Tooker
made her first appearance. She was a VOL. IV was schooner of 230 tons, and was one of the famous three vessels participating in the celebrated ocean race in December, 1866.
The well-known schooners, "Idler," "Palmer," " Fleetwing," and "Vesta," all came off the ways during 1865. This was the beginning of what might be called the schooner epoch, which lasted from 1865 until about 1885. This statement does not imply that the schooner was not a popular craft before, or that she disappeared from American waters at a later period, but simply that the schooner "craze" or "fad" reached its zenith during this epoch. Earlier than this many were satisfied with sloops of moderate size, and later the former owner of the sea-going schooner "MAGIC." became possessed of the more luxurious but less picturesque steam yacht, that is, if he did not aspire to become a "single stick" cup defender.
J. W. Herreshoff, father of the famous designer of the "Gloriana," first attracted the attention of yacht owners in 1861 by the appearance of the little sloop "Qui Vive," but it was not until many years later that he became celebrated as the "blind builder."
The year 1866 is famous in yachting annals for the great ocean race between the keel schooners "Henrietta" and "Fleetwing" and the centreboard schooner "Vesta." This race was probably for the largest purse ever known in the history of yachting-90,000 dollars-and the season selected was the most tempestuous of the year. The start was made December 11th, 1866.
The yachts were owned as follows:-" Henrietta," James Gordon Bennett; "Fleetwing," Franklin and George A. Osgood; and "Vesta," Pierre Lorillard. The thermometer stood at II° Fahrenheit when the yachts were towed down New York Bay and let go from the tug outside of Sandy Hook. They set every stitch of canvas, including a square sail, despite the severe winter gale.
The "Henrietta" won, having sailed 3,106 miles (or to the lighthouse on the west end of the Isle of Wight) in thirteen days, twenty-one hours, and fifty-five minutes. This was the first yacht-race across the Atlantic, and was one of the most courageous events in yachting history.
In 1867 the famous schooner "Sappho " first appeared, but was not very successful that season. She was built by the Poillons in Brooklyn, and they had great expectations as to "SAPPHO." her speed; but it was not until after she was hipped out that she became the fastest thing then afloat. Some little time before the "Sappho's " appearance, the "Dauntless " came out. At first, as "L'Hirondelle," she was owned by Mr. Bradford; from him she was purchased by Mr. Bennett, who had her name changed as above.
This famous old schooner, after all her triumphs as a racer, is now laid up to rot in the Connecticut River. In 1870, as before mentioned, Mr. James FF Ashbury challenged for the America's Cup with the schooner "Cambria," and after much correspondence with the representatives of the New York Yacht Club a race was arranged. The New York Yacht Club course was settled on, namely, from Owl's Head around the Sandy Hook Lightship and return. Mr. Ashbury desired to have a single vessel pitted against his schooner, but as the "America" had sailed the fleet of the Royal Squadron in English waters, the Committee decided that the "Cambria" should also sail against the New York Squadron in these waters. Shortly before the "Cambria" sailed for America, Mr. Bennett, who was abroad at the time with the "Dauntless," challenged Mr.
Ashbury to sail an ocean race across the Atlantic.
Mr. Ashbury immediately accepted, and on July 4th they started from England. At about one o'clock on July 27th the first one sighted proved to be the "Cambria," and she shortly afterwards passed the Sandy Hook Light-ship and rounded the point of Sandy Hook, beating the "Dauntless" by just one hour and seventeen minutes- -a very close race considering the distance.
