The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-07-14
BOATS TO RACE
FOR PRIZE CUP
CONTEST OFF SANDY HOOK BE-
TWEEN "RESOLuTE" AND THE
SHAMROCK w" STARTS TO-
MORROW

| New York, July 13-The first race
| in IT years for the Americas cup will
start Thursday off Sandy Hook, the
contesting boats being the cup de-
fender Resolute, and the challenger
Sir Thomas S. Lipton's Shamrock w.
! It may be interesting at this time
, both to yachtsmen and to great
many who are not acquainted with
| this form of sport to read few facts
! in connection with this historic yacht
! ing trophy. ~.
To begin with the Americas Cup at
first was not an international trophy.
| In fact it had no significance other
| than being a prize offered by the
| Royal Yacht Squadron for race
around the Isle of Wight, Eng, which
was open to all nations. In August,
1851, the schooner yacht America,
| owned by Commodore John L. Stew
| ems and four other members Of the
New York Yacht Club, won this race
and the cup became their property
Six years later, Commodore Stevens
and his associates conveyed the prize
to the New York Yacht Club in trust
! as a perpetual international trophy
which has since been known as the
Americas cup, taking it's name from
the schooner yacht which won it in
British waters
1 The first race for the Americas
! cup, as an international prize, was
| held on August 8, 1870 over the reg
| ular course of the New York Yacht
Club in New York's lower bay. The
challenging boat was the Cambria,
| owned by James Ashbury, of the Royal
Yacht Squadron, Eng, and the cup
was defended by practically the whole
fleet of the New York Yacht Club.
| That, however, was the only race in
| which the challenger ever had to sail
| against a fleet and the only contest
| in which the issue was decided by a
| single race. Cambria, by the way,
finished tenth in that even while the
old America finished fourth the race
being won by Magic, the yacht Idler
finishing second.
| In all there have been twelve con-
tests for the Cup, in the second Of
which Mr.. Ashbury challenged with
the schooner Livonia and the New
York Yacht Club agreed to defend the
trophy with only one boat in the race.
| The 1871 contest was the best four
out of seven races. Livonia won a
single race owing to the steering gear
| of the defender Columbia breaking
down. Only twice since that day, Oc-
| tober 10, 1871, has a challenging yacht
crossed the finish line ahead of the
| defending boat. On September 10,
1895, Valkyrie III, after following the
defender finished 1 minute and Is
| seconds ahead of the American boat
and on October 4, 1901, Shamrock II
| finished two seconds ahead of Column
! bia but lost to the defender by vir-
tue of conceding AZ second time allow
ance.
| In the races of 1875, 1881, 1885, 1885
and 1887, the contests were decided
| on the basis of the best two out of
three races. From 1893 to the last
race in 1908 the agreement was for
the best three out of five races.
On only three occasions has one Of |
the competing yachts for the Ameri- |
cas- Cup failed to finish. In the last |
race of the 1895 contest Valkyrie
withdrew Immediately after crossing
| the starting line. On October IT, 1899, !!
Shamrock lost her topmast and with |
drew in the second race Of that year |
and on September 3, 1908, Shamrock |
III did not finish in the final race of |
the series as she was already beaten |
and had nothing to gain by con-
tinuing.
Just once in the history of the cup
races has competing yacht been dis
qualified. This was in the second |
aceof the series OF 1895 when Lord
Dunraven's Valkyrie III was disquali-
fled for fouling the defender.
The fastest time ever made in a
race for the Americas cup is cred
tied to the old schooner Columbia. On
October IS, 1871, the day before she
was defeated by Livonia, she sailed
20 miles leeward and windward 40
mil in a n
1888 seconds. 1t must not be inferred, !
however, that the Columbia was the
fastest yacht that ever sailed for the
cup. There is no method of deter
mining the relative speed of two or
more boats other than by the results
of race in which they sail together.
When the Columbia made the fast
time referred to undoubtedly the con-
ditions of wind, weather and sea were
most favorable.
The latest time ever made on q Is
mil course straight away and return.
80 miles in all, is credited to the de-
fender Vigilant. In a race on Octo-
Der 13, 1898, she covered the course
in 3 hours, "a minutes and 20 seconds.
The fastest time in triangular race
for the cup was made by Columbia
on october 3. 1891, the time for the
uiS'ShiAC0' 'iiii y hLieS, pelnS 8: 80: IL.
In the first three contests for the
cup the challenging boats were
schooners and the defenders for the
second, and third also were schooners.
In all other contests, however, the
yachts have been, sloops or cutters.
The smallest challenger in the his
tory of the cup race was Atlanta,
which was built at Bellville, Ontario.
Can, in 1881. She measured 81 feet
on the water line and was the first
sloop> to appear in contest.
The first yacht ever built especial
ly to defend the trophy was Pocahon-
tas. This was in 1881. Prior to that
years the New York Yacht Club had
selected from it's fleet the yacht con-
sidared IN he hest suited e.. A. -. |