British America Universities Cup

By Michael Ford
"The Yachtsman" summer issue 1955

The complete loss of an Eight Metre on the rocks of Marblehead Harbour took only half an hour during hurricane 'Carol' and was an unforgettable incident of many that occured during the visit of an Oxford University Yacht Club team to America last year. The British summer does not inspire such awe but we hope that the visit of a team of American Undergraduates to this country this summer will be not without memorable incidents.




















Destruction of an Eight Metre
during hurricane 'Carol'

Photo: Ian Mills

The Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Association of North America has chosen a team of six to visit the British Isles during July and August of this year. The team will be the guests of the Oxford Club, eighteen matches with other Clubs and Universities have already been arranged for their six weeks stay, the climax of which will be racing for the recently awarded British America Universities Cup. Racing for this will take place at Seaview during the same week as the British America Six Metre Races. All the matches will be sailed under I.Y.R.A. Rules in the boats and the waters of the various host Clubs. As there are 92 Colleges and Universities from which the team could have been chosen, they should be able to give most of their opponents a stiff fight, especially in light airs when, as Oxford found in America, they have the ability to sail very fast indeed.
Four of the team come from the Atlantic coast, the other two from California. The Captain is Alain de Berc of M.I.T.
The team has chosen a good year to visit as the yachting world will be at its busiest with Olympic trials, International Six Metre racing, and the Fastnet, in addition to the ever increasing number of regattas and championships.

An exchange of University teams every year is not practical but we are pleased the Americans could come on a return visit this year and hope that their visit will be an enjoyable as was Oxford's in 1954.