The ''Fleetwing'' was a 19th-century wooden

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

, built in 1865 by Joseph D. Van Deusen and owned by yachtsman George Archer Osgood. She was one of the fastest yachts in the squadron. The ''Fleetwing'' was in the famous 1886 transatlantic ocean race for the

New York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...

. She came in 12th in an unsuccessful

America’s Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one fr ...

defense in 1870.

Construction and service

The ''Fleetwing'' was built in 1865 by Joseph D. Van Deusen and owned by yachtsman George Archer Osgood brother of

Franklin Osgood Franklin Osgood (December 24, 1828January 13, 1888) was a 19th-century businessman and yachtsman. He was one of the most experienced yachtsman having sailed for more than 23 years. He was owner and manager of the racing yachts Widgeon (pilot boa ...

. George was a son-in-law of Commodore

Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into lead ...

. She was 112 tons burden, keel boat, and 106 length on deck; 24-foot beam and 10-feet depth of hold. In September 1865, the ''Fleetwing'' was in a race with James G. Bennett's yacht ''Henrietta''. The course was from Sandy Hook around Cape May Lightship and back. The ''Fleetwing'' won by 1 hour and 19 minutes. In October 1865, ''Fleetwing'' was defeated by the ''Vesta'' over the same course. In May 1866, ''Fleetwing'' underwent a complete overhaul to get ready for an ocean yacht race for a purse of $90,000. She got a new set of sails to prepare for the upcoming ocean regatta. She was one of the fastest yachts in the squadron.

The great ocean yacht race

On Tuesday, December 11, 1866, in what was billed as the "Great Ocean Yacht Race", three wealthy American men, all members of the New York Yacht Club, took their yachts on a mid-winter transatlantic race across the Atlantic. The three yachts were the ''Vesta'' owned by Pierre Lorillard, Jr., the ''Fleetwing'' owned by George Osgood and the ''Henrietta'' owned and sailed by the 21-year-old yachtsman James Gordon Bennett Jr. Each yachtsman put up $30,000 in the winner-take-all wager. They started from the

Sandy Hook Light __NOTOC__ The Sandy Hook Lighthouse, located about one and a half statute miles (2.4 km) inland from the tip of Sandy Hook, New Jersey, is the oldest working lighthouse in the United States. It was designed and built on June 11, 1764 by Isa ...

, during high westerly winds and raced to

The Needles The Needles is a row of three stacks of chalk that rise about out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight in the English Channel, United Kingdom, close to Alum Bay and Scratchell's Bay, and part of Totland, the westernmo ...

, the furthest westerly point of the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

in the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

, before reaching the seaport

Cowes Cowes () is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked by the Cowes Floa ...

on the Isle of Wight. On December 26th, Bennett's ''Henrietta'' won with a time of 13 days, 21 hours, 55 minutes, with Captain Samuel S. Samuels as the skipper. The ''Fleetwing'' came in second and ''Vesta'' came in third, both boats took over 14 days to reach Cowes. The Fleetwing, with Captain Thomas in command, had eight of her twenty-two crew washed overboard in a westerly gale on December 20th. Six of them drowned.

1870 America's cup

On August 8, 1870, the international

1870 America's Cup The 1870 America's Cup was the first America's Cup to be hosted in the United States, and the first "America's Cup" due to the trophy being renamed from the 100 Guineas Cup of 1851. It was the first competition after the founding of the "America ...

(also called the Queen's Cup) was the first America's Cup to be hosted in the United States at

New York Harbor New York Harbor is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York Bay near the East River tidal estuary, and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the United States. It is one of the largest natural harbors in t ...

. George A. Osgood with his American schooner ''Fleetwing'' and his brother

's with his yacht ''Magic,'' were in the competition. The course started from the

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

N.Y.Y.C anchorage down through the

Narrows A narrows or narrow (used interchangeably but usually in the plural form), is a restricted land or water passage. Most commonly a narrows is a strait, though it can also be a water gap. A narrows may form where a stream passes through a tilted ...

to the S.W. Split

buoy A buoy () is a floating device that can have many purposes. It can be anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift with ocean currents. Types Navigational buoys * Race course marker buoys are used for buoy racing, the most prevalent form of yac ...

, across to the Sandy Hook lightship and return to Staten Island. The race was won by the Franklin Osgood's ''Magic'' with the ''Fleetwing'' finishing in 12th place. Franklin Osgood's yacht ''Magic'' beat 16 competitors from the

, including

James Lloyd Ashbury James Lloyd Ashbury (1834 – 3 September 1895) was a British yachtsman and Conservative Party politician. Early life The son of John Ashbury, founder of the Ashbury Railway Carriage and Iron Company Ltd of Manchester, James trained as an engine ...

's English yacht ''Cambria'' that sailed to New York on behalf of the

Royal Thames Yacht Club The Royal Thames Yacht Club (RTYC) is the oldest continuously operating yacht club in the world, and the oldest yacht club in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are located at 60 Knightsbridge, London, England, overlooking Hyde Park. The club ...

and the yachts ''Dauntless,'' ''Idler,'' ''Fleetwing,'' ''Phantom,'' ''America'' and others. In 1884, The schooner yacht ''Fleetwing'' was owned by Robert Elliot, who rebuilt and lengthened her at

Port Jefferson, New York Port Jefferson (informally known as "Port Jeff") is an incorporated village in the town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island. Officially known as the Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson, the population ...

. She was lengthened to 117 feet long. In 1903, the ''Fleetwing'' was owned by E. O. Mapes, of

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

who sailed her to the West Indies. They left the yacht at

Cienfuegos Cienfuegos (), capital of Cienfuegos Province, is a city on the southern coast of Cuba. It is located about from Havana and has a population of 150,000. Since the late 1960s, Cienfuegos has become one of Cuba's main industrial centers, especial ...

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

End of service

In 1905, the ''Fleetwing'' adventures ended when she was laid up in Erie Basin in Brooklyn. She was then bought by the

American Baptist Home Mission Society The American Baptist Home Mission Society is a Christian missionary society. Its main predecessor the Home Mission Society was established in New York City in 1832 to operate in the American frontier, with the stated mission "to preach the Gos ...

and fitted as a gospel ship for religious work among the sailors.

References

External links

America's Cup

THE RACE OF THE FIRST CHALLENGE
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fleetwing Schooners of the United States Individual sailing vessels Ships built in New York City Yachts of New York Yacht Club members 1865 ships America's Cup challengers America's Cup regattas 1870 in American sports 1870 in sailing