Evening star., 1934-08-05

to this side OF the Atlantic. Long
experience of failure precludes that.
All attempts in the past to regain
the trophy that the schooner America
won in 1857 have been so thoroughly
defeated that the quest has assumed
the character of hopeless adventure.
But its fascination survives all dis
appointment and T. o. M. Sopwith
has taken on the task, to which the
late Sir Thomas Upton devoted the
best part of his life in vain, with an
enthusiasm that promises that what
ever the result of the present chal-
lenge, the struggle viii go on.
Nor, in spite of three-quarters Of
century of failure, is the yachting
world here without hope that En-
deavour will break the spell. The view
that she may succeed where the
Shamrocks and all other challengers
failed rests on two considerations
the quality of Endeavour and the con-
ditions of the contest.
To take the latter consideration
first, the fact that the challenger has
to cross the Atlantic is obviously a
heavy handicap. In the past it was,
indeed, almost a fatal handicap upon
such fragile structures as the early
Shamrocks, which were built for a
single object, had no practical utility
and were wholly unified for an ocean
voyage.
Fortunately, the conditions of the
contest have been Sensibly modified.
BY the agreement Of yachtsmen on
both sides of the Atlantic, the freak
vessel has been eliminated and the
race is run by vessels not merely of
exactly the same class, but of sound,
seaworthy type, built to Lloyd's rules,
supplied with necessary safeguards
and capable Of making the Atlantic
voyage with safety and without peril
of serious damage. Shamrock V was
the first challenger of the new u"
class to enjoy these new and more
sensible conditions. Though she did
not succeed, that was not because a
grave handicap had not been lifted,
but because she was beaten by bet
ter boat and better handling.
With Endeavour, the prospects of
success are certainly improved. Her
designer, c. E. Nicholson, improved on
his own Shamrock v when he de-
signed Velsheda, which made a clean
sweep of her competitors in the yacht
ing world. In Endeavour he has pro-
duced a boat which is held to be as
far in advance of Velsheda as Vel
Sheda was in advance of Shamrock v.
OF the IL yacht races in which she
has taken part, she has won eight,
was second in three and was only once
unplaced.
There remains the question of
handling. 1t was on this point chiefly
that the Shamrock v was held to
have been beaten, and it is in this
point that most speculation exists
Mr.. Sopwith will be his own helms
man and he Is admitted to be highly
efficient in that role. He will have a
nucleus of professional yacht-racing
seamen, but owing to an unfortunate
wage dispute just before Endeavour
started, most of the seamens' berths
will be filed, not by professional sea-
men but by amateurs. They are
picked men, of course They have had
a great deal of experience in racing
and may be expected to make up for
any deficiencies as compared with the
professional sailor by their superior
enthusiasm and passion for the game.
l have said that the contest has
more than a sporting interest. There
is no subject which is the cause of
more anxiet.- al the public mind than
the decline which has overtaken the
position of British shipping since the
war. 1t is a decline which is ap-
parent in every sphere. The old DOM
nance Of the British Navy at sea has
! definitely and finally passed. The blue
riband of the Atlantic has gone into
other hands. France, Germany. the
United States and Italy are all fierce
ly competing for the deprecated At
lantic traffic The government, under
pressure of foreign subsidies to ship
ping, has had to yield to public opin-
ion by providing funds for a new
challenger for the supremacy of the
Atlantic. Still worse, the mercantile
marine has suffered staggering blows
from all quarters and the ship own
ers are clanaoring for relief. III
(Copyright, 1934.)