Infosheet No. 5 The history of international yachting & The America’s Cup The prosperity of Victorian times became disenchanted with yachting quite naturally led the more after the death of Prince Albert in affluent towards leisure pursuits. 1861. Nonetheless, her interest in One of these pursuits was sailing. and ownership of yachts did cause Pleasure yachts became extremely a number of her subjects to sail for popular and Queen Victoria herself pleasure. It can fairly be said that became a yacht owner. The Royal yacht building reached a high family‟s association with yachts degree of development during really started when Charles II was Victoria‟s reign. In the 1830s, there presented with the yacht Mary by were scarcely 100 yachts in the Bergmeister of Amsterdam in existence, mostly based on the 1660. Between 1671 and 1677, designs for brigs, schooners and Charles II had a further 14 yachts cutters owned by the Royal Navy. built at Woolwich, Portsmouth, A good example is the Waterwitch, a Rotherhithe, Lambeth and brig built at Cowes in 1832 for the Chatham. His early enthusiasm no Earl of Belfast. The Admiralty doubt encouraged the aristocracy of Officials were so impressed by this the time to emulate him. By the next brig‟s sailing qualities that they century (1775) yacht races were bought her. Such brigs and being organised regularly on the schooners sometimes raced against River Thames. The Royal Yacht each other but, ultimately, the Squadron was founded after the cutter rig proved to be the best type end of the Napoleonic Wars and for competition. yachting was established as a pleasurable pastime. In 1875, the Yacht Racing Association, with Dixon Kemp as Queen Victoria inherited the yacht Secretary, was established. A series Royal George (330 tons) from her of short-lived relatively poor rating uncle William IV and sailed in her formulae advanced by this to Scotland in 1842. The Queen was governing body led to the “not amused” when her becalmed emergence of extreme types and yacht required a tow and she very lightly built yachts. The Yacht commissioned a 225ft paddle steam Registration Society was formed in yacht which, when launched on 26 February 1877 under the April 1843, was christened Victoria chairmanship of the Marquis of and Albert, the first of a line of steam Exeter. The committee included Ben powered Royal Yachts that ended Nicholson and Dixon Kemp. The with Britannia, completed in 1954 Yacht Registration Society set about and decommissioned in 1998. By organising a formal process, 1855, the yacht had been replaced including submission of plans and by the longer, and appropriately inspection of yachts under named, Victoria and Albert II (2,342 construction, which would ensure tons) to allow for an extended royal the progress in yacht design. family. Regrettably, the Queen Revised: July, 11 2012 Lloyd’s Register’s Yacht Rules technological progress had made Occasionally Lloyd‟s Register‟s (LR) extreme light weight yachts Rules had been consulted but there possible. There followed a period of was a reluctance to use the Rules as rapid and extreme design evolution yachtbuilders tended to believe the where from year to year new yachts requirements concerned merchant were out-classed and rendered vessels only. In 1876, John Harvey, useless for racing. These lightly a Wivenhoe yachtbuilder suggested built yachts had no future as that Rules for the construction of cruising yachts once their racing yachts should be published by LR. lives were over. The handicap basis which the Yacht Racing Association Ben Nicholson wrote formally to introduced only served to Bernard Waymouth, Secretary of exacerbate the problem. The yacht LR, and received the following building market was on the verge reply: of collapse. “We here can and do estimate you properly and will not fail to show In 1906, Charles E. Nicholson of that you are entitled to the high Camper and Nicholson succeeded position you occupy as a really in persuading a client to build a good yachtbuilder. And, as I have large racing yacht to the Lloyd‟s said before, if you will kindly, at an Register Rules for Yachts, formulated early period, let me know your some years earlier. The yacht was views as to the requirements to the Nyria (167 Thames meet the case of yacht owners I will Measurement, 20A1) and she try to lead the discussion in the showed that strength and speed direction you indicate, for our could be brought together desire should be to carry out the successfully. This example was views of the elite of the yacht instrumental in a new International owners and builders.” Rating Committee, including the The resultant Lloyd’s Register of Yacht Racing Association, deciding Yachts and Rules for the Classification to establish scantlings for racing of Yachts were instituted in 1878 and yachts and make