Defiance was a contender for the defense of the America's Cup against Shamrock IV in 1914 and is shown here under her knockabout rig. She was designed by George Owen for a syndicate of yachtsmen from New York and Philadelphia, headed by George M. Pynchon (her amateur helmsman) and E. W. Clarke, and was built at the Bath Ironworks in Bath, Maine in 1914. She measured 115 feet. length overall, 74 feet 9 inches on the waterline, with a beam of 22 feet 6 inches and a draft of 13 feet 9 inches extended by a centreboard to 22 feet. Sail area was 9,400 square feet. The hull was of composite construction with steel frames and double-skin fir and mahogany planking, fitted by Hogdon Bros. of East Boothbay, Maine.

Defiance was an unlucky yacht and did not come out until six weeks after her competitors. The original rig was too much for her and the 150-foot steel mast was removed and a shorter wooden one substituted. George Owen was a thorough naval architect and had considerable success with smaller racers, but the Defiance never seemed to settle down. His average speed per mile was 10 minutes 12 seconds; Resolute and Vanitie were equal at 9 minutes 12 seconds.

Defiance had a short bowsprit and single headsail, as on the other four yachts built for the series. When she was found to be tender, the bowsprit was removed and she became a stemmed "knockabout" style sloop for a time, until it was replaced. All of this did little to improve her speed and she was not able to beat Resolute, and only once beat Vanitie for second place: she was a disappointment - not least to her brilliant designer. Although well built, she only sailed for the 1914 season and was then broken up.