The New Student's Reference Work/America Cup, The

America Cup, The, is a trophy offered for the first time at the London international exhibition of 1851 by the Royal Yacht Squadron; and now held subject to annual challenges by the New York Yacht Club. Its name is due to the fact that the cup was won in 1851 by the U.-S.-built yacht, America. The yacht America was the first vessel to be built upon anything like modern racing lines and to have a long bow and flat sails. Ever since the victory of the America, the cup has exercised a great influence upon yacht-builders. The deep, narrow knife-blade hull was popular until 1891, when the Gloriana won all her races, and showed the advantage of "overhangs." While American builders have aimed chiefly at racers, British builders have tried to combine the racer with the cruiser, but it would seem that the easy defeat of Sir Thomas Lipton's challenger Shamrock III by the Reliance, in 1903, shows that no vessel fitted for cruising is fitted for racing also.