Lloyd‟s Register although its regulations applied class mandatory for all racing only to cruising yachts until 1907, yachts built to the International they necessarily applied to all Rule (Metre class). This was significant designers who produced introduced from 1st January 1907 both types of yachts. throughout Europe. The Rule was to stay in force for 10 years. The 1884 edition was enlarged to list foreign-owned yachts and to Post World War I the future of show British and foreign yacht yachting looked bleak until George clubs and their addresses, even V announced his intention to fit out their respective flags were his racing yacht Britannia (221 grt, strikingly illustrated. The Rules for 18A1). Soon many others were Steel Yachts were published in 1885. acquiring yachts and refitting them. The Yacht Racing Association The International Rules were established their Linear Rating revised in 1920 and 1934 and were Rules in 1896 and 1902. There was gradually accepted by yachtsmen of an enhanced incentive for yacht the United States, the influential builders and designers to build ever New York Yacht Club members lighter yachts. This was and the North American Yacht particularly significant because Racing Union. Eventually, Lloyd‟s Revised: July, 11 2012 Register‟s scantlings were adopted The result was a wooden schooner along with the existing Universal yacht of 170 tons Customs House Rule in the larger classes giving rise Measurements, named America. She to the 12 metre and J-Class racing arrived at Cowes on August 1, 1851 yachts of the 1930‟s. This in turn and a challenge was immediately also had a considerable impact on issued by Commodore Stevens on redressing the structural inequities behalf of the New York Yacht Club, faced by all America‟s Cup to the Royal Yacht Squadron 'to run challenges. 1992 saw the debut of the yacht America against any number the innovative International of schooners belonging to any of the America‟s Cup Class (IACC) yachts Yacht Squadrons of the United designed to take advantage of the Kingdom, to be selected by the latest space age technology. Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron. The course to be over some The America's Cup part of the English Channel outside the "Who is first?" asked Queen Victoria, Isle of Wight with at least a six knot America has won, she was told. "Who breeze'. was second?" asked the Queen. "Your Majesty, there is no second." Nobody accepted the offer, so a week later Commodore Stevens Thus the America's Cup became much issued a more sweeping challenge more than a sport. It involves national to race America against any cutter, pride, high finance and even suspicion schooner or other vessel of the of industrial espionage. The year 2001 Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS); marked the 150th anniversary of the sticking his neck out even further, America’s Cup. This momentous he promised to stake any sum not anniversary was marked by a special exceeding 10,000 guineas on the yacht race in Christchurch Bay, Cowes, outcome. between the last remaining J-Class Such was the obvious supremacy of yachts, Endeavour, Shamrock V and the yacht, there were still no takers. Velsheda. Time and tide for no man wait, and with the limited time Commodore What was to become known as the Stevens could spend in England fast America‟s Cup started very running out, he decided to enter innocently with the Great America for the RYS Regatta to be Exhibition of 1851. A letter was sent held on August 22. In 1848, Queen to a merchant in New York Victoria had authorised the creation suggesting that a pilot boat/yacht of a "One Hundred Guinea Cup" of would be a prime example of solid silver (134oz), 27" tall for a American shipbuilding and could yacht race, hosted by the Royal be sent in time for the International Yacht Squadron, Cowes. The race, Exhibition in London. This letter open to all contenders, was to be came to the attention of run around the Isle of Wight over a Commodore J C Stevens of the New distance of 53 miles. In 1851, York Yacht Club, who formed a eighteen schooners and cutters syndicate and signed a contract for ranging between 47 and 392 tons a pilot boat/yacht in 1850. The task entered the race, starting at 10 am of designing and building the yacht and racing over one of the most was entrusted to George Steers, son complicated courses in the world of the English shipbuilder Henry without time allowance. America Steers, whose skill and ability was finished at 8.37 pm, winning for the widely recognised. Revised: July, 11 2012 New York Yacht Club the RYS the contest was to take place. In trophy. 1887 a new Deed of Gift was drawn up, the principle feature being that If the yachts had been subject to to obtain a match the challenging handicapping, the British yacht club must give 10 months notice.