Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-11-01
CUP THAT Upton WANTS.

TO" NnoTtCd "On tHo t'oPHy !" s"e
Famous Regatta sixty-o one Years Ago.
The news interest" in the announce
ment that Sir Thomas Upton, is COM
ing to America, planning final effort
to lift the yachting cup, is a. reminder
Of the famous regatta sixty-one years
ago. in which America gave Great Bri-
tain its first lesson in sailing.
For several years Sir Thomas has at
tempted to sneak up and clasp the cup
which the New York Yacht club has
valiantly defended and retained for
America. In fact, England has never
quite got over the defeat Of 1851, for
that was the Initial jolt to its boasted
superiority in the sailing Of the racing
yachts. But styles in water racing
craft, like motor car models, change
slightly from time to time, and no one
can help admiring Lipton's pluck, nor
say for sure that this time he will not
be successful.
The exciting international yacht race
sailed off the Isle Of Wight in Queen
Victoria's day, was the fitting finale to
the Exhibition of Industry Of All Ma
tions" held in London. The Infant In
dustries," tabled in tariff bills, were
really being fed out Of the bottle,
wearing swaddling clothes and crying
Justify in that day, 80 that the United
States made a poor showing at the ex-
hibition. It's exhibits did not cause
England or Germany any nights Of in
somnia, but 1t was in the international
regatta that the United States bound
ed up as Opportunity and ratified the
doorknob.
England scarcely knew at that time
that there was a yacht club in New
York or anywhere in America, In fact.
But for months preceding the great
race the Yankees had determined to
go in to win. F1ttingly. 1t appears,
there came forward George Steers, OF
Brooklyn, on whom was placed the
task Of designing and building a yacht
with which America hoped to outsail
old England. He turned out clipper
yacht of ITO tons burden that was a
decided departure In speedy craft.
Commodore John C. Stevens, Of New
York, was chosen to sail 1t.
No Englishman dreamed that Ameri-
ca could produce yacht that could
match the products Of the famous
shipyards and the plans Of its renown-
ed designers. So the America did not
arouse any very particular interest
when 1t sailed one day in August, 1851,
into the harbor of Cowes, Isle of Wight
after crossing the Atlantic first to
Havre. But the English offered every
courtesy to the Americans, opening
their customs house to them and send
ing their admiral on board to pay his
respects to the visiting commodore and
his crew.
The waters about the Isle Of Wight
are very dangerous to the navigator
who does not know them intimately.
There are tides and cross-currents
that one without knowledge Of the
channels would be helpless against.
Hence the American commodore was
somewhat worried about the pilot
question until England came forward
and offered to lend Commodore Stevens
a man familiar with the dangerous
waters. But before the race Commo-
dore Stevens got an anonymous letter
warning him not to put too much trust
in this pilot. He disregarded this sug-
gestion, with the statement that he had
entire confidence in the man chosen by
the British admiral.
Cowes had never witnessed so bril-
liant a scene as that spread before 1t