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1881 : CHALLENGE N°4

Second Canadian challenge and easy victory of the sloop Mischief, the first iron boat in the Cup.

Reach for the Start: MISCHIEF, 1881 - by Russ Kramer"Mischief... magnificently handled, easily outdistanced the Atalanta, a new yacht, hastily built... and bungled around the course by an alleged crew, who would have been overmatched in trying to handle a canal boat anchored in the fog".

This was the description of a Spirit of the Times journalist in his article about the 1881 challenge.

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Category: 1881 : CHALLENGE N°4

Gracie rounding Sandy Hook in the New York Yacht Club RegattaFour Sloops for one defender

The preparations for the contest involved a departure which marked the birth of the custom of building boats specially to defend the cup, though, as events transpired, the defence that year was made by a boat not built for the purpose.

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Category: 1881 : CHALLENGE N°4

04868VAN EVENTFUL YACHT-RACE.

TWO OF THE BOATS SAIL OVER THE COURSE IN A DISABLED CONDITION.

Copyright © The New York Times - Published: October 14, 1881 : The first of three test races between the first class sloops of the New-York Yacht Club, the object of which is to determine the fastest, so that she may be matched against the new Canadian sloop Atalanta,...

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Category: 1881 : CHALLENGE N°4

06497STHE GRACIE WINS A RACE.

A CLOSE CONTEST BETWEEN YACHTS OF THE NEW-YORK CLUB.

Copyright © The New York Times - Published: October 20, 1881 : The second of the series of three races between first class sloops of the New-York Yacht Club took place yesterday, having been postponed from Friday of last week in consequence of the accidents to the Gracie and Pocahontas in the race of last Thursday.

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Category: 1881 : CHALLENGE N°4

05676VTHE MISCHIEF THE WINNER.

YACHTING IN HEAVY SEAS — THE GRACIE DEFEATED ON TIME ALLOWANCE.

Copyright © The New York Times - Published: October 21, 1881 : Yachting 20 miles to the windward in a heavy sea is fine sport for yachtsmen who are not fond of smooth water, but it is not very easy work. The race yesterday was the last of the series sailed by first class sloops of the New-York Yacht Club, and the course was laid 20 miles to the windward of the point of Sandy Hook.

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Category: 1881 : CHALLENGE N°4

Mischief, American Cutter Yacht by Robert F. PatersonThe first race

The first race was to have been sailed on November 8th, but light wind made a postponement necessary. Both Gracie and Mischief were on hand, a claim of the right to defend the cup being made for each. The committee made its choice of Mischief that day.

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Category: 1881 : CHALLENGE N°4

03586VTHE ATALANTA BADLY BEATEN.

The first race of the America's cup resulted in a decisive defeat of the Atalanta. Both the Gracie and the Mischief beat her badly, the former 31m 17¼s, time allowance (7:41) deducted, and the latter 23m 30¼s. In fact, before one-quarter of the course has been sailed over the Atalanta was a hopelessly...

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Category: 1881 : CHALLENGE N°4

00486VSECOND AND FINAL VICTORY

THE MISCHIEF BEATS THE YACHT ATALANTA BY AT LEAST FIVE MILES.

A bright day and a brisk wind cheered the hearts of yachtsmen yesterday morning and gave promise of a fine day’s sport.

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Category: 1881 : CHALLENGE N°4

Not a lot of inspiration

Very few paintings of this fourth challenge, the lack of suspense in the competition and the outside appearance of Atalanta were painters and spectators away.

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Category: 1881 : CHALLENGE N°4