Peachy Ahoy: America’s Cup History. Whom You Know Is Thrilled to Kick Off Coverage of America's Cup Our Coverage Sponsored by Paul Mayer Attitudes
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In 1851 a radical looking schooner ghosted out of the afternoon mist and swiftly sailed past the Royal Yacht stationed in the Solent, between the Isle of Wight and the south coast of England, on an afternoon when Queen Victoria was watching a sailing race.
As the schooner, named America, passed the Royal Yacht in first position, and saluted by dipping its ensign three times, Queen Victoria asked one of her attendants to tell her who was in second place. "Your Majesty, there is no second,” came the reply. That phrase, just four words, is still the best description of the America’s Cup, and how it represents the singular pursuit of excellence.
That day in August, 1851, the yacht America, representing the young New York Yacht Club, would go on to beat the best the British could offer and win the Royal Yacht Squadron’s 100 Pound Cup. This was more than a simple boat race however, as it symbolised a great victory for the new world over the old, a triumph that unseated Great Britain as the world’s undisputed maritime power.
The trophy would go to the young democracy of the United States and it would be well over 100 years before it was taken away from New York.
Shortly after America won the 100 Guinea Cup in 1851, New York Yacht Club Commodore John Cox Stevens and the rest of his ownership syndicate sold the celebrated schooner and returned home to New York as heroes. They donated the trophy to the New York Yacht Club under a Deed of Gift, which stated that the trophy was to be “a perpetual challenge cup for friendly competition between nations.”
Thus was born the America’s Cup, named after the winning schooner America, as opposed to the country.
The America’s Cup is known as the competition for the oldest trophy in international sport. Since the first race in 1851, teams representing only four nations - the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland - have won the trophy in more than 160 years of competition. It is one of the greatest challenges in all of sport.
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THE 35TH AMERICA’S CUP
The defending champion is ORACLE TEAM USA, who first won the America’s Cup in 2010, and successfully defended the title in 2013. Now six teams, including the Defender, have signed up to take on the challenge:
The 35th America’s Cup will be in June 2017 on the Great Sound of Bermuda.
Racing in a series of preliminary events, collectively known as the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series, take place at selected venues in 2015 and 2016.
The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series is raced in the AC45 class – a one-design catamaran powered by a wing sail, and sailed by a crew of five. The new version of the AC45 flies above the water on foils.
In 2017, the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers and Challenger Playoffs, as well as the America’s Cup Match presented by Louis Vuitton, will be raced in the new America’s Cup Class – a very fast, foiling, wing-sailed catamaran, manned by six crew.
The America’s Cup is governed by a Deed of Gift and a Protocol, which together outline the Rules for each edition of the event. The current Protocol can be found at www.americascup.com
