Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-17
Marine picture
VIEWED FROM AIR
Stage for International Yacht
Race, Notable Spectacle, to
Be Seen From seapIane
LIGHTSHIP LIKE A TOY
From a seap,sne Over Yacht Racing

From Q SeapIane Over Yacht Racing
Course, July 17.-(By A. P.)-New
York's outer harbor put on It's best hol-
iday suit Of sunshine and favorable
weather early today and waited for the
signal which was to start the second
event of the classic contest for inter-
national yachting supremacy between
the British challenger Shamrock w
and Resolute, the Americas Cup de-
fender.
Across the vast stage, already set with
sharply drawn lines dividing land and
sky and sea. ofhcious little craft lodged
streamers and flags afloat, making ready
to assist or watch the spectacle.
Ambrose channel light vessel a mere
miniature In the scene, although cast as
a principal In the play, rose In the CEN
ter Of the great fan shaped stnge.
To the north in the front tier lay
Coney Island and Rockaway Beach. Re-
yond, Long Island stretched its tenuous
fingers into the Atlantic. Westward
the highland coast Of New Jersey was
already being dotted with trains, motor
cars and groups of spectators, early
comers who sought the choicest points
of vantage overlooking the wide marine
amphitheatre.
In the, distance. veering on tiptoc from
It's standing room in the apex of the
triangle, heads disappearing in the
smoky, overhanging mist. loomed the
New York city.
Before 10 o'clock vessels of every
sort - supers - began to congregate,
keeping a respectful distance from the
liRht vessels out of Difference to a dusky
chorus Of destroyers doing duty as traf :.
fic police. The majority Of these sight :
seers, brilliant with new white paint,
were private or club yachts and steamed
with a show Of ostentation from the
mouth of the Hudson.
From the decks of one the suns
rays flashed on the instrument of brass
band. Others with pennants afutter,
sailed in from the direction of the Con :
necticut shore.
to watch the bright parade, a liner
the flag Of Great Britain, loafed acros,
the harbor waiting for a view of the
racers which had not yet appeared.
series Of rapid white puffs from along
side her funnel told the aerial observers
she was footing a greeting to her luckiel
sisters not enslaved by the laws Of com
merce.
From the aerial perch the Associatet
Press observed the two rival yachts
could be seen lying at anchor in tn,
sheltered horseshoe behind Sandy Hook
Separated only by couple of hun.
dred yards blue water they tugged OF
their moorings under the impetus of (
light breeze.
At 10 o'clock Resolute had hoistet
her mainsail and jib while a pair o
saiormen were busy with the topsai
aloft. Shamrock displayed her ful
spread of dangling canvas, including
staysail and with her club topsail tow
ering above the Shamrock's pennant a
her masthead.
Two hours before the race began tn
committee boat, carrying race officials
and school of tugs and destroyers ar
rived at the basin to escort the con
testants to the starting point.
The spectators gathered for the sec
ond race included many more smal
craft than braved the squalls of rain an,
electrical storms on Thursday. A scor
Of sailing yachts emerged from the Hud
son for the East river and stood off an,
on In the neighborhood of Ambros
light. Between the starting point an,
the Long Island shore hundred launch
es and other small vessels formed
great semicircle and waited for til
sport to begin.