Year: 1870

The Yacht Race.


| Our lower bay often sees grand array OF
contesting yachts in the regular regattas OF
our home clubs but it has seldom seen such a
brilliant display of canvas as appeared on its
waters yesterday. The occasion was one to
call forth every available inch of canvas that
the adjacent waters could spread. 1t was the
first time in nineteen years that the possession
of the Queens Cup, so gallantly won by the
yacht America in English waters against
an imposing array of English yachts
in 1851, was contested, and the honor
of its ownership was prize that every
American yachtman was ambitious to hold.
There was, therefore, an unusual number OF
famous craft in line. The Cambria, the
famous winner of the ocean race, was there,
the sole English contestant (and as such she
was overwhelmed with honors and courtesies);
the America, the original winner Of the cup
nearly twenty years ago. was there, and the
Idler the Magic, the Phantom and the Daunt-
less were there, besides dozens of others just
as good though not individually 70 noted.
Excursion boats overshadowed every ripple Of
water that was not occupied by the contestants,
and every foot Of space on the excursion
boats was held by greedy passengers,
anxious to view the contest. In addition to
this the wind was high, the sea was smooth
and the sky was clear. Nature seemed to
have taken a personal interest in the race, and
made all her appointments accordingly The
start was magnificent; the run out and back
was in the finest and fastest style, and no acci-
dent of any importance marred the occasion.
The whole story is graphically told in our
columns elsewhere 1t is enough here to note
that the Magic came in winner, the Dauntless
came in second, the Idler third, the America
followed close on her heels and the Cambria
came in eighth.


This race may justly be taken as demonstra-
tive, at least to some extent, of the superiority
of the American model and Of American sea-
manship over the English. American yacht
men have the right to claim this; for they
have been lacking in no courteous concession
to their English competitor and have grudged
him no praise for his handsome victory in
the ocean race. While that race may have
been affected by the different winds or calms
that prevailed in the widely differing latitudes
through which the courses of the two con-
testants lay, this was over the same course
and with the same wind, and the English con-
testant was given the choice of position from
the start. 1t is true enough that with eighteen
yachts to beat it seems like taking heavy odds
to pit the one English yacht against the field;
yet that is actually as fair q race as any, for
the fastest aud best managed yacht will win,
barring accidents, no matter how many other
yachts start with her. AS it was, the Cambria
came in eighth, and therefore the American
victory is complete. Seven American yachts
have beaten her over clear course, with
good wind, in an accepted race, where she
was allowed the choice of position, and an
American yacht consequently still holds the
Queens Cup.


Another thing is evidenced by the race of
yesterday. The America, the victor of nine
teen years ago, was among the leading yachts
in the race. She rounded the lightship fourth
and came in fourth at the stakeboat on the
return with all the gallantry and speed Of her
old days, when she was the accepted worlds
model of racing yacht. We have not there
fore improved much upon the America. 1t
may be that our shipbuilding interests have
Jagged so that American ambition for improve
ment has not been sufficiently stirred, or it may
be that there is no room for any Improvement
on the model of the America; but the fact
remains as evidenced by the race of yesterday,
not only that our American yachts excel the
models Of the English, but that we have made
little or no advance on the model Of the feet
winner Of the Queens Cup Of nineteen years
ago