Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-07-20

The International Challenge Cup
canoe races sailed Saturday in Grave
send Bay, New York. while of much
interest to canoeists. have been rather
overshadowed this year because of the
more famous trophies figuring in the
international schedule for 1911. This
cup, however, has a history fully as
interesting as either the polo, yacht or
tennis trophies although not so widely
heralded. It began with the formation
OF the New York Canoe Club in 1871.
Some Il years later the club received
an intimation that the champions of
England would be glad to enter con-
test for sailing canoes. In answer to
this suggestion the club offered an
International Challenge Cup as a per-
petuai challenge sailing trophy, the
conditions of which were drawn in
substantial accordance with that es-
tablisned for the Americas Cup for
larger yachts.
The first challengers were Messrs.
Baden-Powell (brother of the distin-
guished general of that name) and
Walter Stuart of the Royal Canoe Club
of London and the English canoests
were defeated during the season of
1855. Two years later the challenge was
repeated without success and since
that date the competition has been
between American and Canadian canoe
racing experts. Beginning in 1890 five
attempts have been made by northern
canoeists to lift the cup but in each at
tempt the challengers have been de-
feated by the trophy defenders.
in,
tests are perhaps the most perfect
|, sailing craft in existence, for they
have been so developed as to permit of
carrying a larger sail spread in pro-
portion to their size than any other
craft in existence. The canoes are
decked over so as to be water-tight
with but a small cockpit left above the
water line. Across the deck is rugged
sliding seat twice the width of the
canoe permitting the sailor to reach his
entire length beyond the windward
side of the canoe, thus forming a
counter balance to the pressure on the
sails. In some of the previous contests
a sail area of over $50 feet was used
but recently the Canoe Association
limited the sail area to 80 square feet
Capsizes are frequent but the canoes,
being unsuitable, are soon righted and
TIE race continued.
The showing made by the American
athletes in the English track and field
championships again demonstrates the
fact that in this particular depart
ment of sport the United States per-
formers can hold their own against the
world. In an entry list of close to 240
there were seven American COMPETE
tors, three of whom participated in
two events giving this country a total
entry of ten. This little band COM
peted in nine of the nineteen events
composing the program winning two
first, two second and two third places,
five of the seven entrants being placed
in the finals against a field which in
cluded athletes from all parts of the
British Isles, South Africa, Sweden,
Australasia and Canada.
These entries We're either personal
or club entries and were in no way
official United States or Amateur Ath-
letic Union entries. The expenses of
the athletes were paid by themselves
or by their respective clubs and the
conditions under which the athletes
tTalieu anu liaNciieA Soioe'" "Sic Lot
different from those governing repre-
sentative American team competing in
either Olympic or international track
| and field games. 'Hobey' Baker, the
| former Princeton university football
| and hockey captain, who went abroad
with several of the athletes who COM
| peted at the English games, in writing
| Of the trip states
| 1T was amusing to talk with trainer