Past Abeam by Prentice Cushing 2002

Report from the America's Cup Jubilee in Cowes: On 22 August 1851 fifteen yachts competed for the "100-Guinea Cup" in the famous race around the Isle of Wight, when NYYC Commodore John Cox Stevens accepted the British challenge and won with his America, thus starting the world's longest-running sports competition, the races for the America's Cup. In 1994, at the suggestion of Keith Beken of Beken & Son, the famous Cowes marine photographers, the Royal Yacht Squadron contacted the New York Yacht Club and proposed "crossing burgees" to commemorate the victory of America, which started international competitive yacht racing. After a tremendous amount of work, it all came together this summer. The NYYC arranged for a huge semi-submersible transport ship to convey some 35 US yachts from Newport, including eleven 12-Metres. About 25 sailed across on a "Trans-Atlantic Cruise in Company", which left Newport on 24 June. With charterers and others arriving on their own, the NYYC had 67 yachts entered in the racing. Altogether there  were over 200 entries, ranging from the smallest, Firefly, an IMS 45.4' sloop built in 2000 to Adix, a 213' three-masted schooner, constructed in 1983.

We spent ten fabulous days in Cowes at this once-in-a-lifetime event. The wonderful harbor was wall-to-wall boats; 200+ racers and at least 2000 spectator boats ranging from kayaks, through 300' motor yachts belonging  to the likes of the Kings of Denmark and Spain, up to the magnificent three-masted bark Sea Cloud II, chartered by the NYYC, and Black Watch, a 760-passenger cruise ship used as a floating hotel. Opening ceremonies were conducted by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and there were all kinds of parties, dinners, etc., at the six yacht clubs in Cowes, most of which we did not attend. The Ball at Queen Victoria's Osborne House had 2000 present and featured an auction of a cognac collection by Hennessy ( one bottle from each vintage year in which an America's Cup Race had been held) and ended with Bill Koch (present and participating with America3 , and who had had a few beverages at cocktail hour) bidding against the Aga Khan and winning to the tune of £350,000. The poor Aga had to retire empty-handed to his 320' yacht. Proceeds went to the Lifeboat Service, which performs duties similar to our Coast Guard, but is a volunteer organization.

Esplanade, the Cowes waterfront, was transformed into a Jubilee City with numerous tents and displays, such as the New Zealand one, in which the Cup was on exhibit. All streets were closed to automobiles (we did manage to sneak in one day, courtesy of a Cowes cop) and there was a free bus service running continuously around the city. Racing was conducted on four different courses and there was no possibility of watching it all. 36 Twelve-Metres were in one area, including the winged-keel Australia II, which was brought out of retirement at the Australian Maritime Museum, with many other 1983 Cup-winning crew aboard. Nine modern America's Cup Class (72'- 77') boats competed in another. Even J-Boats (the original stupendous ones, such as those of Sir Thomas Lipton and Harold s. Vanderbilt) raced as a class with four starters! Owing to the tremendous current in the Solent, the Round-the-Isle Race couldn't occur on the exact anniversary date, but was held the day before, on the 21st. Like the original, "there was no second" -Stealth, Gianni Agnelli's all-black (including carbon-fiber sails and rigging) 92Y2-foot go-fast appeared at the fmish line all alone and no one else showed up for over an hour! Maybe it was wishful romanticism, but for me and many others the high point was watching the 130+' J-boat class (Cambria, Endeavour, Shamrock V, Valsheda) with their thirty-some crews handling
7500 square feet of sail. It was a sight we never expected to witness and by itself worth the trip.

The rather fancy authorized program of course listed William P. Douglas's Sappho as the 1871 Cup winner, so Douglaston was represented officially, even if we didn't count for much!