THE AMERICA’S CUP

Cue (NZERS), Issue 33, 15 October 1945, Page 8

THE AMERICA’S CUP

There have been seventeen contests since 1851 for the America’s Cup, the international yachting trophy which, despite repeated efforts, Britain has never been able to wrest from the grasp of the United States. The trophy took its name from that of the first winner, the America, owned and manned by the U.S. Navy, which defeated the British yacht Aurora. Due to the extreme difficulty and great cost of building and entering yachts for the contestthe conditions provide that the challenging yacht must cross the Atlantic under its own power prior to the contest—the task of upholding the honour of Britain ip; the contests has fallen upon the shoulders of millionaire sportsmen, of whom the most famous was the tea king, Sir Thomas Dipton. Lipton made several abortive attempts to bring the America’s Cup back to Britain, building for the purpose a series of famous

yachts named Shamrock I, 11, 111, IV, and V, which crossed the Atlantic in quest 'Of the trophy at various periods between 1899 and 1930. On the death of Sir Thomas Lipton the famous old Irish sportsman’s quest was taken up by another millionaire, Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith, who competed for the cup in 1934 and 1937 with his yachts Endeavour and Endeavour II (in One 32 Sporting Quiz ownership of this boat was incorrectly ascribed to Sir Thomas Lipton). In the 1937 event the magnificent American .yacht Ranger defeated Endeavour II in each of the four races decided under the rules of the contest. There were six races in the 1934 contest. Britain appeared to have the cup within her grasp when Mr. Sopwith’s challenger. Endeavour, won the first two races, but the defender, the RainhOw, succeeded in winning _ the next four and thus retained the tup J in the possession of the United States.