessels that have
fought for the possession of the Amer
ica's Cup. the great yachting trophy Of
the "Grd, has been short lived. Many
have gone to the scrap heap, and 9TH
crs have found obscure employment of
various sorts or have lain out Of com
mission year after year at some re-
mote anchorage
Thus. of the five vessels that have
challenged for the cup since 1893, the
two Nalkyrics and the three Sham
rocks. not one is now in service. VAL
kyric H.. which was defeated by the
Vigilant, in 1893. was sunk the next
season in a collision with the Satanic
in a race on the Clyde. Valkyrie Ill,
defeated two years later by the De-
fender, after her owner, the Earl of
DunravCn, had quarrelcd with the
New York Club. was broken up. few
years after having accomplished Il
good deal of harm in her short career
as a racer.
Sir Thomas Lipton's challcngers. the
three Shamrocks, have also had the
bricfcst of lives. The first two have
already been broken up and the third
has been lying out Of water in Erie
beaten by the Reliance, in 1903.
The American victors have been more
fortunate, for the Defender is the only
one to have been broken up. The 9TH
ers, the ViGilant, Columbia. Reliance
and Constitution. which never actually
defended the cup. though built for that
purpose. are still almost as good as
they ever were, but their usefulness is
mol cl1 II- IL
unlikely that they would be able to
compete successfully with newer boats.
and as cruising yachts these expensive
racing machines are none too service
able. Moreover, the expense of MAIN
tanning them is almost prohibitive.
But the first and most famous racer
of them all, the America, has also had
the longest life. Built in 1861, from de-
signs by George Steers, she Won the
cup which now bears her name in the
same year, and was thcn sold in Eng
land. Aftcrward She found her way
back to America in time u serve in the
Civil War as a blockade runner. In
this dangerous service disaster at last
overlook her. ana She was sunk.
Her career, however. di;. not end
here. After The war she was raised,
Il
training ship. Now. moro than a half
century after the world first heard Of
her, she is a yacht again, the property
of Paul Butler and Butler Ames. 1t
was even suggested that she should en-
ter the recent ocean race for the Kais-
cr'S Cup, many persons believing thar
the veteran of the seas would prove too
| much for her young rivals The old
schooner did not compete, however.
The case Of the America is very tx
ceptional, and now that the fastest
boats are nothing but machines built
for the sole purpose Of speeding, it is
unlikely to be repeated. The yacht
ing register shows that there are only
five yachts, including the America.
that have lived for half a century. and
not many more that have attained ID
thirty years. Tho four other veterans
ar" tn" Sylvic, Stalwart. Cynthia and
/ NirVan2
\ Many IF the most famous yachts Of
| lhcir ddy passed into the ranks If thc
merchant marin" when years began tr
acc umHlatc about them. This has
hcen IN" fate Of tho schooner Cambria
tle lfSf challenger for the America
thr. NO" sh" carries merchandise
from London to ports along the west
coast of Africa. but she is still stancl
anG ;rilH. a big racer Of TODAY Womb
E' about rs useful in carrying CARGO,
I.roSS the ocean as n rowboat. The
Mage against which The Cambria
raced and lost, is now a pilot boat off
hey WcSt-Ocean.