1895 America's Cup


The 1895 America's Cup occurred just two years after the 1893 America's Cup pitting the New York Yacht Club against the Royal Yacht Squadron. The 1895 race was between the Herreshoff designed sloop Defender owned by Charles Oliver Iselin, William Kissam Vanderbilt, and Edwin Dennison Morgan from the New York Yacht Club, and the Watson designed Valkyrie III owned by Lord Dunraven of the Royal Yacht Squadron.

The competitors

The match

The races

First race

The first race, on September 7, 1895, was set to be a windward-leeward course of fifteen miles length. The Weather for the day was described as light and shifting wind. In the first leg of the course the racing was close with "Defender" taking a slight lead by the windward mark. After rounding the mark the wind shifted, turning the running leg into a reaching leg, as a result "Defender" quickly increased its lead against "Valkyrie III". "Defender" crossed the line eight minutes and forty-nine seconds ahead of "Valkyrie III" to win the first race.

Second race

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. In the pre-start maneuvering, "Valkyrie III"'s boom struck "Defender", severing the starboard spreader. "Valkyrie III" lead throughout the race, although "Defender" closed the gap between the boats in the second and third legs of the race. "Valkyrie III" crossed the line forty-seven seconds before "Defender". However, after hearing the protest from "Defender" against "Valkyrie III", the Race Committee awarded "Defender" the race as it found that "Defender" had right of way over "Valkyrie III" as "Defender" was leeward of "Valkyrie III" at the time of collision.

Third race

The third race was sailed on Thursday September 12, 1895. After both "Defender" and "Valkyrie 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. "Defender" completed the race, winning the best of five regatta.

Aftermath