Fotos

"In 1851 a radical looking schooner ghosted out of the afternoon mist and swiftly sailed past the Royal Yacht stationed in the Solent, between the Isle of Wight and the south coast of England, on an afternoon when Queen Victoria was watching a sailing race.

As the schooner, named America, passed the Royal Yacht in first position, and saluted by dipping its ensign three times, Queen Victoria asked "who was in second place"? ...

The yacht America, representing the young New York Yacht Club, would go on to beat the best the British could offer and win the Royal Yacht Squadron's 100 Pound Cup, and question Great Britain as the world's undisputed maritime power.

The trophy would go to the young democracy of the United States and it would be well over 100 years before it was taken away from New York.

Shortly after America won the 100 Pound Cup in 1851, New York Yacht Club Commodore John Cox Stevens and syndicate, sold the celebrated schooner and returned home as heroes. They donated the trophy to the New York Yacht Club with the priviso: "the trophy was to be a perpetual challenge cup for friendly competition between nations."
--- reference: www.americascup.com

In this photo it is August again, only 161 years later, but still foggy and dreary. And the race has evolved into gigantic catamarans. This is action in from the August 23, 2012 match race challenges, with the British wingcat teamed by Ben Ainslie Racing.