1895 America's Cup

Last updated
10th America's Cup
Defender Flag of the United States.svg  USA
Defender club:Flag placeholder.svg  New York Yacht Club
Yacht: Defender [1]
Challenger Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Challenger club:Flag placeholder.svg  Royal Yacht Squadron
Yacht: Valkyrie III [1]
Competition
Location:off Sandy Hook Lightship, Lower New York Bay
Dates:7–12 September 1895
Rule:the Seawanhaka Rule
Winner: New York Yacht Club
Score: Flag of the United States.svg 3 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg 0
←  1893
1899  →

The 1895 America's Cup was the 10th staging of the America's Cup and occurred just two years after the 1893 America's Cup [2] yet again pitting the New York Yacht Club against the Royal Yacht Squadron in a best-of-three-match--race-series. The 1895 race was between the Herreshoff designed sloop Defender owned by the William K. Vanderbilt syndicate, and the Watson [3] designed Valkyrie III owned by Earl of Dunraven of the Royal Yacht Squadron.

Contents

The Challenge

In the Autumn of 1894 Lord Dunraven opened correspondence about another challenge of the Cup (his first letter was dated 24 October). Dunraven desired that the challenge terms remain as they were for his previous challenge with the difference that:

The NYYC replied on 15 November informing Dunraven that the vessels would be measured in the manner specified and he could substitute another vessel for his challenger by providing a second challenge upon the withdrawal of the first. His other stipulations were dismissed as "impractical".

The races

Before racing the boats were measured by John Hyslop.

The conditions to govern the races were signed on 4 September by James D. Smith (chairmen of the NYYC America's Cup committee) and Dunraven.

First race

The first race, on September 7, 1895, was set to be a windward-leeward course of fifteen miles length. [6] The Weather for the day was described as light and shifting wind. [6] In the first leg of the course the racing was close with Defender taking a slight lead by the windward mark. [6] After rounding the mark the wind shifted, turning the running leg into a reaching leg, as a result Defender quickly increased its lead against Valkyrie III. Defender crossed the line eight minutes and forty-nine seconds ahead of "Valkyrie III" to win the first race. [6]

Second race

The second race occurred on Tuesday September 10, 1895. The race was set as a triangle course with each leg having a length of ten miles. [6] In the pre-start maneuvering, Valkyrie III's boom struck Defender, severing the starboard spreader. Valkyrie III led throughout the race, although Defender closed the gap between the boats in the second and third legs of the race. Valkyrie III crossed the line forty-seven seconds before Defender. [6] However, after hearing the protest from Defender against Valkyrie III, the Race Committee awarded Defender the race as it ruled Defender had right of way over Valkyrie III as Defender was leeward of Valkyrie III at the time of collision. [6]

Third race

The third race was sailed on Thursday September 12, 1895. After both Defender and Valkyrie III crossed the starting line sailing before the wind, Valkyrie III withdrew from the race claiming the committee could not guarantee a course that was free of spectator craft. [6] Defender completed the race, winning the best of five regatta. [6]


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References

  1. 1 2 "Herreshoff Museum America's Cup Hall of Fame". Herreshoff Museum. Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "America's Cup". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "G L Watson History". G L Watson. 2015-05-10. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 Thompson, Winfield M.; Lawson, Thomas William (1902). The Lawson History of the America's cup : a record of fifty years. Boston: T.W. Lawson.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  5. ↑ Yves, Gary. "THE 9TH CHALENGE". America Scoop. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "The America's Cup Races of 1895". Scientific American. 73 (12): 178. 1895. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican09211895-178.
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