INSCRIPTION: The 1870 Match - MAGIC
L.O.A. 90'
L.W.L. 80'11"
Beam 21'
Draft 7' (16'11")
Sail Area Circa 5,000 Sq. Ft.
Mainmast (from deck to topsail halyard block) 76'
AMERICA, IDLER, DAUNTLESS, CAMBRIA,

Although the Cup won by AMERICA in the race around the Isle of Wight was offered as an international trophy in 1857, to be competed for by yachts of all nations, it was not until 1870 that a race for it was sailed. In that year, Mr. James Ashbury, of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, after much fruitless letter writing, brought over his schooner, CAMBRIA, and the New York Yacht Club, not being able to arrange mutually satisfactory terms with the challenger, gave Mr. Ashbury the option of sailing for the Cup against the Club's fleet over the regular New York Yacht Club course. Thus, on August 8th CAMBRIA was lined up against twenty three American schooners, for a start from anchor off the Staten Island shore, to do battle for the trophy won nineteen years before by AMERICA, also sailing against a fleet. The centerboard schooner MAGIC, one of the smaller of the defending yachts, was first to get under way, and in the beat to the Southwest Spit buoy, where she eased sheets for the reach to Sandy Hook Lightship, she worked out a lead of nearly five minutes, with the balance of the fleet spread out astern. She is depicted above reaching out past Sandy Hook. This lead she held to the finish and she beat the second yacht, IDLER, by 11 minutes, 9 seconds (corrected time.) CAMBRIA, after losing her foretopmast, placed tenth in the race, 39 minutes, 12 seconds (corrected time) behind MAGIC. The old AMERICA appeared on the course and finished fourth, beating the challenger by 13 minutes, 48 seconds (corrected time). Thus the Cup was successfully defended. MAGIC was owned by Franklin Osgood, Esqre. She was designed by R. F. Loper and built by Thomas Byerly & Son, at Philadelphia in 1857. Originally named MADGIE, she was altered in 1869 by David Caqrll, at City Island, N.Y. and renamed MAGIC.
R.F. Paterson delt
New York 1936
Publishd & Copyrightd At the Sign of the Gosden Head.
(Signed in pencil) R.F. Paterson
(Numbered in ink) 37/260