THE STORY OF GENESTA

Yves GARY Published: 15 October 2015 Hits: 7356

Category: GENESTA

English challenger defeated by the American defender Puritan.

1884
Genesta was launched in Glasgow and registered in the RYS lists the same year, under Sir Richard Sutton's banner. It was a John Beavor-Webb's design, composite building, John's specialty since Freda (1880).

Her frame was of steel, and she was planked with oak, being the first yacht of composite build to sail for the cup. She was built by D. & H. Henderson & Company, Glasgow.

Genesta sailed an interesting 1884 British yachting season. Out of thirty-four races sailed she won only seven, in one of which she had no competitor, and was beaten seven times by the cutter Marjorie, six times by the cutter Irex, six times by the yawl Larna, four times by the cutter Tara, three times by the yawl Wendur, and once by the cutter Marguerite. She took second place eight times, third place twice, and was distanced seventeen times. Two of her races were won in light or variable breezes, and the rest in steady, fresh, or strong breezes. There is no record of her being beaten in a strong breeze, but in such a breeze on one occasion it took her 5:21:14 to sail 45 miles. Her quickest race was sailed on July 16, 1864, over a 50-knot course of Bangor in 4:04:18. The Wendur and Irex, however, both went over the course in less time.

PALMARES 1884 OF GENESTA

Date	Course	Wind	Winner	Genesta	Time
May 31, 1834	Course 50 miles. Southend to Harwich	east by north, light	Genesta	1st	8:08:30
June 2	40 miles off Harwich	south-east to east, good	Tara	3rd	4:15:02
June 3	50 miles. Harwich to Southend	east, fresh	Genesta	1st	4:49:38
June 4	55 miles, Thames to Mouse	north-east, light	Marjorie	2nd	9:26:12
June 5	50 miles L. Hone Reach Light to Gravesand	north variable	Marjorie	2nd	8:16:32
June 7	54 miles, Horse to Dover	east, fresh	Genesta	1st	7:54:10
June 9	50 miles, Dover out and back	northeast to east, light	Larna	2nd	5:31:11
June 10	50 miles, Dover to Boulogne and back	northeast to east, light	Larna	2nd	5:52:44
July 4	50 miles. Hunter’s Quay	light and variable	Wendur	not placed	10:01:49
July 5	50 miles. Hunter’s Quay	wind light and variable	Marjorie	not placed	7:58:27
July 6	50 miles. Hunter’s Quay	wind light and variable	???	not placed	6:47:07
July 7	Milford, around Alisa Craig	variable	Genesta	1st	14:46:52
July 8	50 miles	south-southwest	Wendur	not placed	7:59:42
July 11	50 miles. Rothsay	moderate	Wendur	2nd	6:48:45
July 12	50 miles. Rothsay	south moderate	Irex	2nd	5:47 :09
July 16	50 miles off Bangor	southwest, strong	Genesta	1st	4:04:13
July 17	33 miles off Bangor	unsteady	Irex	not placed	5:34:55
July 21	50 miles. Dublin Bay	variable	Irex	not placed	8:19:15
July 23	45 miles. Dublin Bay	moderate	Irex	not placed	7:28:53
July 31	38 miles off Plymonth	southwest good	Lorna	2nd	5:43:31
Aug. 1	38 miles off Plymonth	east, steady	Irex	3rd	4:16:31
Aug. 4	44 miles off Southampton	west-northwest light	Marguerite	2nd	6:13:10
Aug. 5	50 miles. Cowes Nab and Yarmonth	east-southeast, light	Marjorie	not placed	7:59:48
Aug. 6	50 miles Cowes around Nab	southeast, light	Larna	not placed	10:35:30
Aug. 7	50 miles Cowes, around Warner and Marks	light and variable	Marjorie	not placed	13:48:32
Aug. 9	46 miles off Southampton	northeast	Tara	not placed	Time
Aug. 10	45 miles off Cowes	moderate	Marjorie	not placed	7:06:58
Aug. 12	45 miles off Southsea	south-west, strong	Genesta	1st	5:21:14
Aug. 14	50 miles off Hyde	steady	Genesta sailed over the course without competition
Aug. 16	40 miles off Portsmouth	not indicated	Tara	not placed	not given
Aug. 18	60 miles off Portsmouth	southwest, good	Irex	not placed	5:36:01
Aug. 23	40 miles off Weymouth	north-west. moderate	Larna	not placed	7:32:12
Aug. 26	50 miles off Torbay	south to northwest fresh at intervals	Tara	not placed	6:06:02
Aug. 29	40 miles. Stool Bay	northwest light	Larna	not placed	4:53:10

1885
Genesta reached New York and dropped anchor off Tompkinsville, Staten Island,on July 16th, 1885, after making the fastest passage on record for a sailing yacht across the Atlantic. It had taken her just 22 days to make the run from Queenstown. Most of the time the weather was fair, the wind was favorable, and the little vessel bounded as merrily over the waves as though she were racing competitors in the English Channel. She ran 1.100 miles at one stretch in five days.

