The Washington herald., 1908-07-19

Il has been said Of him that he belonged
TO a family Of inventors and discoverers.
for his father was confessedly the first 10
employ the screw in steam propulsion
{ and his brother the first TO make use Of
compound engines-two factors which
! have had enormous influence upon the
I development Of modern commerce They
I were all yacht designers and yacht build
ers from bOyhOOd. and those OF the sec
ond generation were the moving spirits
which gave impulse to the building Of
the famous America and in subsequent
yacht construction they embodied new
! and sound ideas which have brought
American yachting 70 its present condition
I OF pTe-eminenCe.
I After the yacht America rad lowered
I English pride on August .. lS5l. by win
I ming the Royal Squadron Cup. the dis
comfited Britishers. while reluctantly
forced To admit their inferiority in speed
/ and seamanship. at least at that time.
claimed that their boats were at leas;
safer and more comfortable On the open
/ sea
Point Long Disputed.
This point long remained disputed. Eng
lish yachtsmen did not appear 20 be anx-
ious 10 bring back TO their waters the
Royal Squadron Cup. which 5s4 America
had brought 10 this side OF the ocean. and
which meanwhile had been presented %
and accepted by the New York Yacht
Club as an International trophy. Ameri-
can yacht owners frequently made the
joking threat that II England did not
return the visit Of 1s51. America would
send her an entire feet to show her what
Yankee boats could do and how available
they were for ocean travelling This was
looked upon merely as Yankee hrzg and
blusteT. bat in 1855 II assumed a decidedly
practical form. when for an enormous
stake the owners Of the American yachts
Henrietta, Fleetwing. and Vesta matched
their boats to race across the Atlantic
The manner in which the contest arose.
as subsequently described at a reception
in Cowes. as recorded by Lieut. Kelley.
was as follows.
The match was made at a dinner. when
question arose amicably between the
owners of the Vesta and the Fleetvlng
as 10 the comparative speed and endur-
ance Of their boats \ race was proposed
Let il be outside. said one OF them
Agreed replied the other What do
you say-Sandy Hook TO Cowes2'' Done"
answered the first IN December and
Here both agreed that il should be for
S30O00 side
Becomes n Question Of Rules.
These preliminaries settled II then be-
came a simple question OF rules and dates.
By mutual consent the Henrietta was
allowed 10 enter. and after consultation
an agreement was drawn up. by which
the owners bound themselves 70 sail on
December H. at 1 D m. from Sandy Hook
70 the Needles. and for a prize Of SO 900. [
eignt-hOur rule was resciuded: no chan
nel pilot could be taken from this side; /
nothing but ballast could be shifted. and /
the race wd5 20 end when the yachts /
were on the channel course for CoweS 4
with the west end OF the Isle OF Wight 4
bearing abeam- The race was 10 start
upon the date fixed. play OF pay. blow
nigh or low The competing yachts were I
al well known in American waters for 4
their speed and stsnchness- None bet
ter, indeed, as the Henrietta and Fleet
wing were fine examples Of our keel type.
and the Nesta was a famous representa-
tive OF the centerboard class.
Built by Bennett.
The Henrietta was built for James Cor
don Bennett in 1861 by Henry Steers at
Greenpoint. y. Y after A design By vii
liam TOOker. The FIeetwing was built in
= j
Of New York, for George OsgOod. and the
Nesta was built by David CARL. at Citv
Island. in 1856. for Pierre L.oriTard.
The race across the ocean was 4 most
exciting one. and aroused unbounded in
terest on both sides Of the Atlantic wave /
The match was not only a novel one. the
stake not only unprecedented. the lcnE-h
Of course for the class Of vessels entered
never before eQuaIed. but the race vas
fnHr r@fn s#anTe a. -
the year. and Il the three vessels crossed
he ocean WITHOUT accident English sneers
~ the unseaWOrthiness Of the Yankee
,raft would be forever silenced. There
VAS no housing Of racing masts There
was no steam yacht acting as convoy.
mere were no owners rushing 10 the ]
'ther side on Atlantic liners. II was 4
7achting race as was a race and 10 the I
'redit Of English hearts be It said that I
when the Henrietta. having learned from
/ Cowes pilot that she was the first one
n dropped her racing flag of blue and
iashed aloft the private signal Of her ,
'wner. the crowd that later saw # from
he Cowes Parade gave her a hearty wei
ONE.
Time Is Thirteen Days.
The time OF the Henrietta was 1s days.
I hours and % minutes: that Of the Fleet / ]
sins a days hours and 10 minutes: that
Z the Festa Il DAYS hours and 50 min {
ties 4 close contest. surely The Ameri-
an yachtsmen were treated with such
ospitality on the other side that M
3ennett offered the Henrietta as a gift to s
'rince Alfred. then looked upon as the Z
representative English sailor but the lat J
er- IN very kindly letter. declined the
1T on the ground thac II was the duty
( E1glishmen to do their best to find a
ival to boat that could accomplish such J
feat J
mat event was. IN fact. the origin Of Z
ne succeeding International contests for 2
ne American cup which have brought :
.nsiish yachtsmen repeatedly TO these Y
nores in vain attempts 10 take back the Z
rophy nat the America carried from the il
halk fs Of Albion. T