How London’s 1851 Great Exhibition Resulted in America’s Big Win

On July 30, 1844, nine men sat aboard a schooner floating near Manhattan Island’s Battery. John Cox Stevens had invited eight of his friends to join him on his yacht, the Gimcrack. Stevens was an outdoorsman, a steamship and railroad promoter, and a descendant of one of New York’s most prominent families. The Stevens family had risen to prominence by their efforts and sacrifices during the American Revolution. John Cox Stevens would rise to prominence from the proposal he made on that Tuesday.
Stevens grew up on the water, sailing and steaming across the Hudson River and along the coastline of the eastern seaboard. His father, after serving as a colonel in the Continental Army, turned his attention to steamboats. He was one of the early inventors of this new method of water transportation, competing with the likes of Robert Fulton. Stevens continued his father’s business of building boats and steamships. His steamboat ferry was the world’s first to cross the Hudson to and from Hoboken. In addition to his maritime acumen, he was a successful businessman in a booming industry.
New York City was full of men like Stevens—wealthy, industrious, and seeking camaraderie with like-minded people. It is what brought the nine together. New York City had been the nation’s largest city for half a century. It was three times larger than Boston and about 30 times larger than Detroit, yet both of those cities had something New York City didn’t: a yacht club. When Stevens broached the subject of founding the New York Yacht Club (NYYC), all eight fellow yachtsmen readily agreed. They also voted Stevens as the new club’s commodore.
In 1846, Henry Cole, a member of the Society of Arts, was introduced to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the husband of Queen Victoria. The two men became fast friends, and both wished to promote the arts and industry within Britain. Shortly after their introduction, the Society of Arts was granted a royal charter, changing its name to Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce (or more briefly, the Royal Society of Arts). In 1843, Garrard, a London-based jewelry maker, was appointed as Britain’s first official Crown Jeweller. In 1848, Garrard made three silver cups in the shape of ewers. As the 1840s moved into the 1850s, these two entities—the RSA and Garrard’s—incidentally brought the NYYC and the RYS together.
Brown had built a reputation on building beautiful, durable, and fast boats. His success was contingent upon having the right people working with and for him. Lucky for him, and probably the reason he felt confident enough to make such a bet, he had recently hired George Steers.
Steers was born in 1819 to a maritime family. His father David Steers was a native of the Isle of Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, and had been a captain in the Royal Navy and had later joined the U.S. Navy. In 1841, 21-year-old George Steers designed his first pilot boat. Before the decade was up, Steers was revolutionizing boat design. In 1848, his design and build of the schooner Mary Taylor proved unconventional with its narrow bow and stern, and widest section near the middle. The end result, however, vastly improved the speed and handling of the traditional pilot boat. The following year, Steers was hired by Brown.
America arrived in Le Havre, France, on July 9. After the long voyage, it was refitted, its topsides painted black, and its racing sails tied to the spars. Stevens and his brother, Edwin, who took over the yacht once it had reached Le Havre, had orchestrated to keep it out of sight from the British until sailing to the Isle of Wight. When it sailed to the island on July 31, it did not disappoint.
On the morning of the race, 15 of the 18 teams arrived in time, their boats ranging in size from the 393-ton Brilliant, the largest of the seven schooners, to the 47-ton Aurora, the smallest of the cutters. All 15 sat at anchor awaiting the start. At 10 a.m. a cannon was fired by the Royal Yacht Squadron and the counterclockwise race around the Isle of Wight began. Throughout the first hour and half, position for first changed intermittently, primarily between America and the cutters. By the halfway mark, near St. Catherine’s Point, America had increased its lead by about a mile. The only concern remained the cutters. As Volante neared St. Catherine’s Point, it sprung her bowsprit, causing it to drop out. The closest boat to America now was the cutter Aurora.
St. Catherine’s Point was apparently a relatively hazardous spot. Not only had the Volante suffered damage there, but America had as well. Its jibboom had snapped. Luckily, the jibboom was a mere innovation and an unnecessary one at that. Once the team cleared the boat of the debris, America actually increased its speed. Now it was about coming down the final stretch where thousands of spectators waited in Cowes to see who would win the coveted prize. One of those spectators was Queen Victoria.
There is a famous story about the queen awaiting the finishers. As the boats came around the final turn, Queen Victoria asked the signal master, “Are the yachts in sight?”
“Yes, may it please Your Majesty,” he responded.
“Which is first?”
“The America.”
“Which is second?”
“Ah, Your Majesty, there is no second.”
It was during this week in history, on Aug. 22, 1851, that the American-made yacht America won what was the very first America’s Cup race, beating her next rival, Aurora, by 8 minutes. After receiving the Garrard silver ewer, the “£100 Cup/Hundred Guinea Cup/Cup of One Hundred Sovereign Cup/Queen’s Cup” was renamed America’s Cup after the yacht.
America’s Cup quickly became the most prestigious and famous sailing race in the world, with more and more countries competing for the coveted prize. The Americans held onto the cup from 1851 to 1983, making 24 defenses against various international challengers. It is considered the longest winning streak in sports history. Oddly, the British, who created the race, have never won.
The international boat race continues to this day, with the 37th America’s Cup scheduled to take place on the 173rd anniversary. The signal master’s response to Queen Victoria, whether fictitious or not, has remained the race’s slogan: “There is no second.”