Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-26
THIRTEENTH TRY
FOR AMERICA CUP
Elimination Contests Will Dc
tcrmine Defender Of the Blue
Ribbon of the Sea.

Tho year 1920 will be n banner one in
yachting il history repeats itself. In
the past whenever there have been con-
tests for the American cup, there has
been the grcatest activity in the sport.
During the coming summer tho thirteenth
series of contests in American waters for
the classic trophy will be sailed off Sandy
Hook.
The acceptance Of Sir.Thomaa Liptons
challenge by the New York Yacht Club
after prolonged discussion Insurcs some
keen contests between the Shamrock ~
| and either the Resolute or the Yanitie.
The Shamrock w, is the fourth yacht
sont to this country by the Irish Baronet
for the purpose Of lifting the cup.
The Resolute and tho Yanitie will be
made ready for the trial races for tho
selection OF tho defender under the
direction oi their respective designers.
Nat IerreshoH and William Gardner
On account of the beginning of the
war carly in August 1914 the scheduled
races Of that summer had to be post
poned indefinitely.
Trial races took place in 1914 and 1915
between the American yachts Resolute,
Nantie and Defiance 10 determine which
should have the honor Of being chosen
rs the Americas Cup defender. Reso-
lutte won twenty-four of these contests
and Nanitie finished first in the other six.
Deiinace raced only in the 1914 trials,
finishing second three times During
tho following year Defiance was turned
into a houseboat. and her chance 10 take
any further part in the preparations for
the race vanished with her recOnstrIc-
tior.
VICTORY or Tur AMERICA.
The history Of the ocean race classic
dates back tp 1851, when tho schooner
yacht America, owned by several Ameri-
can yachtsmeu, was sent tp London.
England, as an exhibit of fore-aDd-aft
vesscls built in this country Her owners
challenged all corners and finally entered
the Yankee craft in y rgatta for . cup
which had been offered for yachts from
all nations. Sixteen yachts started in
this contest OF August y, 1851. The
start was from Cowcs, Isle nf Wight, and
the course sailed was around that island
The starting gun was fired M 10 a m,
and nt s35 j. m. tho America came 10
anchor of Cowcs winning the rare and
prize. whi h ever since has been known
% the Americas Cup The Aurora,
tho smallest yacht in tho race. finished
second, beaten by eighteen minutes
actual time
SIX years later on July 3, 1857. tho
owners Of tho America, T. G. Stevens,
Edwin 4 Stevens. Hamilton Wilkes. J
Reekman Finley. and George l.. Schuyler,
presented the cup to the New York
Yacht Club 80 be held as perpetual
international yachting trophy
In October. 1868, James Ashbury. of the
Royal Thames Yacht Club. London,
England, challenged for tho cup. but ow-
no did not race for il until 1870, when
he came across The Atlantic IN his schooner
yacht Cambria in m ocean race against
James Gordon Bennett's Dsuntiess from
the old Head Of Kinsale to Sandy Hook
Tightship Cambria beat Dauntless 10
lhe ocean race by over an hour.
In 1871 Mr.. Ashbury returned with
new schooner, LivonIa. while the New
York Yacht Club selected four schooners.
Columbia, Sappho. Palmer and Dauntless
as defenders IN n series of four ont Of
seven races Columbia, light weather
boat, won the first race, on October rs
by 81 minutes seconds. corrected time
Two DAYS later Columbia again was the
victor. On the following day Columbia
lost her flying sb stay and broke her
steering gear on the run home, LivOnia
winning by Is minutes 10 seconds.
Sappho was selected as the defender in
the fourth race, on October q. and beat
Iivonia by 80 minutes II seconds. On
October 23 Sappho again defeated the
challenger by Is minutes ~ seconds
ending the series.
CANADIAN CHALLENGES.
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. 1870. beat the Canadian
yacht by nearly minutes. The series,
two out OF three was finished the following
day, Madeline winning by ~ minutes
Ii seconds.
Canada also furnished the next chal-
lenger In 1881. This was the sixty-fve-
foot sloop Atalanta, the tirst single sticker
to try for the cup. After several trial
races Mischief, an iron sloop, was chosen
to defend the trophy. This she success
fully accomplished in two races, Noyem-
Der q and 10, 1881.
The British cutter Genesta, aninety-
footer owned by Sir Richard Sutton OF
the ROYAL Yacht Squadron, was the next
challenger, and the Puritan, a Boston
boat, beat her In two successive races
September ii and 10, 1855.
Lieutenant William Hem Of the ROYAL
Navy brought over the 90-foot cutter
Galatea in 1886 but she was beaten bv
the Mayhower, a Boston sloop. This
was contest between centre board and
keel Mayflower won the first race,
September z, 1886, by IL minutes and
four days later beat Galatea more de
cisively by over 16 minutes.
The Thistle, Scotch cutter, owned bv
Vice Commodore Bell of Royal CLYDE
Yacht Club, came over the following wear,
1887 An improved Mayflower, the
Volunteer, was specially designed and
built TO defend the cup thisye as Thistle
had done wonders in British waters.
Volunteer, a steel sloop, won two straight,
however.
DUNRAvEN's S DEFEATS.
There was lapse of six years before
another challenge came. This time Lord
Dunraven's Valkyrie ii was the visiting
craft Four yachts were built for the
honor of defending the cup, but Nigi ant
was chosen. Three out of FIVE races were
to be won and Vigilant took three sue
cessively.
Lord Dunrav II tried again in 1895 with
Valkyrie III, but with no better result.
LIProN's INITIAL EFFORT.
Sir Thomas Upton made his initial
effort to lift the Americas Cup in the
fall of 1899 with Shamrock A new
American boat Columbia II uas saleefad