Yacht America wins the first America's Cup race

Origin of the Trophy. The trophy was originally known as the 'R.Y.S. £100 Cup', awarded in 1851 by the British Royal Yacht Squadron for a race around the Isle of Wight. Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, bought the cup and donated it for the Royal Yacht Squadron's 1851 Annual Regatta. The America's Cup is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport.

The 1851 Race. The race was held on 22 August 1851 around the Isle of Wight off Southampton and Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. It was a fleet race between the New York Yacht Club's America and 15 yachts of the Royal Yacht Squadron. The winning yacht was a schooner called America, owned by a syndicate of members from the New York Yacht Club.

Renaming and Deed of Gift. In 1857, the syndicate permanently donated the trophy to the New York Yacht Club under a Deed of Gift. This document renamed the trophy as the 'America's Cup' after the first winner and required it be made available for perpetual international competition. The trophy is now affectionately called the 'Auld Mug' by the sailing community.