1851 America's Cup


The 100 Guineas Cup or Hundred Guinea Cup regatta of 1851 was the first competition for the America's Cup trophy. The trophy was valued at 100 pounds-sterling which led to its various names, all variations on 100 Pound Cup. The race was won by the yacht America, leading to the trophy being renamed "America's Cup". The official event known as "The America's Cup" was founded in 1857, when the deed of gift established the racing regattas. The 1851 competition was a fleet race, whereas modern America's Cups finals are match races.

History

The race originated with an invitation for the Great Exhibition of 1851 by the Earl of Winton, then Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron, inviting the recently formed New York Yacht Club to enjoy the facilities of the clubhouse of the RYS. John Cox Stevens, Commodore of the NYYC responded positively, and anticipated racing. Due to the RYS rules of the time, other races in the 1851 RYS Regatta were restricted to RYS members and their self-owned yachts, so the R. Y. S. £100 Cup was established, open to anyone to enter. At a RYS meeting on 9 May 1851, the race was scheduled for 22 August 1851. This race was to be the first of a series of challenge races for successive £100 Cups. At the time, it was normal practise for the winners to own the cups that were won, and not to return them for the next race to be won by others.

Trophy

The trophy is a bottomless ewer made out of of silver, and is tall. The ewer was a stock item obtained from jeweler Robert Garrard in 1848. After the race, it was engraved with the names of the yachts that raced against America, except the runner-up Aurora.

Race

The regatta, held on 22 August 1851, raced clockwise around the Isle of Wight in a fleet race. The course was called "The Queen's Course". The course was near Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight, where the Royal Yacht Squadron headquarters are located. The race took place as part of the 1851 Royal Yacht Squadron Regatta. The signal gun for sailing was fired at 10am, and the winner saluted by a gun from the flag-ship at 8:34pm.
18 yachts were entered for the race, but only 15 yachts started the race. The yacht Fernande did not make the start, while Strella and Titania both got to the starting line, though did not start the race. Those yachts that raced were America, Alarm, Arrow, Aurora, Bacchante, Beatrice, Brilliant, Constance, Eclipse, Freak, Gipsy Queen, Ione, Mona, Volante, and Wyvern.
StandingYachtClassTonsOwnerDesigner/BuilderYacht clubTimeNotes
WinnerAmericaSchooner170John Cox Stevens, Edwin Stevens, James A. Hamilton, George L. Schuyler, Hamilton Wilkes, John K. Beekman FinlayGeorge Steers / William H. BrownNew York Yacht Club10h34'
2ndAuroraCutter47Thomas Le MarchantMichael Ratsey / Cowes10h58'
3rdBacchanteCutter80Benjamin Heywood JonesThomas and James Manlaws Wanhill / Poole11h30'
4thEclipseCutter50Henry Samuel FearonWanhillRoyal Western Yacht Club & Royal St George Yacht Club11h45'
5thBrilliant3-mast-schooner392George Holland AckersJohn Rubie / Southampton13h20'
DSQ/DNFAlarmCutter193Joseph WeldThomas Inman / Lymington
DSQ/DNFArrowCutter84Thomas ChamberlayneThomas Inman
DSQ/DNFBeatriceSchooner161Walter P. CarewCamper
DSQ/DNFConstanceSchooner218Marquis of ConynghamJoseph White / East Cowes
DSQ/DNFFreakCutter60William CurlingWanhill
DSQ/DNFGipsy QueenSchooner160Henry Bold HoghtonWhite
DSQ/DNFIoneSchooner75Almon HillWhite
DSQ/DNFMonaCutter82Alfred PagetRichard Pinney / Poole
DSQ/DNFVolanteCutter48J.L. CraigieHarvey / IpswichRoyal Thames Yacht Club & Royal London Yacht Club
DSQ/DNFWyvernSchooner205Duke of MarlboroughCamper
DSQ/DNSFernandeSchooner127Francis Mountjoy MartynWilliam Camper / Gosport
DNSStrellaCutter65Richard FranklandGeorge & James Inman / Lymington
DNSTitaniaSchooner100R. StephensonRobinson and Russell / Millwall

Footnotes