The 1881 America's Cup was the 5th staging of the America's Cup yacht race. It was contested as a three-match-race series in New York City, New York, United States between Mischief owned by Jospeph Richard Busk, representing the defender, the New York Yacht Club (NYYC); and Atlanta owned by Alexander Cuthbert, representing the Bay of Quinte Yacht Club. It was the second and final time a Canadian club has challenged the America’s Cup.
Defender  USA | |
|---|---|
| Defender club: |  New York Yacht Club |
| Yacht: | Mischief |
Challenger  Canada | |
| Challenger club: | Bay of Quinte Yacht Club |
| Yacht: | Atlanta |
| Competition | |
| Location: | New York City |
| Dates: | TBD |
| Rule: | 65ft Sloop |
| Winner: | New York Yacht Club |
| Score: | 2  0 |
← 1876 1885 → | |
The defence was placed in the hands of the yacht Mischief (only the second-ever metal boat built in the USA) and its English owner Mr. J. R. Busk who was a member of the NYYC. Before the match Mischief was hauled out of the water "her underbody was sand-papered, holystoned, varnished and pot leaded, until it shone like platinum."[1][2]
Following the result, Cuthbert wished to winter the boat in New York and challenge in the following year the new Deed of Gift subsequently precluded this.
After the challenge the Cup was returned to George L Shuyler for reconveyance and by resolution on 17th December 1881 it was returned by the NYYC. It was duly reconveyed to the club by a letter of gift on the 4th of January 1882, in which the Cup was vested in the club as a trustee with key conditions stipulated. To prevent the Canadians from building yachts and towing them via canal or atop a steamboat, the deed of gift stipulated that "vessels intending to compete for this Cup must proceed under sail on their own bottoms to the port where the contest is to take place".[3][4]
The letter also stated that "The parties intending to sail for the cup may, by mutual consent, make any agreement satisfactory to both as to the date, course, Tim allowance, number of trials, rules, and sailing regulations, and any and all conditions of the match..."[3][4]
On February 26th, 1885, a challenge was sent by Mr Beavor Webb acting on behalf of the Royal Yacht Squadron, and Lieutenant William Henn of the Royal Northern Yacht Club for a double challenge for the America’s Cup.
Results
editMischief won the two-race series that was described as a "procession". The margins of victory on corrected time were 28 and 39 minutes in the two respectively.
References
edit- ^ Lawson, Winfield (1902). The Lawson History of the America's Cup a Record of Fifty Years.
- ^ Wheatley, Magnus. "BUILT TO RACE". Americas Cup. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ a b Deed of Gift from Wikisource
- ^ a b The Deed of Gift of the America's Cup and related manuscripts from the archives of the New York Yacht Club Revised Edition (2007) by Ryoichi Steven Tsuchiya