The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-10-18
TROPHY
WILL BE DEFENDED
HERE NEXT FALL

chance for the home club to land the
series was to win first. second and
third places. or at least. first second
and fourth places in the final contest.
The ilnpossibility. or high improoa-
bility OF such an evenluality. was full
ly realized, because of the apparent
invincibleness of Pensacola's crack
skipper. William Walthers had won
the two first races with such apparent
ease and by such broad margins,
proving himself a veritable wizard at
windward work, entirely and easily
outpointing and outfooting Capt. Ed
ward H. Keep, that even the wise
ones were agreed that it was vir-
tually foregone conclusion that he
would take first place also in the final
race, and without that place the
local team could not hope to win In
the initial race Saturday Captain
Walthers led his nearest adversary,
OBTAIN Keep, across the finish line
by 02:22, in the second race. sailed this
forenoon, he led d. NJ Witherell by
01:17. and Captain Keep by O6:07,
and in the final race. sailed this after
noon, led Capt Leslie P. Beard, his
nearest competitor by 01:45. leading
Captain Keep by 03:53.
When the series was finished Cap
tain Beard as captain of the South
ern zach club, filed a written protest
against Captain Waithers. the Pen
sacola crack, on the ground that he
had learned that Walthers is a pro-
fessional, having sailed boats for pay
which Captain Beard contended, Is
declared by the rules governing the
contests for the Upton trophy, to
1rea csssf E1v- III
amateurs. After three hours of hear
ing argument and discussing the mat
ter. the Upton trophy board of APP
peals, composed of John Yeend of the
Mobile Yacht club. Wallace Lamar of
the Pensacola Yacht club, and Chan
dler c. Gutenberg of the Southern
Yacht club, decided that the protest
was not well founded. and so threw
1t out, maintaining Walthers as an
amateur and winner Of the three
races.
After the secod race in the fore
noon the Upton trophy race commit
tee disqualified Captain Keep for
having fouled PETER Altink by col
liding with his sioop near the east
stake on the second round. On pre-
sentation of protest, and after
hearing the evidence, the committee
also disqualified Altink for having
fouled Walthers at the home stake at
the start of the race. These two dis
qualifications deprived the Southern
Yacht club of three points and the
Pensacola Yacht club of one point.
AT the start of the second race in
the forenoon Captain Keep made a
woefully sorry start, crossing back
Of the stake only a second or two be-
fore the signal was fired and having
to turn back and make the proper
start. getting over in fifth place,
when he could, had he been in readi-
ness and in the proper position. have
started first or second.
In the forenoon race, the second
contest, when he was leading Wither-
ell by a fair margin, Capt. Leslie p.
Beard suddenly astonished the yachts
men and spectators by splitting tacks
with Witherell, with on apparent
reason for doing so. The move was
so obviously suicidal, in point of
good sailing tactics, that the yachts
men were at a loss to understand It,
particularly since they were on the
final round. and Beard appeared to
be safely assured Of second place. It
was afterwards explained that Captain
Beard had found that, for some in
applicable reason, his craft suddenly
failed to resopnd to his endeavors to
have her either point high enough or
foot fast enough. and + noting that
Witherell was gaining on him he de-
cided to split tacks, though just what
he expected to gain by such a move
was not explained. AS a result, in