August 8, 1870 – The very first America’s Cup boating race where the New York Yacht Club’s first defense of America’s Cup as the ‘Magic’ of the NYYC outsailed the ‘Cambria’ from the Royal Thames Yacht Club of England, who took a disappointing 8th place in the event.
The website SailingScuttleButt.com says that this race opened up the window of popularity for the event as it, “made a great impression on both the competitors and the horde of spectators. From that point on, a match for the Cup has taken place on average every 4.3 years.”
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