YACHT (ante). The first club of the United States was founded in New York in 1844; in 1845 a club house was built ou the Hudson near Hoboken ; and in the same year the first regatta was held in New York bay. In 1846 the first race was contested be tween the sloop Maria, 154 tons, owned by John C. Stevens, the commodore of the club, and the schooner Coquette, 74 tons, owned by J. H. Perkins; the course being 25 m. to the windward and return, from the light-ship off Sandy Hook. The race was won by the Coquette. In 1851 the victory of the America, belonging to the New York yacht club, gave a great impetus to yachting in this country, and changed English views as to the scientific principles of ship building. (See the preceding article). In 1866 the Hen rietta, Fleet icing, and Vesta raced from Sandy Hook to Cowes fora purse of $90,000. The _Henrietta won in 13 days 21 hours and 5..) minutes. In 1870 Mr. James Ashbury, a prominent English yachtsman. brought the Cambria to this country. In the voyage over she defeated Mr. James Gordon Bennett's Dauntless by one hour only. In the race for the queen's cup (brought here by the America) the Cambria was beaten by the sloop Magic, which won in 4 hours 7 minutes 54 seconds, actual time, the course being from Stapleton, Staten island, around the soy'. spit to the Sandy Hook light-ship and return,
About 43 miles. In 1876 the' Canadian yachtsmen sent the Countess of Du fferin to New York to contend for the queen's cup, but she also proved unsuccessful. There are now nearly 40 different clubs in this country. Among the largest. besides the New York cluo, may be mentioned the Brooklyn, the Eastern, and the Hudson River clubs. In, 1880 the National yacht association held itsfirst meeting in New York harbor. There were 40 yachts entered from 13 clubs. The winners in the different classes were the Silence, 3 h. 52 m. 37 sec.; the Isonomy, 4 h. 01 m. 16 sec.; the G. B. Deane, 4 h. 26 M.
02 sec.; and the F L. Sheppard, 2 h. 52 tn. 45 see.; all actual sailing time. A pleasant custom of the various clubs is the summer cruise in company, when each day's sailing is considered as a race, and some sea-side resort like Newport is the terminus of the voy age. By special acts of congress yachts arc given the privilege of coming into and leav ing ports without entering or clearing at the custom-house or paying tonnage tax.