The America’s Cup is the world’s oldest sporting trophy. In the summer of 1851, an upstart American schooner sailed to England to compete against a fleet of Old World vessels for the Hundred Guineas Cup. They not only won the cup but they made it their own and renamed it:

The America’s Cup

In the mid-nineteen hundreds, the fastest commercial sailing ships in the world were the new breeds of American clippers. In the sport of sailing, however, where speed and the thrill of winning were rewarded solely by honor and pleasure, the British – and most particularly the venerable members of Cowes Royal Yacht Squadron – felt they were the best in the world.

American packet ships began to dominate North Atlantic trade by the 1820s with an unheard of sailing time of as little as 15 days from New York to Liverpool. By the 1840s American clipper ships far excelled Britain’s best efforts in the Canton tea trade. And in 1850 the New York clipper Oriental astonished the sea-smug citizens of London by winning the “tea race� from the east.

It was perhaps inevitable then that American yachtsmen would, sooner or later, want to challenge the British on the sporting course as well. The U.S. issued two maritime challenges to Britain in 1850-51. The first was for a clipper ship race between vessels of 1,600 tons that would start from a European port and race to the East Indies and return, for a purse of ten thousand dollars or ten thousand pounds. The second was a challenge for the fastest yacht in the world.

The result of the first challenge was so predictable that no British clipper would take up the gauntlet; the result of the second remained in doubt until August 22, 1851.

In fact, the schooner America was not built to be strictly a racing machine. She was designed assailing ambassador to the great London Exposition of 1851 to represent American shipbuilding craftsmanship. The Commodore of the New York Yacht Club, John Cox Stevens, formed a syndicate to build the finest and fastest New York pilot schooner possible. His counterpart at the Royal Yacht Squadron responded with a lively exchange of correspondence as he fully expected to show the American’s a sound thrashing on the racecourse.

The American team was selected with great care and enthusiasm. George Steers of the Wm Brown shipyard was in charge of design. Captain Dick Brown, the most renowned of the New York Pilots, was signed on as master. So emphatic about winning was the New York syndicate that one of the members, George Schuyler, coerced shipbuilder Brown into signing a letter stating that if the vessel Brown produced was not determined to be faster than any vessel brought against her, that no money would be paid for her build.

With energy in overdrive all involved threw themselves into the project. Disconcertingly, America was delivered ten weeks late and – even more disconcerting- did not prove to be ‘faster than any vessel brought against her’. An earlier Steers design, Maria, was far faster with her well-honed crews in the trials. Havre she was greeted by a delighted John Stevens and his dubious entourage; among which was William Rives, American Minister to Paris and the great Horace Greeley. Though enthusiastic enough that boat as ‘fit for a nation with its sleeves rolled up’ well-honed crew in the trials. Eventually it was decided, however, that America was sufficient for the purpose and on June 21, with 13 men aboard and a set of used working sails aloft, she set sail on her twenty-day voyage.

When the America docked at La Havre she was greeted by a delighted John Stevens and his dubious entourage; among which was the great Horace Greeley. Though enthusiastic enough that the boat was ´fit for a nation with its sleeves rolled up´, Rivers advised that the crew avoid any encounters with British yachts. Greeley was more pessimistic and waged that America would not only be beaten but would be an embarrassment to her country.

Undeterred but overweight with an enormous load of French wine, America crossed the Channel for her first sight of a British yacht on the night of July 31. As she slipped through the dead calm sea against the tide her crew felt the first twinge of apprehension. News of her arrival spread faster than her sails and the British yacht Laverock was sent to lead her to the Squadron anchorage.

A gentle breeze sprang up which piped to five or six knots. For several minutes America followed in her host’s wake, then unable to wait longer, sprang ahead in a graceful swoop. Only the slight ripple of water on her sword-like bow could be heard. An hour later as the champagne flowed all of Cowes Yacht Squadron knew that the Yankee clipper was a serious adversary. The peculiarly rakish American yacht became a mania.

To the disgust of the ordinary boatmen of Cowes, the British gentry chose to look for ways to avoid the betting challenge set forth by the Americans. They claimed that America had a hidden propeller and sails that were totally wrong. Finally, unable to justify their claims, the British agreed to a race with no time allowances and with tricky tides and currents that would favor those who knew them well. They also specified it was not to be a money race but the prize of the Hundred Guineas Cup.

As the Americans prayed for six knots of wind – if not a full gale – the local Old Salts were predicting disaster. The town was crowded from the beaches to the rooftops. At the start of the race the attending fleet of pedestrian boats was so thick it required careful maneuvering to pass through.

The Squadron had issued two sets of race instructions (does nothing change?) with two different courses. As a result Bacchante, Arrow, Volante, Constance and Aurora rounded the buoy and returned on a course dead to windward. All five protested.
America was unbeatable to windward and when she rounded the corner she left them all behind. Then the breeze freshened and America ghosted past all in the water.

When Queen Victoria inquired of the winner she was told “America�. When she inquired who was second she was told, “Your Highness, there is no second�. And America was declared the winner of the ornate urn, which became known simply as The America’s Cup.