THE STRUGGLE FOR THE "AMERICA'S" CUP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7484, 13 November 1885, Page 3

THE STRUGGLE FOR THE "AMERICA'S" CUP.

Most of our readers are doubtless aware thab the celebrated sohooner yacht America went to England in 1851, and carried off the Royal Yacht Squadron's Cup ; and that our American cousins have eTer since been very proud of the performance. In August, IS7O, Mr. James Aihbury, who is now on a visit to thie colony, attempted to recover the cup in the Cambria, and not succeeding with her, moet pluckily ordered 3 yacht {the Livonia) from Ratsey, of Co wee, for the purpose of making another attempt in 187 L He again failed, uuder circumstances aud conditions for tbe contest which would have appalled most men, for though Mr. Ashbury objected to the Now York Yacht Club sending out, according to the state of the woathar, any one of the followiug yachts :—Sappho (koel), Dauntless (keel), Columbia (centreboard), and Palmer (centre-board), aud though he also objected to the club sending centre-boarders against the Livonia, he had to give way. The Americans knew then as they have shown that they know now, that size and power and big enough sails aro chief elements for euccees in such % contest. The Livonia, keel, was 107J feet long on load-line and 23} feet beam ; the Columbia waa nine feet shorter ; but aim had - feet more beam. The area of the Livonia's lower sails was 761S feat, the Columbia's t>77o foet. The Columbia was sent againet the Livonia three times and was beaten oncu. The Sappho waa sent twice and won ' both timea, of course, as sho was I'l2 feot long on load-line, 27 feet beam, and her area of lower sails 10,223 feet! The challenger, in the late contest, ie the 80 ton cutter, Genesta. Sho is the same leugth on loadline, 80 foet, ae her opponent, the Puritan ; but the Puritan has 2o feet beam, against the Gencata's 15 feet, an enormous difference, not at all counterbalanced by the Geneeta's 25 tons more lead, and displasemeut and greater draught of water of {5 feet, when we consider that the Puritan's centre-board is 20 feot long by 11 feet deep. If the G«neeta had had her lower sails increased in sizo by tho eijuarc feot in her gafltopaail, the result would have been different, as ehe would have had more sail on her when running and need not have carried » gall'topsail on a wind, when tho Puritan could not carry hers.

Mr. Beavor Webb, the designer of Sir Richard button's cutter Genesta, named her {in December last as the Royal Yacht Scjuadrou's voesel. which challenged the 1 New York Yacht Club for tho possession of tho America's cup. After some negotiation it was arranged that the match was to be throe racos, best two to win—ono a triangle, forty miles in extent, outside the Hook ; second, a race over the New York Club course ; and, if a third wero necessary, twenty miles to windward (or leeward) and return, starting either from Buoy No. 5, oil" the Hook, or from one of the two lightships. Tho allowance was to be the regular rule of the Now York Club, and tho champion yacht of the Is'ovv York Club wae to be named iu advance. The Puritan, a yacht designed by an amateur named Burgess, at Boston, Mass., and built for a symlioate there in order to defend the cup, was the yacht selected, after sundry trials with the best yachts afloat iu American waters, and especially with the Priaoilla, n larger iron cutter yacht, built at New York, alao especially to defend the cup, to the order of Messrs. James Gordon Bennett and Douglas. The Americans in both of these (their latest built yachts) have paid the British tho compliment of adopting their national rig—the cutter. Tho two yachts met for their lirst raco on Septomber 11, when, through mismanagement on board the Puritan, she fouled the Geuesta with the clew of her mainsail, and took the bowsprit out of the latter vessel. Sir Richard Sutton received tho highest praise from the Americans for waiving his right to claim this raco. The yachts met again on September 14, when, the wind being light, tho Puritan won easily. The great Btrunulo was, however, on the 16tb, when the Puritan again won in a strong breeze by 2mni9. Ssece., but as the Puritan hid to allow 30.-)ocs., the winning time was lmin. 3$ sees. We hare an account of this last raco in tho Boston Herald, filling eight columns. Four-fifths of a column are occupied by a sensational heading in large type, as follows: —" It is ours. The America's Cup will remain on this side of the Great Pond. It was valiantly fought for by the Geneata, but sho was squarely defeated by the white sloop from Boston. Tho Englishman ahead at the start, but tho Puritan quickly overhauls her. The Eastern boat is, however, overtaken. At the mark buoy and the turning stake Britisher leads about oneeighth mile, but after a jtine contest cornea to the front, and not for loDg, as the Yankee catches up, and holds her gain on to the finish. The White Witch wins by lmin. 3Sieo3., corrected time. Genesta's weather proves the Puritan's. The latter docs better work in the gale, aud generally outsails her rival. The clever cutter and her crew loudly cheered. Silence of the London morning Press on the result. What a landlubber thinks of the fight. The use made of homing pigeons in sending news. Notesandincidents of thegreatstruggle." We will now give extracts to describe the race:—•

