The ''Gracie'' was a 19th-century racing sloop

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 ...

built in 1868 by James E. Smith shipyard at

Nyack, New York Nyack () is a village located primarily in the town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, United States. Incorporated in 1872, it retains a very small western section in Clarkstown. It is a suburb of New York City lying approximately no ...

. She raced the America's Cup defender ''Mischief'' in the trails off

Sandy Hook Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern ...

in 1881. ''Gracie'' raced at 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. ...

Atlantic Yacht Club The Atlantic Yacht Club is a family-oriented yacht club located on the shores of Gravesend Bay in south Brooklyn. A storied member of the New York sailing community, the club is perhaps best known for its contributions to New York sailing in the la ...

and other eastern yacht clubs. After a 42-year career in racing, she was sold in 1909 and converted to a freight boat sailing from Milton Point, off Long Island to New York.

Construction and service

The yacht ''Gracie'' was launched in July 1868, modeled and built at James E. Smith shipyard at

, by builder A. G. Polhemus, from a model by Abraham A. Schank, for Commodore William Voorhis. Her building was supervised by Voorhis. The yacht was 58.6 feet long, 18.9 breadth, 6.6 depth, 5.6 draft and 40-tons. On September 25, 1868, ''Gracie'' raced for the

with William Voorhis in command. She won in the first class sloop class. She raced at the

(1872-1874, 1880, 1882); Sea Cliff Boating Club (1875); Queens Country Club (1876); and the

(1868, 1881). Sappho Leads Gracie and Dauntless 1871 Cape May Race by James E

On July 5, 1871, ''Sappho'' won the citizens prize for schooners in the 1871

Cape May Cape May consists of a peninsula and barrier island system in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is roughly coterminous with Cape May County and runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. The so ...

race. The ''Gracie'' won the citizens prize for sloops. The ''Columbia'' and ''Dauntless'' were also in the race. On July 18, 1876, yacht ''Gracie'', from the N.Y.Y.C, with Mr. Halsey, was towed from the Herald telegraph station to New York. On October 23, 1878, yacht ''Gracie'' raced in a match with the sloop yacht ''Vision'' starting at the Sandy Hook Light and sailing twenty miles and back to the lightship. The ''Gracie'' won a $250 silver Cup. In 1878, she was rebuilt by David Carll at City Island. Her dimensions were increased to 69 feet long, 21.6 breadth, 6.8 depth and 6.6 draft. In 1880, yacht ''Gracie'' was sold to

Charles Ranlett Flint Charles Ranlett Flint (January 24, 1850 – February 26, 1934) was the founder of the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company which later became IBM. For his financial dealings, he earned the moniker "Father of Trusts". He was an avid sportsman ...

and Joseph P. Earle from the New York Yacht Club. Flint was an avid sportsman and

sman. He was a member of the syndicate that built the yacht ''Vigilant,'' that was the U.S. defender of the eight America's Cup.

Trial races for the America's Cup

''Gracie'' raced the America's Cup defender ''Mischief'' in trails off

in early 1881. On August 5, 1881, ''Gracie'' beat the ''Mischief'' for the ''Spirit of the Times Cup'' in

New Bedford New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...

regatta of New York and Eastern Clubs for two $500 cups. The ''Gracie'' claimed to have won the race. On October 20, 1881, the ''Gracie'' won in a trial yacht race between the yachts ''Mischief'' and ''Pocahontas''. The expectation was that the ''Gracie'' would be selected to sail against the ''Atlanta'' for the America's Cup. On November 11, 1881, the ''Gracie'' was the principal competitor of the ''Mischief'' for the honor of defending the America's Cup. The ''Mischief'' was selected over the ''Gracie,'' who came in second, but some felt that the ''Gracie'' should have been selected on account of her sailing qualities as an American yacht. The selection of the ''Mischief'' over the ''Gracie'' was criticized because her owner was an Englishman, and not a naturalized citizen of the United States, and the ''Gracie'' was believed to be the better boat. The owners were Joseph Pitnam Earle and Charles R. Flint. After the ''Mischief'' was selected, the Gracie sailed a leeward race on the first day against the challenger and defender, the Canadian yacht ''Atlanta,'' and the Gracie won. In October 1883, there were two races. The first was the Goelet Cup regatta, sponsored by

Ogden Goelet Ogden Goelet (June 11, 1851 New York City – August 27, 1897 Cowes, Isle of Wight) was an American heir, businessman and yachtsman from New York City during the Gilded Age. With his wife, he built Ochre Court in Newport, Rhode Island, his so ...

, for the New York Yacht Club at

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...

on August 6, 1883. The course was from

Brenton Reef Light The Brenton Reef Light was a Texas tower lighthouse at the entrance to Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, United States, south of Beavertail Point. Erected to replace a lightship in 1962, it was decommissioned in 1989 due to its deteriorating conditi ...

ship around Sow & Pigs Lightship (now

Vineyard Sound Vineyard Sound is the stretch of the Atlantic Ocean which separates the Elizabeth Islands and the southwestern part of Cape Cod from the island of Martha's Vineyard, located offshore from the state of Massachusetts in the United States. To the w ...

) and return home. The ''Montauk,'' owned by Samuel R. Platt, won the $1,000 cup for schooners and the ''Gracie,'' owned by Flint & Earles, won the Goelet prize for sloops. The second race was on October 11, 1883, between the sloop yacht ''Gracie'' and ''Fanny'', of New York. They started from Sandy Hook. The ''Gracie'' came in second On April 20, 1884, Joseph P. Earle purchased the ''Gracie'' from shares that Charles R. Flint owned. He was in the process of fitting out the yacht for commission in the upcoming May races. On August 23, 1885, the trial race between the ''Priscilla'', ''Puritan'', ''Gracie'', and '' Genesta''. The ''Gracie'' came in third place. The Puritan was selected to sail in the America's Cup against the ''Genesta''. On May 23, 1886, Earle's sloop yacht ''Gracie'' from the New York Yacht Club, had repairs done at the Henry Piepgras' shipyard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She raced in 1887, against the ''Dauntless'', ''Montauk'', and ''Fanny''. On April 12, 1889, the sloop ''Gracie'' was fitted out at City Island. March 24, 1895, the yacht ''Gracie'', and Joseph P. Earle of the N.Y.Y.C, were at Nyack, New York, was given a new rig for a commission to sail at the upcoming regattas. Sails were provided by ''Sawyer & Son''.

End of service

After a 42-year career in racing, she was sold in 1909 and converted to a freight boat sailing from Milton Point, off Long Island to New York.

External links

America-Scoop website

Mariners Museum website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gracie Individual sailing vessels 1868 ships Ships built in Nyack, New York Yachts of New York Yacht Club members 1881 in sports