Cup History: Monkeying around in New York cup series

Back in 1886

"Only Peggy the monkey seemed to know what to do and leapt along Galatea's lengthy bowsprit determined to lower the sails." - from The Story of the America's Cup.


A sailing monkey named Peggy was the star of the 1886 British challenge for the Auld Mug.

Peggy lived and worked aboard Galatea, an English cutter more a floating zoo and mansion than a racing yacht.

Her owners, Irish-born Lieutenant William Henn and his wife, came to New York for more of a cruise than a cup contest.

The boat may have been a sister ship to the nippy 1885 challenger Genesta, but below decks she was like a museum of Victoriana - with exquisite furniture, lace curtains and leopard-skin rugs. The Henns brought several dogs, a lemur and Peggy on the transatlantic voyage.

Peggy became famous for her sailing exploits. During the cup racing, she would pull on the halyard, and jump up and down on the bowsprit when racing began.

She died before the boat returned to England and was given a full sailor's funeral.

Two weather pigeons even found a home on the boat, diverting from their true business during the cup racing to perch on the rigging of Galatea.

The Henns became socialites in New York city, which did not impress the old salts at the New York Yacht Club, who thought the America's Cup serious business. The Henns' new friends would bring them gifts, like pot plants, which only weighed the boat down more.

Lieutenant Henn was an ex-Royal Navy man, who had been 2IC in the African mission to find Dr Livingstone.

The Americans were taking things seriously, though. Edward Burgess was asked to build an improved version of the last successful defender, Puritan, and came up with the Mayflower.

The wooden cutter won the four-boat trials and went on to beat Galatea comfortably in two races.