The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy and the other from the yacht club that is challenging for the cup. Matches are held several years apart on dates agreed between the defender and the challenger. There is no fixed schedule, but the races have generally been held every three to four years. The most recent America's Cup match took place in March 2021.
The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. As of 2001, the organization was reported to have about 3,000 members. Membership in the club is by invitation only. Its officers include a commodore, vice-commodore, rear-commodore, secretary and treasurer.
The One Ton Cup is a trophy presented to the winner of a sailing competition created in 1899 by the Cercle de la voile de Paris (CVP).
Volunteer was an American racing yacht built in 1887 for the America's Cup races. She was the victorious American defender of the seventh America's Cup match that same year against Scottish challenger Thistle.
Columbia was an American racing yacht built in 1899 for the America's Cup races. She was the defender of the tenth America's Cup race that same year against British challenger Shamrock as well as the defender of the eleventh America's Cup race in 1901 against British challenger Shamrock II. She was the first vessel to win the trophy twice in a row
Columbia was one of the two yachts to successfully defend the second America's Cup race in 1871 against English challenger Livonia.
The 1958 America's Cup marked the first Cup match sailed in 12-metre class yachts. Twenty years had passed since the last Cup match, held between immense Universal Rule J-class yachts in 1937 besides World War II, and the New York Yacht Club sought a more affordable alternative to restart interest in the Cup. In 1956 Henry Sears led an effort advancing class yachts. The Royal Yacht Squadron of Great Britain agreed to challenge with a new 12-metre, Sceptre. The New York Yacht Club defended with theirs, Columbia, winning the Cup in a four-race sweep.
The 1920 America's Cup was the 13th challenge for the Cup and the first since 1903. It took place in New York Harbor and consisted of a best-of-five series of races between the defender Resolute, entered by a syndicate of New York Yacht Club members headed by Henry Walters, and Shamrock IV, the fourth in Sir Thomas Lipton's line of Cup challengers. Charles Francis Adams III was the skipper of Resolute in this race.
John Gerald "Gerry" Driscoll III was an international yachting champion and businessman from San Diego, California. He competed in the defense portion of four America's Cup races, and was part of the organizational effort for two others. His innovative year-round training regimen for the 1974 race permanently changed the way teams prepare for the America's Cup. As a competitor, organizer, ambassador and businessman, he is credited with helping to put San Diego on the sailing map internationally, and as one of the first San Diegans to compete in the America's Cup races, he raised the profile of the America's Cup on the West Coast.
Livonia was the second, unsuccessful, challenger attempting to lift the America's Cup from the New York Yacht Club.
Sappho was one of two defender yachts at the second America's Cup challenge, stepping in when defender Columbia was damaged in the third race.
The 1903 America's Cup was the 12th challenge for the Cup. It took place in the New York City harbor and consisted of a best of five series of races between Reliance, the fourth of Nathaniel Herreshoff's defenders for the cup, entered by the New York Yacht Club; and Shamrock III, representing the Royal Ulster Yacht Club and also the third of Sir Thomas Lipton's Cup challengers. Reliance won the first three races, defending the cup. It was the last race for the America's Cup that would take place under the Seawanhaka rule.
Yankee was a 1930 yacht of the J Class built as a contender for the New York Yacht Club's defence of the 1930 America's Cup. She was ordered by a syndicate from the Eastern Yacht Club of Boston, organized by John Silsbee Lawrence, designed by Frank Cabot Paine, and built by Lawley & Son. Whirlwind was unsuccessful in her bid to become the Cup defender, an honor that went to Enterprise. With modifications, she took part in the trials for the 1934 America's Cup. She was eventually taken to the United Kingdom by a new owner in 1935 and was scrapped in 1941.
The 36th America's Cup in March 2021 was the latest staging of the America's Cup yacht race. It was contested on the inner Hauraki Gulf off Auckland, New Zealand, between the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Circolo della Vela Sicilia of Italy. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's boat was Te Rehutai owned and sailed by the Emirates Team New Zealand syndicate. Circolo della Vela Sicilia's boat was Luna Rossa, owned and sailed by the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli syndicate. Both boats are AC75 class high-performance foiling monohulls, a class designed specifically for this competition. The Cup was won by Team New Zealand, 7–3.
Lewis N. Blix was a yacht racing expert, and at one time was the racing master of the New York Yacht Club. He laid out the courses for all the America's Cup races from 1900 until the 1920 race. He was involved in marine salvage work, having overseen the raising of the Washington Irving and coal salvage work in Narragansett Bay in 1922 during the coal shortage that year, locating 12 coal barges that had been sunk in the bay during winter storms. He died of heart disease and was survived by one son and six daughters.
The Gracie was a 19th-century racing sloop yacht built in 1868 by James E. Smith shipyard at Nyack, New York. She raced the America's Cup defender Mischief in the trails off Sandy Hook in 1881. Gracie raced at the New York Yacht Club, Atlantic Yacht Club and other eastern yacht clubs. After a 42-year career in racing, she was sold in 1909 and converted to a freight boat sailing from Milton Point, off Long Island to New York.
Andrew Jackson Comstock was a 19th-century maritime pilot. He was one of the most experienced yachtsman having sailed for more than 27 years. He was known for being the captain of the racing yachts Columbia and Magic that won races for the America's Cup.
Franklin Osgood was a 19th-century businessman and yachtsman. He was one of the most experienced yachtsman having sailed for more than 23 years. He was owner and manager of the racing yachts Widgeon, Columbia, and Magic. He was the first defender and two-time winner of the America's Cup. Osgood was inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame in 2020.
The Madeleine was a 19th-century racing schooner-yacht built in 1868 by David Kurby in Rye, New York and owned by Commodore Jacob B. Voorhis. Madeleine was the winner of the America's Cup in 1876 and an American defender in the 1870 America's Cup. She won the two most desired trophies reserved for schooners, the Bennett and the Douglas Cups. In 1911, the Madeleine was dismantled and sunk at the mouth of the Hillsborough River, Florida.
The 1930 America's Cup was the 14th challenge for the Cup. It took place in Newport and consisted of a series of races between the defender Enterprise, entered by a syndicate of New York Yacht Club members headed by Winthrop Aldrich, and Shamrock V, the fifth in Sir Thomas Lipton's line of Cup challengers.
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