The captain of tho Genesta calculated his distance almost to the second, for he came upon the line so close to the expiration of tho limit time that many on board tho judge's boat thought the cutter would croes the line ahead of time. The movo was successful, however, and she crossed the line just l(j seconds after the whistle had blown. Tho Puritan was away from the line a short distance, aud was not kept so close to the start *h in the other rac«e, and consequently she crossed 45 acconda behind her rival. The Genesta, before reaching tho line, lowered her spinnaker boom to starboard, and almost immediately after going over the score thu Bpinnaker was set. The Puritan camo down to the line with her two head sails, club topsail and mainsail. Her balloon jibtopsail, which was stopped on the stay, was broken out bnforo she crossed tho line, and in leso time than it takes to describe it, it was flowing to tho wind, and carrying a fairly good full in quicker time than it took the Geneata. From the time the spinnaker was set on the Puritan at ITO6, both yachtti were, for tho first time since they have come together, runniDg before the wind with spinnakers set, and all the light kites drawing. Thu wind began to increase just after they had started, and soon it was blowing « good fourteen milo breeze. The Puritan followed just astern the Qeneeta for about seven minutes, and waa covering the Geneeta some, when Captain Crooker bore away to leeward, and at fifteen minutes from the start both yachts hud a free wind, and each was sailing by itself, the ' Puritan being 500 feet to leeward, and both heading east-south-east. They were on a dead run of 20 miles to leeward, and went humming through the water under the stiff breeze tbac waa blowing. At twenty minutes paet eleven o'clock the Genesta set her jibtopaail, and Captain Carter tried to hold to what ho had in the lead. It was ot no use, however, .for the silver-heeled Yankeo sloop continued to overhaul the Genesta, so that, after running & little, tbe Puritan had made up the 45 seconds which the Genesta had at the start, and at forty minutes past eleven o'clock was on even terms with the Genesta, and slowly drawing away from her. The Puritan had taken in her balloon jibtopsail and she was sailing under spinnaker, jib, maincail, and club topsail. The Genesta, in the meantime, had been earring her jibtopsail, but Captain Carter found that she could do better without it and at fifty minutea paat eleven o'clock it wae taken in, and now she was sailing under the same sails aa the Puritan. At this time the judges' boat was alongside of the Puritan to leeward, and it could be seen that the Yankee sloop was leading the Genesta by not more than a length, aa the Geneeta had during the last teu minutes gained some on her. Tho Genesta did niuoh better work in running after she took in her jibtopeai!, and she more than held her own with the Puritan. There were white caps to bo seen on all sides, and the wiud was blowing steady at 15 miles an hour, and the yachts were sailing under the samo condition* and were alike favoured. Both yachts were "boiling" along at a 10 milo pace. The Puritan was leading at 12.40 o'clook, though sho had noS much of a lead. Slowly but surely the Genesta waa gaining on tho Yankee sloop, and at 12.44 o'clock had not only made up what the Puritan had gained, but was passing her. The Qenesta had her jib and foresail set at thia time, and her spinnaker to port was carrying her ahead better than the Puritan. The Genesta was now outrunning the Puritan, and ahe was going away from her by tho foot, so that at 12.55 o'clock the Genesta led the Puritan by over 500 feet. The cutter sent down her jibtopsail at this time, and the Puritan did tho same thing a few minutea later. The Geuesta

carried her gafftopsail to the stake, while the Puritan did not carry here for nearly » mile before reaching the atake. The Puritan took in her spinnaker at 1.02 o'oiook. Sheets were now flattened on the Geneeta, and she rounded the atake at 1.05.30, andatarted for home on the starboard tack.

