The Washington times., 1933-08-26

fleet of five Gold Cup craft is a
veteran who has raced everything
in the way of boats from a
Harmsworth craft down to but
not including outboards.
Commodore Erickson feels that
more than likely the shippers and
crews who will man the boats in
the Harmsworth event probably
will do the same in the Presi-
dents Cup Regatta.
Here is the lineup for the
Harmsworth:
Horace and Jack Mackenzie will
ride in the Delphine TX newest
and fifth of the Dodge fleet.
Bennett Hill, auto race driver,
or Erickson himself. will ride with
Charley Gleason as mechanic in
the Delphine VIII.
Walter Leveau and Dave outlaw
will ride in the Delphine VII.
Bill Horn Coming
Erickson or Bennett Hill. with
Paul Miller as mechanic, will ride
in the Delp2ine VI.
Bill Horn, with Charley Graflin
as mechanic, will ride in the Del
phine w, the boat that won the
Gold Cup at Montauk Beach, L. l.,
last year.
Harry Leduc, of Detroit, who
has follow many regattas,
writes interestingly of Erickson.
eric is a man approaching
middle age. He is a red.
checked and usually smiling
Ncrdic, a well-liked and pros
porous citizen and, despite years
in this country, still has a lot
of his Scandinavian accent.
1T is not in memory that
Eric ever missed regatta here
in Detroit. He has driven in
several. He drove in the 15O-
mile Sweepstakes several years
ago. He has driven Gold Cup
craft in numerous regattaS, and
he once was at the wheel of a
potential HarmSwOrth defender,
the Scorpion. That was the
boat H. Alex johnson, of New
York. tried to get on the Ameri-
can team. 1t came out on the
course and sank a couple of
hundred yards from the start
ing line. Eric stayed with it
until it settled beneath the
waves, then let go. That is
why he is here to race another
day."
The Delphine VIII, which, it is
said, is certain to be in the Presi-
dents Cup Regatta, will help de-
fend the Gid Cup in the Detroit
regatta, unless further mishap
overtakes her. Twice last week
she met with grief in trial spins.
Her entire bottom has been REIN
forced with aluminium sheeting
for the Harmsworth and Presi-
dents cup regattas.
A Thin Planking
The Delphine VIII first had her
forward step planking smashed.
Next it was the after step. The
first time she was supposed to
have struck a plank. The second
time She was supposed to have hit
a bottle. While Detroit experts
admit that both suppositions may
be true, they state that there are
reasons to feel that her fragile
planking caved in due to the beat
ing of the water against her. Her
diagonal planking together is only
seven -siXteenths of an inch thick
Covered with aluminium, it is be-
| lieved, she will be better able to
stand the pounding of the water
as we'll as blows administered by
floating obstacles. such as bits of
driftwood and bottles.
It is freely admitted in Detroit
that the Delphine VIII is a very
fast craft. Erickson has run her
over the old mile course in the De-
troit river at fast clips. During
the trial when she cracked up re-
Gently (when she hit a plank, as
stated she went downstream we'll
above 10 miles and averaged high
up in the Cos upstream.
Another of the more interesting
of the Dodge boats expected here
for the Presidents Cup Regatta
is the Delphine TX. Like the Del
phine VIII, this craft was de-
signed and built in England two
years ago. She has never been
in water. She is also a two-step
hydroplane but differs from Del
phine VIII in that her steps are
square instead of rounded. She
has an all-White hull 26 feet long
and 18 feet wide.
Intriguing Craft
The Dodge fleet, already en-
tered for the Presidents Cup, is
an intriguing combination of
Gold Cup craft and probably will
attract more attention here than
any other of the entries.
Horace Dodge feels that our
American speed-boat kings are
Understanding Hubert Scott
Paine's English challenger, Miss
Britain III. Americans have ex-
pressed the opinion that Miss
Britain III is too short to be
effective at high speed.
"Scott-Paine's craft is not too
short in my opinion" says Mr..
Dodge. IF Gar Wood entertains
any thought that the English boat
is too short and takes the race
too lightly he might find himself
minus the Harmsworth Trophy"
D-o.. r,V.I rI.o.4.