To everyone's surprise, the British started the secrecy that has since persisted throughout Cup history. As soon as the challenger reached the dry dock on September 2nd, 1885, for a final polishing of the hull, Beavor-Webb refused to let anyone see his yacht.

The Genesta's crew for the coming races consists of Capt. John Carter, formerly skipper of the English cutter Molna; Pilot Joe Nelson, Mate William Fosgate, and 16 men before the mast.

 

America's Cup races

Sailed on September 14 to 16, 1885 in New York
Best two out of three races.

Genesta the challengervs. Puritan the defender

Alternating Inside & Outside Course as in 1871, with the first leg to leeward and return leg to windward. Races: two sailed. Genesta was beaten by Puritan two wins to nil.

- September 14, 1st race, 32.6 miles, Inside Course: Puritan beat Genesta by 16 minutes 19 sec in corrected time.

- September 16, 2nd race, 32 miles, Outside Course: Puritan beat Genesta by 1 minute 38 sec in corrected time.

 

After the Cup races, Sir Richard Sutton sailed some regattas organised on the East coast, aboard Genesta. He won the Brenton Reef Cup and the Cape May Challenge Cup, and brought them back to England with him.

1887
Genesta won the first Round Britain Race that was held in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Jubilee. It covered the 1590-mile course in 12 days, 16 hours, 59 minutes, and appears to have led all the way.

1889
Registered in the Royal Yacht Squadron lists under Sir Richard Sutton, it was sold and converted as a yawl.

1900
Genesta did not sail as a yacht. It was broken up in 1900…

Famous old English cup defender at South Boston Yard

PLUS SERIEUSEMENT

THE LAST OF A FAMOUS "AMERICA" CUP CHALLENGER.

Of all the English yachts which have come over to compete for the America's Cup, there is probably none that has made such a good record for herself as the fine old English cutter Genesta; certainly, she came nearer winning the cup than any yacht that preceded her or came after. The American yachting enthusiast who was so fortunate as to be present at that famous race in 1885 of twenty miles to leeward and return, will not soon forget the anxiety with which he saw Sir Richard Sutton's yacht slipping down the wind to the outer mark with an ever-widening distance between her and the centerboard Puritan, nor the delight with which, when the boats hauled on the wind he saw the centerboard slowly, but steadily, out-weathering the cutter, and finally romping home the winner by the close but undeniable margin of 1 minute 38 seconds. In the light weather trial the shallow centerboard with her relatively large sail area proved to be a far faster boat than the Genesta. Although she failed to take home the cup, Genesta was successful in winning both the Brenton Reef and Cape May cups. The Genesta was a typical English deep-keel, outside-lead cutter of the so-called plank-on-edge type; though she was not so extreme in her relation of beam to draught as some cutters of her time, she was sent over here at a time when the keel versus centerboard controversy was at its height. In none of the races that have followed those of 1885 have the competing yachts of the two nations shown w strongly the distinguishing national characteristics as did Puritan and Genesta, the one being distinguished by narrow beam, deep draught, outside ballast, large displacement and relatively small sail plan; the other by great beam, shallow draught, and both inside and outside ballast, the outside ballast being the first step toward the cutter type, just as the English Thistle in adopting a beam of 20 feet showed the first tendency toward the characteristic beam of the American sloop. The Genesta was a composite built boat (elm planking on steel frames), and measured 96 feet on deck, 81 feet on the waterline, 15 feet beam, and 13 feet 6 inches draught. She had a displacement of 141 tons and a sail area of 7, 141 square feet. The Puritan was 93 feet on deck, 81 feet 1½ inches on the waterline, 22 feet 7 inches beam, 8 feet 10 inches draught, with a displacement of only 105½ tons and a sail area of 7,370 square feet. The accompanying illustration, for which we are indebted to The Yachtsman, shows the famous old cutter upon the beach in process of being broken up for old iron and junk, an inglorious end that overtakes all craft except a few favored warships like our own 'Hartford' or Nelson's old ship, the 'Victory.'

 

• GENESTA: DATA TABLE AND LINES