The Puritan, when the Genesta ronnded the slake, was an eighth of a mile astern. She rounded the stake at 1.07.36. The wind after the yachts had rounded the stake began to freshen, and it blew 20 milee an hour, and both yachts were on the starboard tack. The Genesta was carrying her gafftopsail, and was sailing with her rail under. The Puritan was following her, and was to windward of her a little. '1 ho Puritan had no gafftopsail set. Detigncr Burgees got in the leu riggibg, and ah Lauds sweated away on the sheot. Notwithstanding the bad set of the hcadeails, the white sloop was overhauling the Genesta. The Puritau was not only overhauling her, but she was getting the weather gauge on her, and was making feet to windward on the other. The wind all the while was increasing, and both yachts had all they could carry. The Puritan came about on the port tack at 1.22. The Genesta camo about almost immediately after, and tho boats were again on the u&me tack, the Genesta leading by a quarter of a mile. The wind began to blow great guna, and the Puritan sent down her topmast at 126'50. At this time tho Genesta wae carrying her galftopsail, and she wan standing up well under it."

Note here the difference in tho relative Bail area, the Genesta carrying horgafi topsail, while Puritan sends down her topmaat. Tho Puritan's sails, also, evidently stood better than Genesta's , . " The Genesta seemed to fail to leeward here. The Puritan was outpointing her;" and that Captain Crocker did not Bail his vessel very clone is evidenced by the following quotations from the account of a previous race between the Puritan and Prisoilla: — "The Puritan, which had previously shown such good windward work in a breeze, was dropping to leeward, while the Prisoilla seemed to be sailing within three points of the wind and going fast. Certainly she was outweathering the Puritan. Captain Crocker evidently did not believe in tying his boat down, for ho gave here a little main sheet, and oil she bowled, heading iushore for Eastern Point. She was going as of old, and was speeding away from the New York, leaving her every minute. Although she wae not pointing with her, yet she was outsailing her, going almost three feet to the Priecilla'a two."

To resume the account of the Genesta race :—" The wind that the cutter's followers had prayed for had come, and it looked at half-pant one as if they would get more wind than the cutter wanted. Captain Carter fcund that there was too much wind for the Genesta, and at twenty-live minutes past one took in the gatltopaail. At thia time the L'uritan was beating to the windward of the cutter, and she was getting through the water at an 11-mile puce. Captain Carter eaw tho temporary advantage which ho had giined only a short while bafore blipping ti'om him, no ho sent up lm working gafftopsail, and with this sail aloft the Geneeta again took up tho battle against the Puritan. Tho squall came, and it struck the yachts with groat force, and knocked them down, and both wore buried with lee raiU clean under, The Puritan had ae much wind ae she wanted, for Captain Croker had to ease her up, and the mainsail had hardly a good full. The Puritan was well heeled down, and her bltickleaded bottom at times could be seen below the garboard. The Genesta was lee rail under, but she was making great foam and suds at her loe channels, and the water was running up on her lee rigging. The wind was tierce and howling at 'J5 or HO miles per hour. Neither yacht was reefed, and they ware eaoh hugging on to all they could stand to. The Puritan was knockwi clown under it, but she was no worse than tho cutter. The squall was a tough ouo, and it kept up for over fifteen minutes, after which the wind went down to about 'JO milee an hour. At half-past two tho wind again freshened, and it waa blowing over 23 miles an hour. The Puritan was up to windward about a mile on the weather quarter ot the Geneata and she wag slowly outfooting the Geuesta. She was not trimmed as flat as the Geneeta, as Captain Crocker preferred to sail her with a "good rap full," inste»d of tying her down, and thna deaden her headway. At three o'clock both yachts were still on the starboard tack, the Puritan being a mile to windward, and eho waa about half a mile astern of the GenesU. The latter was pinched for all she was worth, and Captain Carter was holding her up to it. The Puritau with sheets a little started could do as good weather work as the Genesta, and eho kept on slowly gaining on the Genesta. The wind shifted to north north-west just about the time that the Puritau came about on the starboard tack, and what she had gained in windward work was a positive lose to her. When the yachts had squared away for home both could easily make the lightship, but the Genesta had the best position, as she was leading on the tack by over one-fourth of a mile. It was still blowing nearly a gale, and the cutter had by a ohauce got half a mile to tho good by the shift of wind, and as she was holding a " good full" and sailing at an 11-mile pace she was all the time becoming a moat dangerous rival. She had met the Puritan in an average '20-mile breeze in a reach, one of her boat points of sailing. Shu had hard work to stand up to what ehe had. Captain Carter again and again eased and shook her up in the wind. She was rushiug madly through the sea, and the waves were torn apart by her ae she jumped through them. The Puritan was coming after her up to windward at a pace that mado Sir Richard wouder what manner of craft he was looking at. The Puritan's foromant hands were up to their waists at the Ice rails, taking in the ends of the olivets that had been washed overboard. She was going as fast as the Geneata, and a little bettor. Now, the Puritan people, with all their might and all their sailing knowledge, began to battle at half-past three to take away the lead which the Genesta bad on the reaoh. It was a hard task, for the Genesta was piping along. The Puritan was to windward, and, consequently, she held the best position for the struggle. The Geneeta could weather tho lightship, 10 inilos away, on the reach, hut she had to be close-hauled to do it. The Puritan could also clear the lightship, but from her position she could afford to head for it with her sheets a little off. Tho yachts had been out three hours. They had turned the stake and eaoh had made one short starboard tack and one long port tack, and both were heading for homo on the starboard tack. Tho Puritan wae sailing for home at a pace she never made before, and was bearing down on the Genesta. rler gain was hardly perceptible, for the cutter was Hying, and the yacht that would catoh her must be a marvellous one. There were only ten miles to nail before the liniah line would be reached, and if ever the old saying, "That a stern chase is along one" was true, it was being fully proven in this case. Half-mile after half-mile was sailed, and Rtill there appeared no gain. The Genesta was holding on to her lead with a death grip, unwilling to yield even an inch to the Yankee sloop. No let-np in the wind or sea came, aad on went the yachts for home, the sea actually seething as they worked through it. Captain Crocker seemed to be encouraging the Puritan. The white sloop had never met such » rival, especially under tho conditions she was now sailing. Those who thought the Puritau would win by minutes were not satisfied to have her win by a few beconds. The suspense was something terrible. It was a very hard race and a desperate one, on account of its closenees. The Geneeta seemed to have the best of the going as she reached within two miles of the finish, and Americans on all the steamers that followed the race began to get frightened and gloomy. On tho yachts went bowling, every minute drawing nearer the finish line. The Puritan was going for tho line at a great pace, earning for herself the title of "Greyhound of the Sea." She was bearing down to Ifeward and overhauling the Genesta in grand style. The nearer the yachts came to eaoh other, the greater the excitement became on all the vessels that were following the race. At 3*46 30', she was abeam of and to windward of the Genesta. The moment of suspense was now over j the white sloop was on even terms with the Genesta and held the windward position, aud at a mile from the finish line was leading her by two feet. The Gcnesta's skipper took desperate measures, for the occasion required it. His pet vessel had been outsailed by the Yankee sloop, and what ho feared must was that the Puritan would head reach the Geuesta and blanket her. The Puritan had not got far ahead of the Genesta when Captain Carter luffed her her up in tho wind, and then tried to out weather the Yankee. He made a great attempt, but it failed him, for he could not get the weather guage on the Puritan, and

