Defender USA | |
|---|---|
| Defender club: |  New York Yacht Club |
| Yacht: | Defender[1] |
Challenger Great Britain | |
| Challenger club: | Royal Yacht Squadron |
| Yacht: | Valkyrie III[1] |
| Competition | |
| Location: | offSandy Hook Lightship,Lower New York Bay |
| Dates: | 7–12 September 1895 |
| Rule: | theSeawanhaka Rule |
| Winner: | New York Yacht Club |
| Score: | 30 |
← 1893 1899 → | |
The1895 America's Cup was the 10th staging of theAmerica's Cup and occurred just two years after the1893 America's Cup[2] yet again pitting theNew York Yacht Club against theRoyal Yacht Squadron in a best-of-three-match--race-series. The 1895 race was between theHerreshoff designed sloopDefender owned by theWilliam K. Vanderbilt syndicate, and the Watson[3] designedValkyrie III owned byEarl of Dunraven of theRoyal Yacht Squadron.
In the Autumn of 1894 Lord Dunraven opened correspondence about another challenge of the Cup (his first letter was dated 24 October). Dunraven desired that the challenge terms remain as they were for his previous challenge with the difference that:
The NYYC replied on 15 November informing Dunraven that the vessels would be measured in the manner specified and he could substitute another vessel for his challenger by providing a second challenge upon the withdrawal of the first. His other stipulations were dismissed as "impractical".
Before racing the boats were measured by John Hyslop.
The conditions to govern the races were signed on 4 September by James D. Smith (chairmen of the NYYC America's Cup committee) and Dunraven.
The first race, on September 7, 1895, was set to be a windward-leeward course of fifteen miles length.[6] The Weather for the day was described as light and shifting wind.[6] In the first leg of the course the racing was close withDefender taking a slight lead by the windward mark.[6] After rounding the mark the wind shifted, turning the running leg into a reaching leg, as a resultDefender quickly increased its lead againstValkyrie III.Defender crossed the line eight minutes and forty-nine seconds ahead of "Valkyrie III" to win the first race.[6]
The second race occurred on Tuesday September 10, 1895. The race was set as a triangle course with each leg having a length of ten miles.[6] In the pre-start maneuvering,Valkyrie III's boom struckDefender, severing the starboard spreader.Valkyrie III led throughout the race, althoughDefender closed the gap between the boats in the second and third legs of the race.Valkyrie III crossed the line forty-seven seconds beforeDefender.[6] However, after hearing the protest fromDefender againstValkyrie III, the Race Committee awardedDefender the race as it ruledDefender had right of way overValkyrie III asDefender was leeward ofValkyrie III at the time of collision.[6]
The third race was sailed on Thursday September 12, 1895. After bothDefender andValkyrie III crossed the starting line sailing before the wind,Valkyrie III withdrew from the race claiming the committee could not guarantee a course that was free of spectator craft.[6]Defender completed the race, winning the best of five regatta.[6]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.