Livonia was the second, unsuccessful, challenger attempting to lift the America's Cup from the New York Yacht Club.

Having unsuccessfully challenged for the America's Cup in Cambria in 1868, James Lloyd Ashbury again commissioned Michael Ratsey of Cowes to build a new yacht.

Sappho was chosen to replace the Columbia to continue the challenge and subsequently won the next two races and thus defended the cup for the New York Club.

He returned to the United Kingdom without the trophy accusing the New York Yacht Club of engaging in "unfair and unsportsmanlike proceedings".

[2] In July 1872, Livonia ran aground at Havre de Grâce, Seine-Inférieure, France.