INTERNATIONAL YACHT RACE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 48, 1 October 1887, Page 2

INTERNATIONAL YACHT RACE.

ENGLAND v AMERICA. America" wins. London, September 28. The first of the races for the American Cup has resulted in the English Yacht Thistle being beaten by 19 minutes and a quarter. Within fifteen minutes after the start the Thistle was becalmed, but the Volunter caught a wind which gave her a lead of two miles before the Thistle felt a breeze, and as tbe Volunteer had a fresher wind, she was enabled to increase her lead.

The betting at the start was slightly in favour of the Volunteer. The wind was extremely light, and the weather hazy. Vast crowds witnessed the race, which was followed by hundreds of steamers and yachts. When half the distance had been covered the Volunteer had a lead of two miles, eventually winning by four miles.

The Volunteer is owned by General Payne, of Boston. Her dimensions are, length all over 107 feet, water line length 85 feet 9 inches, beam 23 feet 2 inches, and draught 10 feet. She is built with a clipper bow raking forward 6 feet. She measures 5 feet shorter thau the Thistle between the stem and the sternposts. Her plating is 6-16 th of an inch and i-inch steel, and the seams are flushed outside. The deck is of white pine, but the rest of steel. The Volunteer was built specially in order to defend the American Cup against the Thistle, and was subjected to seven test races, from which she cams out with tbe fine record of five wins, beating such proved clippers as the Mayflower, Puritan, Sachem, Magic, Norseman, and others. The Thistle, the British champion, was launched on the 20th April, and is of the following dimensions ; —Length, on load waterline, 85ft; length, per Customs, 98ft; breadth, extreme, 20ft Sin; and depth, 14ft lit). Tonnage, 100 tons. The Thistle is owned by Mr Jas. Bell. The material of which the hull is constructed is Siemens-Martin mild steel, the lead keel ballast being run into the circular keel plate instead of being bolted solid on the outside, as is usually done. She Ims a clipper stem and is provided with a considerable overhang of stem and stern. Out of 15 races the Thistle has won eleven.