NEW FIGHT FOR AMERICAN CUP

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12507, 24 July 1926, Page 11

NEW FIGHT FOR AMERICAN CUP

Lord Dunraven to Join Sir Thomas Lipton England’s £ 1,000,000 Efforts “I WOULD willingly forfeit the * seventy trophies 1 have won —valued at thousands of pounds —if 1 could only retrieve the America Cup for England. Although its value is barely £BO it is of the most priceless historical and traditional interest. Besides, what is the good of it remaining in America, where they have nothing to fill it with?’* Tims Sir Thomas Lipton, who intends to build Shamrock V and to issue a challenge this year to race for the famous America Cup in 1927. If Sir Thomas had ever won the trophy, ho would have recalled that it is incapable of holding liquid. It is not in the real sense of the word a cup at all. but an elaborately decorated cylinder, open at each end. THE FIRST RACE The cup was originally won at Cowes from a fleet of English racing cralt in 1851, by the schooner America, sent over from the United States, and was presented by the Royal Yacht Squadron to the owner, Commodore J. C. Stevens. Queen Victoria on the Royal yacht was an anxious spectator of this first race, and the replies of her signal master “America first” and “Your Majesty, there is no second,” and so on, became legendary in the United States. The commodore ana his associates who later presented the cup to the New York Yacht Club to be a perpetual trophy for international racing could never in their wildest flroams lintvo figured that fortunes would be spent over the now battered old piece of silverware. It is estimated that over £10,000,050 has been spent in the endeavour to recapture it for England.

1llllllllflUII(IIIIIIIIIC31IUllUllllC3IIIIIIIHIIIC3lllfmilII!UllinilHIIIC3IIIII In 1857 notice of the terms of the deed of gift was sent to all accredited ♦foreign yacht clubs, but the first challenge was not received until 17 years later. Mr James Ashbury, of Manchester, then made two attempts the first- of a long series of races that Took place at odd intervals up to the present day. The first Iborjt specially designed for the contest was Major Gifford’s Countess of Dufferin. This was in 1876, when the Royal Canadian Yacht Club issued a challenge on his behalf. It cost the major about £7OOO before he lost the race. The real heavy expense of defending the cup began in 1893 when Lord Dunraven issued his first challenge. Vigilant, the winner, ccst the New York Yacht Club £30,000. Vigilant won her three races by such narrow margins Uiat Lovd Dunraven challenged again in 1890. This time he took over Valkyrie 111.,

a yacht specially designed to defeat the Defender, the American boat. The first race ended in a victory for the Defender. At the start of the second race an excursion steamer interfered with the manoeuvres of the two yachts as they crossed the start*, ing line. As a result the vessel* fouled on© another, and the Defender’s top-mast stay was carried awav. The race was continued, however, and the Valkyrie won by 47sec. Immediately after the race Mr Tselin protested that his yacht was fouled by the Valkyrie. Lora Dunraven answered that the Defender was to blame for luffing bis vessel, nnd also complained that the oursion steamer had ruined his stert, Although the New York Yacht Club could have ordered the race To be resailed it awarded the race to the Defender. Lord Dunraven amusingly describes in Ti?s Ifook, “Past Times and Pastimes.” the serio-comic storm that was raised. Tlie London Stock ExcTßinge cabled New York that they hoped, when war was declared, excursion steamers would not get in the way of our fleet: and the New York "Exchange replied that in fh© interests of a fair fight thev hoped our warships would he better than our yachts. Lord Dunraven was angry at tKa treatment he had reoeived~jn the second race for the America Onp, and when the third race came to ho sailed he retired. He accused the owners of Defender of chicanery, stating that extra weight had been taken out of fh<> American vessel after Bor official measurement. This accusation aroused a rtorra of indignation, which culminated in an iuouiry held by the New York Yacht Club. The committee decided that there was no evidence to uphold the accusation. The earl refused to accept Tlie reoort of the inquirv, and in view of this fact the New York Yacht Club removed his name as an honorary member. In 1899, Sir Thomas Lipton’ first appeared on the scene as a challenger with Shamrock 1., and his first attempt is said to have depTefed his hanking account by £ISO,OOO. Since that Hate Sir Thomas has made three Unsuccessful efforts to secure the cup.