AMERICA CUP

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19834, 25 June 1934, Page 14

AMERICA CUP

ORIGIN OF THE RACE STORY OF FIRST CONTEST AT COWES Although It is hardly probable that any man now living could have witnessed the defeat of the British yachts by the schooner America in 1851 (originating the term “The America Cup”), one may still talk with men, living in Cowes or thereabouts, who heard from their fathers a first-hand account of her famous victory. The America was the first American racing vessel ever seen in British waters. Her visit, though expected, aroused much curiosity. Lying moored among the British yachts, her dark and rakish looks caused much comment, supercilious rather than hostile. But when at the close of that long day of August 22 the Stars and Stripes came home easily first, chagrin soon gave place to admiration of this radi-cally-rigged foreigner which had beaten a whole fleet of our finest vessels (writes a British correspondent). All the accounts dwell much more on the ship herself than upon the race of August 22. And indeed no one at the time could have foreseen that this ordinary event on the Royal Yacht Squadron’s programme was to begin a rivalry which, for its intensity, duration, and the degree Ox popular excitement it evokes, is unique in international sport. George Steers, the son of an English shipwright long settled in the United States, designed the America by the antique method of whittling away at a half-model of solid wood. Steers, though his methods may not suggest it, was the most reputable designer in America. His pilot boats, particularly, were wonderfully smart and weatherly vessels. But in the America he appears to have aimed specially at putting into practice the netv theory which a few years previously had been advocated in Great Britain, but without much support, by John Scott Russell. The difference between the America and the British yaU.ts may be briefly summarised by saying that in the America the conventional shape—the “cod’s head and mackrel’s tail” —was reversed; she was modelled finer forward and fuller aft. But the point on which she had most to teach our vessels was in the cut and set of racing canvas. British sails were then made from hand-woven flax, loose in texture, cut to set with baggy fulness, and not to lace along a boom. The America’s sails were of close machinewoven cotton, cut to set hard and 3at, and laced along the boom. The Venture Begun. The America sailed for England under the command of a New York pilot whose nar.e was Dick Brown. She put into Havre, where new rails were bent and she was repainted, and there she was joined by her owners, John C. Stevens and a few friends. On August 1 she came to anchor off Cowes. The days passed without further incident until the Rc-’al Yacht Squadron announced a rac: round the Isle of Wight, “open to r.ll nations,” for a cup of the value of £IOO. Mr Stevens entered the America, of 170 tens. The other entrants were all British—namely, Beatrice (161 tons), Volante <4B tons), Arrow (84 tons), Wyvern (205 tons), lone (75 tons), Constance (218 tons)] Gipsy Queen (160 tons). Alarm (193 tons), Mona (82 tons), Brilliant (392 tons), Bacchante (80 tons), Freak (60 tons), Eclipse (50 tons), and Aurora (47 tons). Of this fleet it must be remarked that the vessels varied as much in both type and ability as they did in size. Brilliant, for example, was a big, lumbering old cruising yacht carrying square sails on the fort- and the main. Arrow and Alarm, on the other hand, were out-and-out racing craft and the fastest in British waters. On the morning of August 22, the day of the ra r , the America’s crew was augmented by a few seamen lent by the yacht Surprise, and by a man named Underwood, a "’owes waterman, who acted as pilot. As was the practice in those days, the vessels at the start were moored in two lines. Within a half-minute of gunfire the entire fleet was under way. the America being actually the last to weigh. The breeze was ;esterly, light and variable. On the course eastward to the Noman buoy the America picked up quickly, came up to the leaders, ran through them, and drew clear ahead. She held this slight lead only momentarily, however, and a moment or so later fell back among the ruck. At the Noman mark, seven miles and a half from the sta’t, the order was:— Volante, Freak, Aurora, Gipsy Queen, America, Beatrice, Alarm, and Arrow. There was a two-minute interval between the leader cxiid America. It was at about this point that the misunderstanding which might have spoiled the race was discovered. It later appeared that two differing race instructions had been issued. One described the race as being round the Isle of Wight, simply. The other specified the Nab as a mark outside which the vessels must pass. Volante was now seen to bear away and stand for the Nab. She was followed by Arrow, Bacchante, Constance and Aurora. The others, including t’’e America, held their inside course. As a result the America and ose which followed her not only cut off a corner, but also, the wine’ being now south westerly,’ gained the weather berth.

A Series of Disasters. Had the breeze kept its direction and its strength those vessels which had rounded the Nab would, of course, have been hopelessly placed, but, by one of the chances which enliven every sailing race, the wind came round into the south. Before long both Volante and next astern had, by working recklessly close inshore, successfully crossed the bows of all the leaders and worked to windward of the whole fleet. Their daring led . their undoing. The next time they ran close inshore these two fouled each other. Volante, until now so warm a favourite, carried away her bowsprit. As if this were not calamity enough, the Arrow ran ashore on a ledge near Bonchurch, and the old Alarm (Incidentally, Arro /’s ancient rival) stood by to render help. Thus the three most hopeful British vessels were out of the race, which was now resolved into a struggle between America, Aurora, Bacchante, Eclipse, and the big Brilliant. In the lightening wind of afternoon America drew ahead. Aurora, her next astern, which had clung so tenaciously to the foreigner all through the day, dropped more and more astern. America rounded the Needles at 5.47. So faint now had become the westerly air that she took nearly three hours on the run up the Solent to Cowes, where, at 8.37, she crossed the line, and then let go anchor to the sound of gunfire, the playing of “Yankee Doodle,” and the ringing of ships’ bells. In this tumult there could be scarcely heard the firing of the second gun, which signified the arrival of the little Aurora eight minutes later.