Among pioneer British sailing yachts of the first half of the 19th century the most not able were the Menai, in which the hollow bow was first introduced; the Mosquito (1848), an iron vessel built on the Thames in accordance with Scott Russell's theories; and the Tiara, built at Renfrew in 1850. The victory of the America from the United States in 1851 marked an epoch in British yachting. It secured the triumph of the views represented in the Mos quito and the Tiara and revolutionized the practice of British yachtsmen. For about a quarter of a century the schooner was the pop ular form of racing yacht, among the most notable being Cambria and Miranda. Gradually the schooners were displaced by cutters and yawls. The more famous of the early racing cutters were Kriernhilda, Oimara, Cythera, Vol au-Vent (1875) and Neva (1g76); and the lead ing yawls of that period were Florinda (1873) and Jullanar (1877). Formosa, a big cutter built in 1878, was supreme in her class till 1880, when G. L. Watson's first large yacht, the Van duara, came on the scene. Another famous designer, Mr. Fife, scored a great success with the 40-ton yacht Annasona, which began to com pete in 18S1. Marjorie, from Watson's lines, a vessel of 68 tons, was the chief new cutter of 1883; and to the following year belong !rex, designed by Mr. Richardson, and Genesta, an America Cup competitor designed by Beaver Webb. The Galatea, another cup challenger, was a complete failure in home waters in 1885; but the challenger of 1887, Thistle, from Wat son's design, met with great success before crossing the Atlantic. Thistle was the first large yacht constructed under the length-and-sail-area rule. Fortino. another Watson boat, was the chief novelty of ItiS8, and in 1889 the same signer produced raarynt 1 for Lord Dunraven. The old /re: continued racing with consider able success down to 1889 and was succeeded in 1890 by by the same designer. In the latter year Thistle reappeared and thus the leading yachts of that season were the Yoram Valkyrie 1, Thistle and /yenta. These were rated at 60, 77, 121 and 118 respectively. The Valkyrie I was ultimately sold to an Austrian archduke and the Thistle to the German em peror, who renamed it Meteor. The years 1891 and 1892 were chiefly remarkable tor smaller vessels, such as Watson's Queen Mat and Varuna and Fife's Thalia and Lau; hut 1893 was rendered memorable in the annals of yacht ing by fine contests between Valkyrie II, de signed by Mr. Watson for Lord Dunraven; Britannia, designed by Watson for the Prince of Wales; Sotanita, Cantina and Netvahoe, American yacht, designed by Mr. Herresboff Valkyrie 11 proved to be the best of these cut ters, but Britannia was asecond. In 1894 these yachts competed a Herres hoff vessel which had defeated Valkyrie II us the contest for the America Cup. Valkyne II was sunk by Saianita in the Clyde while ma noeuvring for a start, but Britannea repeatedli beat the Vigilant. The Alba, from the Imes by Mr. Fife, Jr., and the Valkyrie III, designed by Mr. Watson for Lord Dunraven, appeared a 1895. The third Valkyrie went to America ti contest the cup and the honors at borne fell so Britannia and Ailsa, especially the former. Mr. Fife, however, scored in the 40-raters with Isolde, which was distinctly better than Mr. Watson's Caress. A new Meteor, designed by Mr. Watson for the German emperor, competed in 1896 against Britannia and Aliso, the result for the season being: Ailsa (60 starts, 21 firsts). Britannia (58 starts, 14 firsts), Meteor starts, 13 firsts). The principal first-class cut ters since that date are Bona, by Watson (1897), for the Duke d'Abruzzi; Shamrock I. built for Sir Thomas Lipton to contest the America Cup in 1899; and Shamrock II, beak for Sir Thomas Lipton to contest the America Cup in 1901.
American and International The Jefferson, built in 1801, is regarded as the first yacht built in America; but the first Ameri can yachts of importance were those designed by George Steers, notably the Anierten In 1857 the America beat all the English yachts is their own waters and established an American interest in that has proved pernaneac The America was a schooner of 208 tons and entered along with 14 other vessels for a race round the Isle of Wight. Five of the vessel,
were schooners, nine were cutters, the remain ing one being a bark (Brilliant), and thong* they varied in tonnage from 47 (Aurora) to N.) (Brilliant) no time allowance was given. The America won the race and the cup presented by the Royal Yacht Squadron, the Aurora com ing second, 18 minutes behind. In 1857 the cup was set aside by the owners of the .-finema as a perpetual international challenge tropki This was the origin of the contests for the so called America Cup. In 1866 three Americas yachts, Henrietta, I-lecturing and Vesta, raced across the Atlantic, the first-named wituung race with a time of 13 days, 21 hours, 35 ann ulus. In 1870 the English yacht Cambria abs.} had challenged for the America Cup, heal the American Dauntless in a transatlantic MCC but she was beaten by the Alapst and se.veral other boats in a race for the cup. In 1873 Mr. Ashbury, who owned the Cambria, again chal lenged for the cup, but his yacht Livonia was defeated by the New York Club's vessels Columbia and Sappho. Major Charles Gifford, a Canadian, challenged for the America Cup in 1876 with the Countess of Dsifferin, but his yacht was beaten by the defender, Madeline. Another Canadian vessel, the Atlanta, contested the cup in 1881, her opponent being the Mischief, !.at the result was the same as before. Sir Richard Sutton sent the next challenge in 1885 and his yacht Genesta was pitted against the Puritan, but without success. The Puritan was &signed by Edward Burgess, as was also the Mayfioteer, which successfully defended the cop against the English Galatea in 1886. The Thistle met another Burgess boat, the Volun in the same contest the following year, but like all preceding challengers, she failed to gain the cup. Mr. Hcrreshoff scored his first oat success as a designer with Gloriana io IS•1, and soon afterward he produced the Vigilant, which defeated Valkyrie 11 in the America Cup contest of 1893. The cup contest of 1895 between Lord Dunraven's Valkyrie Ill and the American Defender had an unsatis factory result. Two races were awarded to the latter on purely technical grounds, and in con sequence Lord Dunraven withdrew from the competition. In the same year a Canadian yacht named Canada defeated the United States yacht Vancedor in a competition for an inter national cup. The next challenges for the America Cup came from Sir Thomas Lipton, whose yachts Shamrock 1 and Shamrock II were beaten by the American Columbia in 1899 and 1901 respectively. Sir Thomas again chal lenged for the cup in 1902 and 1903, and lost to the Americans.
In 1914 Sir Thomas Lipton having chal lenged again for the America Cup, his yacht Shamrock /V crossed the Atlantic, but because of the war the races were indefinitely postponed, and at last accounts his splendid craft was lying in dry dock in Erie Basin, Brooklyn. The American yachts, Resolute and Vanitir.one of which would have defended the cup. sailed 15 trial races in 1914. While the Vanitie won a few times, the Resolute was declared the better boat. The smaller sailing yachts in the United States kept up some racing, mostly under the management of those under and over draft age. but the most of the racing was suspended until after the war. Lloyds Register of American Yachts includes also those of Canada and the %lest Indies. There are 3.s:3 yacht clubs proper and many motor-boat clubs. some of which arc miscalled yacht clubs. In 1917, 3,390 yachts in all were registered, and considering 'U-boat sinkiugs of British yachts, it is probable that the American total is now the greatest in the world. In 1917 probably half of the largest and best pleasure yachts were loaned to the United States government and some were sold outright. Mans- of the more commodious yacht clubhouses were also turned over to the l'nited States navy for re cruiting purposes and patrol squadrons.