America's Cup History
| In 1848, Queen Victoria authorized the creation
of a "One Hundred Guinea Cup" of solid silver (134oz), 27"
tall for a yacht race "open to all nations."
In 1851 one American boat challenged 16 English
ships. The In 30 defenses since then, the interplay of national pride, giant egos, wide-ranging brilliant designs, and now modern technology, have kept the cup very much alive. The 132 years of successful defense by the New York Yacht Club remains the longest record in sports history. Sir Thomas Lipton tried for 31 years to win The Cup, commencing in 1899. From schooners, to J-boats, to 12 meters to the current IOAC designs, men's brains, wits, skills and money have been locked in sea-swept combat. We enclose a chronology of events, winners and losers.
New Zealand rightfully holds The Cup and will host the challenge
in Auckland in the year 2003. |
Royal
Yacht "Squadron" of Cowes, England was the host. The New
York Yacht Club entry was the schooner "America." W.H.
Brown, the designer, was so confident of his design that he refused
payment if "America" did not win. The oft-quoted remark
by the Queen was sparked by a great lead and victory around the
Isle of Wight over the 16 other yachts. She asked, "Who is
first?" "America" has won, she was told. "Who
was second," asked the Queen? The reply still echoes - "Your
Majesty, there is no second."
Historical Chronology
| 1851 | "America" |
| 1870 | "Cambria, the British challenger loses against 14 New York Yacht Club yachts in New York Harbor |
| 1871 | New York Yacht Club used two yachts (allowed for the last time) & defeated the English boat "Livonia" |
| 1876 | Madeleine defeats the Countess of Dufferin |
| 1877 | Canada joins battle, loses 2-0 |
| 1881 | Canada encore loses 2-0 |
| 1885 | Centerboard cutter "Puritan" wins over England's "Genesta" 2-0 |
| 1886 | Another "Burgess" design for the New York Yacht Club "Mayflower" bests England's "Galatea" 2-0 |
| 1887 | A "hat trick" for "Burgess"; his third win, "Volunteer" wins over Scotland's "Thistle" 2-0 |
| 1893 | A truly great design, Nat Herreshoft creates "Viligant" and wins 3-0 against "Valkyrie" |
| 1895 | "Defender," another Herreshoft, defeats the Earl of Danraven again |
| 1899 | Sir Thomas Lipton's "Shamrock" loses to "Columbia" 3-0 |
| 1901 | "Columbia" 3-0 over "Shamrock II" |
| 1903 | 16,000 sq.ft. of sail on the Herreshoft designed "Reliance" triumphs over Lipton's "Shamrock III" |
| 1920 | The First World War and other events left a gap in challenges until Lipton, on "Shamrock IV" raced against Herreshoft's last Cup boat "Resolute", losing 3-0 |
| 1930 | The great boats of the J-Class series debut with masts as tall as 165 ft. and over 80 ft. in length. Vanderbilt's "Enterprise" meets Lipton's "Shamrock V" in Newport, R.I., winning 4-0 |
| 1937 | Ranger beats Endeavour II |
| 1958 - 1987 | The 12 meter boats dominate |
| 1958 | "Columbia" over England's "Sceptre" 4-0 |
| 1962 | Australia challenges with Alan Payne's "Gretel" losing 4-1 to Weatherly |
| 1964 | "Constellation" swamps England 4-0 |
| 1967 | Australia's "Dame Pattie" loses to Sparkman's and Stephen's "Intrepid" 4-0 |
| 1970 | The introduction of the multiple challenger concept. "Gretel II" defeats "France I," and Sweden's "Sveridge" to challenge |
| 1974 | Dennis Conner as helmsman on "Courageous" beats "Intrepid" to defend. "Courageous" defeats Alan Bond's Australian boat "Southern Cross" 4-0 |
| 1977 | Ted Turner's "Courageous" 4-0 over "Australia" that had defeated "Gretel II," "France I," and Sweden's "Sveridge" to challenge |
| 1980 | "Freedom" with Conner defeats Turner and Russell Long, then historic win over Bond's "Australia" 4-1 |
| 1983 | The stage was set. The "winged keel" helped Australia to wrest The Cup from the New York Yacht Club after 132 years as "Australia II" won 4-3 over the New York Yacht Club's "Liberty". The Cup goes to Perth |
| 1987 | A true world match: 13 challengers, six from the United States. "Stars and Stripes" from the San Diego Yacht Club with a Conner-Burnham team slamming the "Kookaburra", Australia's defender, in four straight |
| 1991-1995 | Some confusion the next few years, but now The Cup resides in New Zealand after 1991 and 1995 races. Peter Blake and company out sailed all in 1995. |
| 1999-2000 | New Zealand does it again, never beaten, sweeps Prada to keep The Cup. Where is The Cup now?...at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland, New Zealand, awaiting the world of challengers in 2002-2003! |
This history courtesy of Paul T Rivard and the website America's Cup News.