in trying these tactics he was only deadening the headway on his boat. Twice he tried the same taotica, but only to fail, and, after trying it again and again, he gave up the windward fight and took up the more reasonable position of trying to head for the lightship, which was just in adranoe of him. At one mile from home, the Yankee was leading by an eighth of a mile and was in a safe position. The Puritan crossed the line at 4.09.15, and the Genesta followed close after at 4.10 39.

The Puritan crossed the line with meinsail, jib, and foresail set, and the Genesta with the same sails and gafttopsail in addition. The Puritan as she crossed the line receivod a grand ovation, as did the Genesta." From the loading article we extract: — " The contest for the cup is over. The Puritan has kept for us the prize which the America won—a prize more precious than erer, in view of tho gallant attempt to carry it back, and the fight we have had to make to hold it against the dangerous challenger. It was close work all through. So equal and exciting a race was never before sailed by yachts over a forty-mile course. The contest for the cup is over. Sir Richard Sutton will have to go home without the coveted prize. But he can console himself with the assurance that he has won the reepeot »nd admiration of the American people." Yes I Sir Richard has gone home ere this without the coveted prize ; and so bas Webb, on whom we hope the lessons contained in the Genesta's topsail, the Puritan's struck topmast, and the "out-pointing" will not be thrown away. Let us hope, too, that Lieutenant Henn will profit by them; for the trouble ie not over yet, as he has challenged with his 90-ton cutter yacht Galatea, which we think will win the cup if her canvas be large enough and flat enough. We are glad that Sir Richard met with very different treatment by the Americans than did Mr. Aahbury. This last business seems to have been conducted with fairess and courtesy. It is quite time that tho boasting consequent on the America's performance came to an end. It has all along been assorted by the Americans that the America introduced a new style of yachtdesigning to Great Britain, and tho majority of Englishmen accept the assertion as a faot. It is not so. The America was launched in 1851; but the English 50-ton outter Mosquito —a better design on the same principle—had been launched in IS4B, and the Mystery, 25 tons, some six or eight years earlier. These yaohts were developments of Scott Russell's wave line, and so was the America.