New-York tribune., 1920-02-22
Try,Tr Again,
Seems Motto
OF Sir Thomas
Coming Race for Americas a!
Cup Will Mark 18th Ef-
fort to Recapture Trophy

e.uD Will MARK IOLn LII.
fort to Recapture Trophy
Tho acceptance Of tho challenge by
+he New York Yacht Club means that
for the thirteenth time since the Amer
ica's CUP was won and brought here
from England in the early sos for
cign yacht will attempt to recapture
the trophy. Sir Thomas Upton, of the
Royal Ulster Yacht Club, Belfast. Ire
land. will make his fourth attempt to
his trust in the Shamrock ~, which
he brought here in 1914 for the pur-
nose of competing for the international
yachting prize.
Owing to the war, which began early
in August Of that year, the scheduled
regatta had to be postponed indefinitely.
Sir Thomas had started his challenger
across the ocean before the declara-
tion Of war between England and Ger
many, and the yacht was ordered to put
into Bermuda for safety. Later in the
summer the Shamrock IV arrived here
and was boarded up in drydock in
New York shipyard. Recently Sir
Thomas inspected the challenger at her
Brooklyn quarters and declared that
he was perfectly satisfied with her con-
dition.
In 1914 and 1915 trial races took
place among the American yachts
Resolute. Vanitie and Defiance to de-
| termine which of them should have the
honor Of being chosen as the Americas
Cup defender. The Resolute wop
twenty-four of these contests; the Van
itie finished first in the six others
Defiance raced in only the 1914. trials,
finishing second three times. During
the following year the Defiance was
turned into q houseboat, and her
chance to take any further part in the
preparations for the race vanished with
| her reconstruction.
1t is generally believed that the Res
olute will be the defending boat in this
! the Herreshoffs for a syndicate of
prominent New York yachtsmen who.
it is reported, have placed a new order
! for two different sets of sails for the
I yacht. This is taken as an almost sure
indication that the Resolute will be the
defender.
First Race in 1851
The history of the ocean race clas-
sic dates back to 1851, when the
schooner yacht America, owned by
several American yachtsmen, was sent
to London, England as an exhibit of
fore-and-aft vessels built in this coun-
try. Her owners challenged all comers,
! and finally entered the Yankee craft in
a regatta for cup which had been
offered for yachts from all nations.
Sixteen yachts started in this con-
test on August %, 1851. The start was
from Cowes, Isle Of Wight, and the
course sailed was around that island.
The starting gun was fired at 10 a. m
and at S:35 p. m. the America came to
anchor off Cowes, winning the race and
prize, which ever since has been know
as the Americas Cup. The Aurora. the
smallest boat in the race, finished sec
ond, beaten by eighteen minutes actual
time.
Six years later, on July 8. 1857 the
owners of the America, J. C. Stevens,
Edwin A. Stevens, Hamilton Wilkes, J.
| Beekman Finley and George l.. Schuy-
ler, presented the cup to the New York
Yacht Club to be held as a perpetual
international yachting trophy.
In October 1868, James Ashbury, of
the Royal Thames Yacht Club, London,
England, challenged for the cup, but
owing to some disagreement as to the
terms he did not race for the cup until
1870, when he came across the Atlantic
IN his schooner yacht Cambria in an
ocean race against James Gordon Ben
nett's Dauntless from the Old Head
Of Klnsale to Sandy Hook Lightship
The Cambria beat the Dauntless in the
ocean race by over an hour.
The conditions for the first contest
for the Americas Cup in these waters
against fleet of yachts which the
america won around the Isle of Wight
The Cambria had one race against
the whole New York Yacht Club fleet
1t was sailed over the old New York
Yacht Club course, from off Stapleton,
Staten Island, to and around the Sandy
Hook Lightship and return. Fifteen
Yachts competed, the start being
The Magic won, beating the Idler. the
second yacht, by II minutes The
America finished fourth in this event
and Cambria, the challenger, finished
IN tenth place, over 80 minutes behind
the winner.
Livonia Proves Failure
In 1871 Mr.. Ashbury returned with
new schooner, Livonia, while the New
York Yacht Club selected four schoon-
ers-Columbia, Sappho, Palmer and
Dauntless-as defender in series Of
four out of seven races. Columbia, {.
light weather boat, won the first race,
on October 10, by 27 minutes sec
onds, corrected time. Two days later
Columbia again was the victor. On
the following day Columbia lost her
flying jib stay and broke her steer
ing gear on the run home, Livonia
winning by Is minutes 10 seconds.
Sappho was selected as the defender
in the fourth race, on October 81, ans.
beat Livonia by 80 minutes 2l seconds.
On October 23 Sappho again defeated
the challenger by Is minutes 27 sec
onds, ending the series
The Royal Canadian Yacht Club was
the next challenger, with the schooner
Countess of Dufferin. The schooner
Madeline was chosen to meet her, and
ON August IL, 1875, beat the Canadian
yacht by nearly II minutes. The SER
les. two out of three, was finished the
following day by Madeline winning b.
II minutes IA seconds.
Canada also furnished the next chal.
lenger,. in 1881. This was the 65-foot
sloop Atalanta, the first single sticker
to try for the cup. After several trial