1870 America's Cup Chronicle

After a 19 year wait due to the civil war in America James Ashbury became the first to trigger the deed of gift and challenge for the America's Cup.

Ashbury was encourage by his yacht Cambria's performance again visiting American sloops in a local races around the Isle of Wight, so much so that he proposed a two part challenge for the America's Cup. First was a race from England to America across the Atlantic, which was to be followed by a race around Long Island Sound.

Ashbury's yacht Cambria defeated the US sloop Duantless in the race across the Atlantic, at this point the New York Yacht Club stepped in, using the deed of gift to invalidate the challenge, instead proposing a race of approximately 32nm from Stapeton out around the Sandy Hook Lightship and back.

As in the first America's Cup we would see a fleet race with Cambria taking on the might of the New York Yacht Clubs racing yachts. Ashbury was not happy with the arrangement which allowed low draft centreboard yachts to enter. These vessels had an advantage at the start of the course, where they could retract their centreboards in the shallows as they exited out of long island sound, shortening the distance they needed to sail.

Magic, a sleek centreboard yacht used this to her advantage, taking an early lead and never looking back.

Cambria battle hard but struggled to get clear air as the fleet from the New York Yacht club worked together to keep her behind.

As with most America's Cups there was always controversy, Cambria lost a foremast when she collided with Tarolinta, who was on port. Without the protest procedures we have in modern racing Cambria raced on but could only manage 10th place out of the 18 boat fleet.

The 1870 America's Cup reignited the fire for the yee old mug which would intensify with regular challenges over the next 2 decades. Some interesting facts from the 1870 America's cup are as follows :-

Was the 2nd America's Cup.
Was the 2nd and Last America's Cup which was contested as a fleet race.
Was the second cup to have the boats start under anchor.
Was the second time that the UK and America battled for the Cup.
Was the second America's Cup to have a collision.

I hope you enjoyed Bottom Up Boats look back at the 1870 America's Cup where Magic defeated Cambria. Make sure you subscribe to get all of our Cup updates, it will not be long until we have the 1871 race review ready.