Genesta was the unsuccessful English challenger in the fifth America's Cup

America's Cup

The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...

 in 1885 against the American defender Puritan

Puritan (yacht)

Puritan was the 1885 America's Cup defender.-Design:She was built at the George Lawley & Son yard in Boston, Massachusetts and launched May 26, 1885....

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Design

The cutter Genesta was designed by John Beavor-Webb

John Beavor-Webb

John Beavor-Webb was an Irish naval architect. He was a designer of sailing yachts, notably the America's Cup challengers Genesta and Galatea , before emigrating to the United States where he designed steamyachts of very large size like J.P. Morgan's Corsair II and Corsair III .-References:...

 and built by the D&W Henderson shipyard on the River Clyde

River Clyde

The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....

 in 1884, for owner Sir Richard Sutton of the Royal Yacht Squadron

Royal Yacht Squadron

The Royal Yacht Squadron is the most prestigious yacht club in the United Kingdom and arguably the world. Its clubhouse is located in Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom...

, Cowes

Cowes

Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...

, Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...

, England. It was built of oak planking on a steel frame. Genesta was skippered by John Carter.

Career

After a strong showing in the British yacht races in 1884, Sutton crossed the Atlantic Ocean to New York during the summer 1885 aboard Genesta. Upon arrival, designer Beavor-Webb refused to let anyone see his yacht before the America's Cup race, beginning the tradition of secrecy that has persisted to this day.

After the Cup races, Sutton and Genesta won the Brenton Reef Cup, the Cape May Challenge Cup, and, upon returning to Britain, the first Round Britain Race in 1887, covering the 1590-mile course in 12 days, 16 hours, and 59 minutes. It was sold and converted to a yawl by the 1890s, and was finally broken up in 1900.