America - the myth (part 1)

Was America really the revolutionary craft the press made out at the time? asks Adrian Morgan

The price agreed for her building was high - $30,000 - but extraordinary conditions were written into the contract. If she did not prove to be the fastest vessel in the United States the syndicate could refuse her. Moreover, if she was to prove unsuccessful in England, her builders would be obliged to take her back. Stevens, a wealthy man and notorious gambler, was taking no chances. He meant to cover his bets either way, even if America turned out to be hopelessly outclassed.

A variety of woods were used in her construction: the frames, braced by iron diagonals, of white oak, locust, cedar, chestnut and hackmatack; her planking, copper fastened, of 3in white oak; her decks of yellow pine and her coamings of mahogany. She carried 61 tons of iron ballast, two thirds of it under the mainmast.

Her launch date was set for April 1, but bad weather delayed it until May 3 and it was June 18 before she was finally ready to sail for England. In the meantime the astute Stevens had driven the price down to $20,000 after inconclusive trials against Stevens' own fully-tuned up 97ft sloop Maria, to which she owed time, designed by his brother Robert. On one occasion Maria sailed three circles around America. 'As far as the trials went', wrote George Schuyler, a syndicate member 'the Maria proved herself faster...'

On June 21, with her racing sails stowed below, she was towed to Sandy Hook. During the course of her Atlantic crossing she was to make several 200-mile-a-day runs and one of 284 miles. James Steers, George's older brother, was impressed. On 27th June, he wrote: 'She is the best sea boat that ever went out of the Hook.' Steers, his brother, young nephew and 10 crew arrived off Le Havre after a 20-day passage. There she was repainted, her masts restepped and her racing canvas carefully bent on.

Despite the entreaties of Horace Greeley, a New York newspaper editor in Paris, who predicted that 'You will be beaten, and the country will be abused', after three weeks refitting, and in thick fog, Stevens, who had taken the steamer to Le Havre, and his crew sailed for Cowes. Greeley's departing words, would, no doubt, have been ringing in their ears: 'Well, if you do go, and are beaten, you had better not return to your country!'

The crack British cutter Laverock found her early on the morning of August 1 anchored off Osborne House, five miles from the entrance to the Medina River, waiting for a breeze. The story of that informal race is often given as the first evidence of America's invincibility. Like any other two racing yachts sparring for an informal race the tensions aboard were electric. 'After waiting till we were ashamed to wait any longer', said Stevens describing the meeting at a dinner given in his honour at Astor House later that year 'we let her go about two hundred yards, and then started in her wake...

Not a sound was heard, save perhaps the beating of our anxious hearts or the slight ripple upon our sword-like stem... The men were motionless as statues... The Captain was crouched down upon the floor of the cockpit, his seemingly unconscious hand upon the tiller...'

Seven miles later, America had, allegedly, worked out a handy lead and the myth of her prowess gathered its unstoppable momentum. 'The crisis was past, and some dozen of deep-drawn sighs proved that the agony was over,' recalled Stevens. Stevens neglected, however, to mention that Laverock was towing her longboat. The Bell's Life report on August 3 stated that Laverock 'held her own'.

Part 2 continues tomorrow....