August 8th was the day selected for the America's Cup Race, and a great fleet assembled, namely, the keel schooners "America," "Fleetwing," "Dauntless," "Restless," "Rambler," "Alarm," and "Tarolinta," and the centreboards "Tidal Wave," "Sylvie," "Madge," "Phantom," "Madeline," "Idler," Magic," "Jessie," "Halcyon," "Widgeon," "Calypso," "Josephine," "Eva," "Fleur de Lis," "Alice," and "Palmer." Yachts at that time started from their anchor, and the "Cambria" was given the weather position; but just before the time for giving the starting signal the wind changed, and placed her dead to leeward of all her rivals, which was extremely unfortunate for her. The "Magic" was the first to get her anchor, and was well on her course before many had weighed at all. The "America" was noticeably slow, and was the last to get away. The "Cambria" was beautifully handled, and, despite her unfortunate position, soon took a good place. The "Magic" never lost her lead, and finished at 3 h. 33 m. 54 sec. The times of a few of the leaders were:
Idler," second, 3 h. 37 m. 23 sec.; "Sylvie," 3 h. 55 m. 12 sec.; America," 3 h. 47 m. 54 sec.; Dauntless," 3 h. 35 m. 28 sec.; "Madge," 3 h. 55 m. 7 sec.; "Phantom," 3 h. 55 m. 5 sec.; Alice," 4 h. 18 m. 27 sec.; Halcyon," 4 h. 3 m. 8 sec.; "Cambria," 4 h. om. 57 sec.; the corrected time of the same vessels were: 66 “ 66 Magic," 3 h. 58 m. 26°2 sec.; "Idler," 4 h. 9 m. 51 sec.; Sylvie," 4 h. 23 m. 453 sec.; "America," " “ 4 h. 23 m. 51 sec.; Dauntless," 4 h. 29 m. 66 19 sec.; "Madge," 4 h. 29 m. 57 1 sec.; "Phantom," 4 h. 30 m. 44°5 sec.; Alice," 4 h. 34 m. 15 sec.; "Halcyon," 4 h. om. 359 sec.; "Cambria," 4 h. 37 m. 389 sec. The visiting schooner joined the fleet of the New York Yacht Club on its annual cruise, and sailed a number of races during that period, winning her full share.
Even as late as 1871 there was but little yachting outside of the New York Yacht Club, though the Brooklyn, Eastern, and Atlantic Clubs were beginning to force themselves into notice, with boats of a much smaller size. The Brooklyn, for instance, at this time had but two schooners enrolled the flagship "Madeline" and the "Fleur de Lis"-though the Club was second only to the New York. A few years later, however (1873), the Boston had thirteen schooners, twenty-five sloops, and two steamers; but the Brooklyn had already begun to decline, and the Boston was more nearly approached in this year by the Atlantic than by any of the smaller clubs.
Of the sloops of this time, the "Fannie" and "Gracie" were undoubtedly in the lead of the large ones, though the "Vision" and "Meta " were close rivals. The "Meta" was afterwards changed into a schooner, but was not improved by the alteration.
During the annual cruise of the New York Yacht Club, that organisation was again challenged for the America's Cup by Mr. Ashbury with his new schooner "Livonia." After much correspondence it was decided that the "Livonia " should not sail the entire New York Fleet, but that the Cup Committee should select four vessels, any one of which they could name to sail the "Livonia" on the morning of the race.
The agreement also stated that there should be a series of seven races, four of which must be won by the representative boats of the New York Yacht Club or by the challenger, in order to retain or obtain the cup. The four boats selected by the Committee of the New York Yacht Club were the schooners "Dauntless," J. G. Bennett; "Sappho," W. P. Douglas; "Palmer," Rutherford Stuyvesant; and "Columbia," Franklin Osgood. October 16th was named as the day for the first race, and the "Columbia" (centreboard) was the schooner chosen to meet the "Livonia." The wind was light and from the north-west, and the time of finish was: "Columbia," 4 h. 57 m. 32 sec.; "Livonia," 5 h. 23 m. o sec.
The second race, October 18th, was in a very strong breeze outside the Light-ship, and the "Columbia" again sailed, winning by ten minutes and thirty-three seconds, Mr. Ashbury protesting that the "Columbia " rounded the outer mark in the wrong way; the protest was overruled by Committee. The third race, October 19th, was over the New York Yacht Club course. The "Dauntless" meeting with an accident, and the "Sappho" and "Palmer" not being on hand, the "Columbia" was again named (per force). The "Columbia" broke down, and the English yacht won by 15 m.
IO sec.
For the fourth race the "Sappho" was named, and beat the "Livonia" 30 m. 21 sec. over ocean course.
In the fifth race the "Sappho" again beat the "Livonia" on New York Yacht Club, inside course, 28 m. 27 sec. This ended the series, the American yachts "Columbia " and Sappho " "COLUMBIA." ،، having won two races each. The "Livonia" sailed a match with the "Dauntless" before the close of the season, which the latter yacht won by IO m. 3I sec. 66 دو The next two or three years were not very eventful in yachting. The usual number of races were sailed, but no vessels of any historic interest appeared. The Sappho was, probably, still the fastest schooner in the waters of the