America (yacht)

The yacht America
History
United States
Owner
OperatorRichard "Dick" Brown
BuilderWilliam H. Brown
Cost$30,000
Laid downNovember 1850
LaunchedMay 3, 1851
ChristenedAmerica
RenamedCamilla (1856), America (1862)
Honors &
awards
R.Y.S. £100 Cup, 1851
FateScrapped, 1945
Confederate States of America
RenamedMemphis (1860)
FateScuttled (Jacksonville, 1862)
General characteristics
Class & typeGaff schooner
Tonnage100; 208 Thames Measurement
Length
  • LOA 101 ft 3 in (30.86 m)
  • LWL 89 ft 10 in (27.38 m)
Beam22 ft 10 in (6.96 m)
Depth10 ft 11 in (3.33 m)
PropulsionSail
Sail plan5,296 sq ft (492.0 m2) Upwind sail area
ArmamentTwo 24-pounder & one 12-pounder
NotesHull material: Wood (white oak, locust, cedar, and chestnut)

America was a 19th-century racing yacht and first winner of the America's Cup international sailing trophy.

On August 22, 1851, America won the Royal Yacht Squadron's 53-mile (85 km) regatta around the Isle of Wight by 18 minutes. The Squadron's "One Hundred Sovereign Cup" or "£100 Cup", sometimes mistakenly known in America as the "One Hundred Guinea Cup", was later renamed after the original winning yacht.