THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN CUP.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 27, 17 September 1920, Page 2

THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN CUP.

"In 1851 an American schooner, built on the lines of a New Yorlc pilot boat at New York, was brought over to Cowes by some memhers of the New York Club to try what she could do with British yachts and on August 22, 1851, she met the best of the English yachting fleet in a race round the Isle of Wight for a» cup given by the Royal Yacht Squadron. The Yankee schooner outsailed our yachts and won the prize, and her 'owners took their trophy back to New York and in later years decided to make it a challenge cup. Thus the winners of the* cup drew up a "decd of gift," which lays down the conditions- of the cornpetition. Roughly this deed provides that the Club which cballenges for this cup must select its c-hal-lenging yacht ten months before the race and forward with the challenge the len.gth of the yacht on the w&ter-lkje, and h'er "register" as soon as possible a-fter-wards. It will be noticed that as far as the challenging country is concerned, all trial and cornpetition carried out with a view to selection of a challenger must cease ten months before - tlie actual race, during which time the Americans have the cncrmous advarilage of continuing their selection triais right up to the seventh day before the race. Could any rule be more one-sided or in favour of the Americans? This rule alone is sufficient to make it almost impossible to win the cup. Its effect upon the recent contest has been most disKeartcning, for whilsj. the Americans had three yachts to choose from — Defiance, Resolute, and Yanitie — the British have had only one boat to choose from namely, Shamrock I\r. The cliallenging yacht must also sail across the Atlantic on her own botiom, and the. race is to be sailed in . open water outside headlands. * Tlie defending club is bound to choose a yacht for the defenee of the cup before the dates fixed for the race. Tlie defending club may build any number of yachts during the ten months period ; but on the day of tlie race they can only defend with one. The vacht chosen must then defend the cup in the best out of five races. Since tbe year 1851 tlie following races have been sailed for tlie America's Cup : — 1870. — Magic beat Cambria. 1871. — Columbia bcat Livonia. 1876.— Madeleine- beat Count-ess of Dufferin. 1881. — Mischief beat Atalanta. 188c. Puritan beat Genesta. 1886.— Mayflowor beat Galatea. 1887. — Volunteer beat Tliistle. 1893. — Vigilant bcat Yalkyrie II. 1895. Defender beat Yalkyrie III. 1899— ♦Columbia beat Shamrock I. 1901.— Columbia beat Shamrock II. 1903.— Reliance beat Shamrock III. 1920.— Resolute beat Shamrock IY. The American yacht has been the winner in each conteet,