The Sept. 16, 1885 match-up of the American Sloop PURITAN of the Eastern Yacht Club of Boston against the Royal Yacht Squadron challenger, the Cutter GENESTA was an epic race for the America’s Cup. Over the approximately 40-mile course off the Sandy Hook Lightship, PURITAN won the bout with a 38 second corrected time, in the closest race to date. GENESTA had won the first bout of the match after her mainsail was punctured by Puritan’s lengthy bowsprit, but her owner, Sir Richard Sutton, wouldn’t accept such a non-sporting victory.

This lithographic print by the Boston Company of L. Prang was produced from the original painting by William F. Halsall of the match between the racing yachts designed by two of the era’s foremost nautical architects: Edward Burgess and J. Beavor Webb. The Boston syndicate lead by General Charles Paine successfully defendsed the challenge for the Cup.