The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-10-25
/ ALKING
IT OVER
By JOE WILLIAMS

ATEW YORK, Sept. PIT may
~ be that one of these days all
the sports in the land will be domi-
mated by the inventive genius OF
the Edisons and the Fords, and
where the human element with its
tendency to err dwells today the
rest will be a maze of push buttons
motors. automatic devices and other
machine-like gadgets geared to me-
chanical infallibility.
n
The international Yacht race has passed
into history and most Of the experts agree
that the principal factor which brought
victory to Enterprise and defeat to sham
rock was machinery. The metal mast on
the American boat. an innovation in
Yachting. criticised as Illegal before the
race BY an American competitor. con-
trbuted enormously to the clean sweep OF
Newport HarbOr.
Sir Thomas saws this mast more than
any one thing beat his boat. But the irlsa
illegal in it's use. It was simply a daring
piece OF equipment which never had been
5earance as well as its performance was
sufficiently exciting to provoke comment.
Il
THERE is nothing in the rules 10
4 prevent the use of metal mast
on a sailboat, and the general dis
position amonk seafaring men IS 70
applaud its effectiveness and han
the inventiveness of American de-
signers. Sir Thomas admits II ne
had thought of it he would used one
himself.
Practically everybody wanted to see the
old man Of the sea win but that is hardly
reason enough to cast aspersions upon the
sportsmanship Of the gentlemen who
launched the American boat. To be sure
the odds we're all in their favor at the
start. The preliminary rules governing
the American Gun race are incredibly one
sided and unfair. and long as they
remain on the books no challenger is go
ing to have a sporting chance to win.
4
Particularly. unfair is the stlpulatload
that the challengers boat must be named
ten months in advance Of the race, while
the defender may hold eliminations al
most no TIN the starting gun. When you
are abe to select from four boats as
America was this year, you obviously
stand better chance to attain periectlon
IMAM Wilen you are 4btth W NtAS4sN
at ali. The situation is akin 70 demand
ing that a fooabal coach designate IN
March the half back who viii DO all his
end running in october.
Z THINK that if criticism is in
1 line it should be directed at the
rules rather than the mechanical
innovations featured by the Vaa-
derbilt yacht. Instead of discour-
aging the idea of. inventiveness, l
believe it should be enthusiastically
encouraged.
There's no telling what the Edisons and
the Fords would do for Yachting if they
were to take hold of It in a big way.
They might even succeed in making it
practical for commercial purposes again.
status 1t has not held since the oil burn
ing steamers and ocean spanning aircraft
we're spawned in the mind Of man.
The chief interest in this years race
was not in whether Americans could hold
the cup. but in the gallant fight OF the
thirty years of effort. II was Upton who
humsnized the event, made It good news
paper copv and brought II into the homes
a popular topic; without Llpton
fear an international Yacht race VIII no.
command a great deal of interest.
II
For the moment at least it seems
that the event just ended was a
1,aol,f ,-are IN erd vacnf races