Sir “T”

‘Tis not polite for us to say,

     Tho’ truthful it my be,

The only cup he e’er can lift

     Will be a cup of T.

Camb. Press

Sept. 16, 1903

(Scotsman Sir Thomas) Lipton persisted in a third (America’s Cup) challenge in 1903. With the aim to fend off Lipton's challenges indefinitely, the NYYC garnered a huge budget for a single cup contender, whose design would be commissioned to Herreshoff again. Improving on the Independence and his previous designs, the new defender Reliance remains the largest race sloop ever built. She featured a ballasted rudder, dual-speed winches below decks, and a cork-decked aluminium topside that hid running rigging. The design focus on balance was exemplary, but the extreme yacht also required the skills of an excellent skipper, which defaulted choice options to Charlie Barr. Facing the equally bold challenger Shamrock III, Barr led the Reliance to victory in just three races.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Cup#1889.E2.80.931903_The_Seawanhaka_Rule

Reliance crossing the finish line

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Reliance_Crossing_Finish_Line.jpg/1200px-Reliance_Crossing_Finish_Line.jpg