The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-08-05
SOPWITH ADMITS DEFEAT PRIOR. TO FOURTH RAGE.
Ranger the Better Boat" British Skipper Says;
 Out for Ride Today
BY HENRY McLEMoRE United Press Stan Correspondent

SA AA1ANN4 NACAnNAVReG
 United Press Stan COrrespondent)
 Newport, R. T., Aug. 6-A stub- born British sailing man went out through the narrows again today with his big blue boat to play out the last hand in hopeless and hue initiating game-Britain's sixteenth challenge in Its ill-fated efforts to lift the Americas cup.
 As far as result Is concerned, the hand has already been dealt and T. o. M. Sopwith, the British chal- lenger, has drawn 6 busted flush.
 His Endeavor, beaten three times in as many races, faced Harold 8. Vanderbilt's Ranger for the fourth time today, and even 5opwith had conceded defeat
 Any lingering hope that Endeavor, given good sailing, could catch the fleet Yankee boat in fair winds or foul was dispelled when Ranger came home "wednesday nearly five minutes ahead in Endeavor's kind of wealth CT. The challenger never had Q chance.
 sopwith himself had already ad- mltted as much before he took the blue boat out through the eastern passage toward Brenton's lightShip this morning.
 Ranger IS a better boat" he said. "All we can do IS try to catch her."
 Anybody who watched the first three would give you 100 to one and A pay-off on dead heats that trying will do the British boat no good.
 Everything that could be done to Endeavour has been done. She has had her keel frightened, her gear overhauled, her bottom scraped; her crew in Wednesdays race was the equal of Rangers, and in one inc stance-on the turn for home in the 3o-mile windward-leeward race-the British sailors outpointed the Ameri- cans in shifting from working sails to spinnaker.
 But the combination of "Iron Mike" Vanderbilt and the trimmest racing boat that ever footed into a brisk ocean wind was too much. Ranger set one new record in US beat to windward, working the weather leg in two hours, three minutes and 56 seconds, which sur- passed the time made by Rainpow on the same beat in 1884.
 The white.hulled American defen- der hal all the bad breaks and En- deavour had none of them. Ten minutes after the start Ranger was in trouble when her jib sheets snarled and had to be cut away. shortly after the turn for home her big parachute spinnaker went wrong and Roderick Stephens had to 60 up and fix 1t, .
 But Ranger breezed through these troubles like e champion. She tore the lead away from the Britisher and walked out in front on the out ward lap, and then blew home in less than two hours in Q asnion that convinced the most doupting Thomases that she was SO fast she could spot Endeavour anything in the way of luck and still beat her..
 There was an element of luck in the two earlier races, which Ranger won by two and three miles, respec- lively, but yesterday when the big white cutter came blazing don the lane toward the home bouy. nearly a half mile ahead in c truly run race, everybody knew ell the chips were down. n.
 After 1t was all over, sopwith shrugged his shoulders and admitted that today he will be out there only for the ride.
 "There is no doubt of Rangers superiority to windward," he said "We were able to hold our own coming in, but that was all"
 Sopwith expressed frank admira- ton for the American boat, and re- fused to even concede that Endeav- our had been seriously hampered by trouble in filling It's big Annie Oakley" spinnaker after the turn.
 we were beaten before that hap pened," he said. We have no alibiS.
 And SO the thinning spectatog fleet pushed out to sea today to see a good game guy and c good game boat face the music once more against 6 boat, that has never been beaten in Q true race. The course was set over e 30-mile triangular distance, and e refreshing breeze and light showers was the forectst.