Another Challenge

Australia's gallant sailors were hardly out of sight before another nation challenged the U.S. for the America's Cup, international yachting's oldest and most prized trophy. Having tried and failed 16 times in the past in years, Britain wanted to race again--and the sooner the better. To the New York Yacht Club went a formal challenge from London's Royal Thames Yacht Club proposing a race next summer. One new British 12-meter yacht was already abuilding in Scotland (her designer: David Boyd, who also designed the ill-starred Sceptre, which lost four straight to the U.S. in 1958). A second boat was on the drawing boards, and a third might be built. The British proposed to hold their own elimination trials, then take on the U.S. defender. After a full summer of practice this year, Britain's yachtsmen were ready and waiting.

It was an exciting prospect, but the New York Yacht Club was in no mood to rush into another defense so soon. Preparing for a cup match is an expensive and exhausting proposition. The owners of the four U.S. boats competing for the right to defend against the Aussies this year spent something like $1,000,000 among them. The U.S. crews are almost all amateurs who beg or borrow time off from their jobs and businesses to compete; Bus Mosbacher, who skippered Weatherly to victory, cannot afford any more time away from his family oil business. Firmly, but politely, the New York Yacht Club replied that it would deal with the British challenge two years from now, in 1964. "A bitter disappointment," said the Royal Thames Yacht Club, but the Britons agreed to wait until then to try their skill against the undefeated U.S.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.