The third race was sailed on Friday, October 20, over the New York
Yacht Club course. The wind was fresh from W.S.W., blowing pretty
straight up the Narrows. The Committee had some difficulty in
selecting their representative vessel. The 'Dauntless' had been named,
but Mr. Gordon Bennett declined to sail owing to some mishap which had
befallen her. The 'Palmer' and 'Sappho' were also disabled, and the
'Columbia' had started the hounds of her foremast; the Committee were
therefore considering whether the 'Livonia' should be allowed a sail
over alone, when Mr. Osgood, rather than that such should be the case,
said he would again start the 'Columbia,' but it was not until
half-past one that the vessels were ready and given the signal to go.
At this time the wind was strong, and they were able to lay their
course close hauled through the Narrows. The 'Livonia' rounded the S.
W. Spit buoy 6 mins. before the 'Columbia,' and then stood away with
freed sheets for the Lightship, which was tacked round at 3 hrs. 20
mins. 30 secs., about the same distance separating the two vessels.
Coming back, something went wrong with 'Columbia's' steering-wheel,
the clew of her main-topmast staysail, foresheet, and her fore-gaff
topsail split, and shortly after she lowered her mainsail and gave up,
the 'Livonia' finishing the race alone at 5 hrs. 18 mins., her first
win.
The fourth match was against the 'Sappho,' 20 miles to windward from
Sandy Hook Lightship, and return. The wind was fresh from S.S.E. The
yachts were started at twelve o'clock, and 'Sappho' beat the 'Livonia'
as easily as she had done the 'Cambria' in our waters in 1870,
rounding the turning point 27 mins. ahead of her, and rather
increasing her lead in the run home, eventually winning by over half
an hour.
The fifth and last match was again against the 'Sappho,' over the
inside course. There was a good topsail breeze from the S.W. which
gave them a reach through the Narrows to the S.W. Spit Buoy, and a run
from there to the Lightship. 'Livonia' got the start of the big
vessel, and at one time was about half a mile ahead, but the 'Sappho'
was not long in overhauling her, and rounded the Lightship 12 mins.
ahead. In the beat back to the Spit Buoy, and in the reach from there
home, the 'Sappho' continued to gain, and ended the race 26 mins.
ahead of 'Livonia.' The result of the matches was, therefore, that the
America Cup remained in the possession of the New York Yacht Club.
This was the last occasion on which an English schooner competed for
the cup, though there have since been several contests for it by
English cutters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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