Genesta (yacht)

"Genesta" was the unsuccessful English challenger in the fifth America's Cup in 1885 against the American defender "Puritan".

Design

The cutter "Genesta" was designed by John Beavor-Webb and built by D. & H. Henderson & Company of Glasgow, Scotland in 1884, for owner Sir Richard Sutton of the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. It was built of oak planking on a steel frame. "Genesta" was skippered by John Carter.

Career

After a strong showing in the British yacht races in 1884, Sutton crossed the Atlantic Ocean to New York during the summer 1885 aboard "Genesta". Upon arrival, designer Beavor-Webb refused to let anyone see his yacht before the America's Cup race, beginning the tradition of secrecy that has persisted to this day.

After the Cup races, Sutton and "Genesta" won the Brenton Reef Cup, the Cape May Challenge Cup, and, upon returning to Britain, the first Round Britain Race in 1887, covering the 1590-mile course in 12 days, 16 hours, and 59 minutes. It was sold and converted to a yawl by the 1890s, and was finally broken up in 1900.

pecifications

* Overall length: 29.45 m
* Length at water line: 24.7 m
* Beam (width): 4.57 m
* Draft: 4.09 m
* Displacement: 141 tons

References and External links

* [http://www.americascup.com/en/acclopaedia/circlinggalaxy/bateau.php?idContent=4693 America's Cup's Ac-clopaedia]
* [http://www.jsjohnston.org The 19th-Century Yacht Photography of J.S. Johnston]