Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-08

II II q pleasure 10 turn TO the orig
inal inception of those races which
have interested so many thousands Of I
Americans and Englishmen, as well as
yachting enthusiasts Of other ma
tons
First Race Recalled.
The very first race, the one that
started the succession of contests
continuing down to the present year,
brought out a fine bit of sportsman
ship on the part of the Englishmen,
and one which should never be for
gotten
The New York Yacht Club, the first
yacht club organized in America.
formed in 1874 by body Of nine en-
thusiasts, had held races for few
years between yachts owned by mem
bers. Two of the most enterprising
were j. G. Stevens and j. II. Perkins.
In 1851, at the time when the great
Worlds Fair was held in England,
the royal yacht squadron, an organ
iZation that antedated the New York
Yacht Club over 80 years, offered q
cup to be raced by the yachts of all
nations
Mr.. Stevens that year had con-
structed a racing schooner to be en-
tered in the contest for the Queens
Cup at Cowos. This schooner was
named America. When Mr..
Stevens arrived on the other side, he
found that in the race for the Queens
Cup the rules provided a time allow
ance which was foreign to his ideas,
and the impression upon which he
had sailed. For this reason he de-
clined to enter the contest.
Objection Is Met.
The members OF the Royal Yacht
Squadron decided that they would
meet the visitor on his own GROUNDS
and they therefore contributed for
and put up another cup in order TO
see that the stranger received a fair
race under his own conditions.
The consequence of this was that
on August %, 1851. The America"
with fourteen other yachts, oontended
for what proved TO be the beginning
of a set OF races continuing down to
the present day.
The America was one OF the last
boats to go over the starting line, but
It had overtaken ten of the others
in the first fifteen minutes, and be-
fore the course was half covered had
passed every yacnt IN the meet, ana
had practically distanced all of them
except the Aurora and was con-
siderably in the lead even of that
cutter. At the finish the America was
eighteen minutes ahead of the Au-
rora.
Now this incident of offering an
other cup and without time allowance
in order to meet the views OF Mr..
Stevens had had little prominence in
the minds of those Interested in yacht
racing Of to-day.
AS a matter of fact. II is worthy
Of note that even with the time al
lowance, while the race would haFe
been very close, the America would
have won by nearly two minutes
which, of course, was q great salts
faction to Mr.. Stevens and the New
York Yacht Club.
Tennis Convention.
On February 10, at the Waldorf
Astoria, will be held the meeting OF
the National Lawn Tennis Associa-
ton. The proposed officials new
amateur rule, as drawn up by Palmer
Presley and others Of the commit
tee, Is stirring up a hornets nest,
and the question Is whether n VIII
be able to carry two thirds vote OF
the association. The proposed rule
allows the payment of legitimate ex-
penses Of competitors IN only three
special classes of tournaments, and
makes such payments illegal In all
other classes. Seymour, or the Pitts
II.