The ''Magic'' was a racing

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 ...

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 ...

, of the New York Yacht Club. She was the first American defender during the

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 ...

hosted in New York against the 1st British challenger ''Cambria,'' representing the Royal Thames Yacht Club of

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. The ''Magic,'' had 19 owners. Her last owner modified her into a

pilot boat A pilot boat is a type of boat used to transport maritime pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting. Pilot boats were once sailing boats that had to be fast because the first pilot to reach the incoming ship ...

Key West Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it cons ...

. In 1922, during a hurricane, she was wrecked on the beach in Key West.

Design

The ''Magic,'' was built by T. Byerly & Son of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

in 1857, for Captain Richard Fanning Loper, as a

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

. Loper did the original model and design for his boat. She was christened the ''Madgie.'' She was rebuilt several times, In 1859, Loper modified the ''Madgie'' from a sloop to a schooner and renamed her ''Magic''. In 1860, Loper modified Magic by lengthening her bow. He then sold the ''Magic'' in 1864, to William H. McVickar of the New York Yacht Club. Yachtsman

George L. Lorillard George Lyndes Lorillard (March 26, 1843 – February 3, 1886) was an American tobacco manufacturer, yachtsman, and a prominent Thoroughbred racehorse owner. Early life He was born in Westchester, New York, the son of Pierre Lorillard III (1796-1 ...

bought the ''Magic,'' late in 1866 and sold her to H. W. Gray. In 1869, he sold her to

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 ...

. In 1869, the ''Magic,'' was taken to City Island where she was completely rebuilt by the shipbuilder

David Carll David Carll (October 9, 1830 –December 27, 1888) was a 19th-century American shipbuilder. He was well known for building fast and seaworthy yachts and schooners. He specialized in shallow draft Centreboard schooners. The David Carll's sh ...

. Carll lengthened and widened the ''Magic,'' with increased draft; and converted her into a

centerboard A centreboard or centerboard (US) is a retractable hull appendage which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a ''centreboard trunk'' (UK) or ''centerboard case'' (US). The retractability allows the centreboard to be raised t ...

schooner yacht for Franklin Osgood.

Operational history

The schooner ''Magic'' represented the New York Yacht Club and was the smallest sailboat in the international

competition. The first official challenge took place on August 8, 1870 in

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 ...

and was won by Franklin Osgood's American yacht ''Magic''. She beat 17 competitors, including the English yacht ''Cambria'' and the yachts ''Dauntless,'' ''Idler,'' ''Fleetwing,'' ''Phantom,'' ''America'' and others. Andrew J. Comstock was captain of the Magic and had a stateroom in the forward section of the boat. On October 11, 1870, the ''Magic'' was sold by Franklin Osgood to Lester Wallack, for $16,500. Osgood bought her back but sold her to Rufus Hatch in 1873. In 1874, she was purchased by William T. Garner, who kept her until 1876, when Osgood bought her back for a third time. In 1879, she was bought by Francis M. Weld of Boston, who sold her to Thurston N. McKay after owning for only two years. McKay kept her for three years and then she went back to the Weld family in 1885. She was later bought by Augustus W. Mott who kept her for ten years, when John S. Clarke & Bros., of Pittsburg bought her in 1898. He in tern sold her to a

group that modified her as a

. On February 1, 1908, the Magic sank when she was racing into port and was capsized at Key West. Her owner was John Lowe Jr. The ''Magic'' had 19 owners, including the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, which used her as a supply craft during the 1898

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

End of service

On May 3, 1922, the schooner ''Magic,'' went ashore on the beach in the bay at Key West when she received damage during a hurricane. Her owner, John Lowe Jr., had the boat moved offshore and destroyed with explosives.

References

External links

City Island Nautical Museum

THE STORY OF MAGIC
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magic (yacht) 1857 ships Ships built in New York City America's Cup challengers Yachts of New York Yacht Club members Individual sailing vessels 1870 in American sports 1870 in sailing America's Cup regattas