A historical study of the America's Cup Race in the 19th century
　　　　　　—The transition of the yacht race as a spectator sport —

　　　　　　　　　　Eiji OZAWA (Sugiyama Jyogakuen University)

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Abstract

　Attracting the attention of the public, the America's Cup Race is held as one of the most honorable
yacht race today. A yacht race itself tends to be thought as a participate sport. The America's Cup
Race, however, has been different from the others, because it has had a caracter of spectator sports
since early times. The purpose of this study is to clarify the process of the transition of the yacht
race as a spectator sport.
　On the America's Cup Race international and political prestige began to be conferred in 1880's as
social circumstances of nationalism was raising. While commercialism obviously came to adopt to
the race through journalism. Various topics about it by newspaper propaganda extended its audience
in many classes. In these respects it became impossible to say this sport is only for the people
concerned and this fact often invites critisism.
　The America's Cup Race, which was born as a spectator sport in the attention of the public in 1870,
was affected by nationalism and commercialism especially in the end of the 19th century. On the
other hand it also had to suffer from a lot of problems. In this way the America's Cup Race had been
changed into a modern spectator sport.