The New York herald., 1921-10-14
THE ELSIE DEFEATS
RIVAL SCHOONERS
Marty Welch's Craft Earns
Right to Defend Interna-
tional Fishermcn's Trophy.
HAS II MINUTES LEAD
Outsails Other Contenders in
Elimination Race Off
Gloucester Cppcs.
ny JAMES d. CONNOLLY.


ny JAMES ID. CONNOLLY.
specior Despatch to THE New YORK HERALD
GLOUCESTER. Mass. Oct 1s.--Bowling
along at speed OF from twelve to hf-
fesn '<rnts an hour and leading prac.
tfcally ali OF the way except for the hve
mile reach to the first mark, the Elsie,
with Capt. Marty Welch at the wheel,
outsailed four other speedy vessels OF
the Gloucester and Provincetown fleets
to-day In forty mile race off Cape Ann
and thereby earned the right to repre-
sent the United States nine days hence
off Halifax. N. s.. in the International
contest against Canada. The victor I'm
ished eleven minutes anead Of the Ralph
Brown. while the Arthur James was
third. the Elsie G.. Silva fourth and the
Philip p Manta fifth. The official times
were: The Elsie, :15 :31: the Ralph
Brown, 5:25 :54; the Arthur James.
8 20 :36 the Elsie G. Silva, :56 1T
the Philip G. Manta. 6 :04 :3S.
This year they picked what the ex-
Eerts decided was the best vessel In
sight for the famous Marty Welch. who
sailed the Esperanto to International
victory last year off Halifax. Elsie was
her name and great all round vessel
She was rated to be. Having been
with Marty in the Esperanto last year
I would dearly have liked to be with
him this year in the Elsie, but when I
reached Gloucester on the eve Of the
race ] was not surprised to learn that
nobody in Martyrs crew had the least
notion Of going ashore from her until
this international race was settled. A
man might torpedo them out of their
hunks, but nothing less violent was 60
ing to move them.
SO cruised along the water and there
was Matheson, who was Martyrs mate
last year, looking with critical eye at
his Arthur James.
"rhey want vessel to give the Elsie
good tryout in this elimination race"
says John. II don't know will this one
of mine do. She may surprise the new
ones"
The Arthur James is seventeen years
old and she had been seining all spring
and summer. She also had an engine in
her, and an engine set high up does not
make the best ballast for a racing ves-
sci. Also she had jibe that John did
not like, and she had a staysail and one
topsail that he had salvaged from some
vessel which had been hauled up for the
winter.
But got to help out Marty" said
John, and so he threw a crew together,
and taking the old Arthur James just as
she was. he sailed out to battle. Some
ing. which is how came to be aboard
her in the race to-day.
Five on the Starting Line.
There were five of us out there. ore.
the Philip Manta, was only two-thirds
the tonnage Of the other four, but Ben
Pine had entered her first OF all also to
. make sure Marty welch's Elsie would
have competition. They all showed good
spirit. Capt. Alviro Quadros had gone
to the expense OF taking his engine out Of
tho Ralph Brown to put her in shape to
race against vessels somewhat bigger
than herself
Another boat, tho Elsie Silva was
also quite a bit smaller than the two
big ones. However. they were all at
the start rnanouvering. Some nice ma
nouvering too, IS we came down all five
TO the line with our scuppers deep un-
der and our pennants swapping. Most
people / met were not allowing the Ar
thur James much Of chance.
Two miles from the start and We
had the Elsie under our lee beam. Four
miles from the start and We had her
under our stern. Twice they tried to
shoot the Elsie up to our weather, but
nothing like that" said our skipper.
and weathered him off.
Better Than Twelve Knots.
The five-mile buoy with the red flag
danced nlerrily ahead of us. IT don't
like to do this to an old chum," shout
ed Capt Matheson back to Marty ''but
sailing is sailing" and he rolled the
James on her heel and around the
buoy.
Leaving that first buoy with started
sheets we had great dreams. Wouldn't
1t be the wonderful thing If the breeze
held and maybe freshened and we carry
The lead all the way home. We were
going along at q thirteen knot clip
then. pushing the incest. whitest froth
that ever man looked at over her lee
rail and out past our jumping stern.
But we soon came awake. We went
to hoist our staysail and 1t wouldn't
hoist. Something was wrong aloft. We
had good masthead man. Dave Camp
bell. but he fs no longer young and
wildike. 1t aH
''The staysail halyards are jann1ed
out to the end OF the fore gaff.: roared
down Dave. John Matheson at the
wheel, that and something more. and
with good reason. because Gloucester
fisherman would as soon think OF rae
ing without q nainsail as without
stayssil.
,fa Elsie and Brown were walking
Iy our weather and Dave was still
bouncing went Leo Barrett.
"aou amt going out on that fore
gaff." yelled Dave.
I'm going nowhere else" retorted
Leo.
What Dave thought Of the foolish
ness OF Leo he said right there and
then. But Leo was hard OF hearing.
He set the arch of one rubber boot and
then the arch OF the other on the fore
peak halyard and out he went like a
tight rope walker to the end of the
fore gaff. The James at this time was
doing twelve knots good and everything
sloft was swinging through big arcs
Leo cleared the fouled staysail halyard
ana came teething back to the masthead.
You damn fool !" said Dave.
They're hosting the staysaii stand
by. you 70 said Leo
The staysail was hoisted, but the de-
lay was enough for the Elsie and Brown
to pass us, and we never did overhaul
them The man who said a stern chase
IS a long chase must have been In the
hind boat Of one when vessels are maxi
sng thirteen knots and able to stand yet
more wind. And that was the Elsfe sail
ing to the second buoy. II is possible
70 beat them. but nobody IA going to
loaf or have accidents and beat them.
The race was over at tho third turn.
twenty-five miles from the start. The
time to there was two hours and quar-
eer. good going for that breeze. From
there on It was beat, with the wind
<agIfuv