AMERICA'S CUP, an international yacht-racing trophy first won by the schooner "America" of the New York Yacht club in 1851. In 185o an English merchant suggested to friends in the United States that one of the fast New York pilot boats be sent to England in the ensuing year to take part in a yacht race to be held during the time of the Great Exhibition at London. In response to this invitation, George Steers, of New York, designed and built for Commodore J. C. Stevens, of the New York Yacht club, the wooden-keel schooner-yacht "America," about iooft. long and of 17o tons displacement. Crossing the Atlantic in July, 1851, this vessel took part on Aug. 22 in a race open to the yachts of all nations. In sailing the course, which was around the Isle of Wight, the "America" defeated the entire fleet of 14 vessels of the Royal Yacht squadron, thereby winning a silver cup valued at II oo. In 1857 the owner of the "America" gave this cup to the New York Yacht club, to be held thereafter as an international yacht-racing trophy. From 187o, when the American schooner "Magic" defeated the British schooner "Cambria," to 1937 when the American yacht, Harold Vanderbilt's "Ranger," easily defeated Thomas M. Sopwith's "Endeavour II," all the different attempts made by the many British challengers to recapture the cup have been met with defeat. After an unfortunate dispute over the defeat of the Earl of Dunraven's "Valkyrie III" in 1895 a succession of challengers were sent by Sir Thomas Lipton, but from the first "Shamrock" in 1899 to the last, "Shamrock V" in 193o, all the gallant Irish sportsman's efforts were defeated. Thomas Sopwith, millionaire aeroplane manufacturer, has taken up the assault and his graceful "Endeavour" might have captured the trophy in if it had had a more expert crew.
See YACHTING, The United States, for a table showing the results of the successive races in detail.
See Ahmed John Kenealy, Yacht Races for the America's Cup, ; W. S. Quigley, The America's Cup (19o3) ; Herbert Lawrence, The America's Cup Races (1914) ; and Alfred Johnson, "Harvard Men and the America's Cup," Harvard Graduates' Magazine, vol. xxxv., p. 53-66 (1926) .