Evening star., 1937-08-04

August 4 (Pl-Apparently headed
for her third straight triumph in
defense of the Americas Cup,
Harold S. Vanderbilt brought his
white -hulled, snub-nosed sloop
Ranger around the outer mark at
l:4347 pm. tE S. tt today, with
three -ouarter-m lead over the
British challenger T. O. M. Sop
With's Endeavour IL at the half
way point IN their 30mlle race
over a windward- -leeward course.
BY The Associated Press.
ABOARD COAST GUARD CUT
TER ARGO, OFF NEWPORT, R. l.,
August 4-Harold S. Vanderbilt, seek
ing his third straight victory in the
sixteenth series for the Americas Cup,
today piloted his sloop Ranger across
the starting line about two boat
lengths in front of T. o. M. Sopwith S
British challenger Endeavour II.
AS the rival yachts set off in their
"a
southwest wind both were on the
starboard tack Vanderbilt had timed
the start to a split second and crossed
the line promptly at ll:40 am. ,E.
S. TD for the finest getaway of the
series.
Each yacht was wearing double
head-rig, with staysails and quadrl-
laterals.
Endeavour went over on the port
tack four minres after the start, a
clear admission by Sopwith he was
trailing and had no hope Of passing
to the weather side of the defender.
Ranger tackled Immediately to keep
the challenger covered.
Wind About 10 Miles.
The promise of a brisk breeze
the wind mad been blowing at rate
of about u miles an hour before the
start-was uEfu!flled, as it moderated
TO about 10 miles.
The outer mark was set at a point
about miles southeast of Block
Island.
The race began with Ranger i'm
mediately drawing away from tbs
challenger. In 10 minutes the de-
fender had opened up lead of aoouI
six lengths.
SopWith, who yesterday unloaded
over 5000 pounds Of ballast from his
blue-hulled craft, inaugurated short
tacking match, in which Vanderbilt
followed him for the first few Jacks
and then apparently decided to ignore
the Britisher and sail the course
himself
Endeavour on Port Tack.
This left Endeavour on the port
tack and Ranger on the starboard.
Sopwith has claimed that Endeavour
is faster than Ranger in stays, and
If this is true it indicated that
Vanderbilt is too cunning to play into
the Englishman's hands
The change in Endeavour II failed
70 impress observers, who were in
general agreement that dumping of
two or three tons would have little
effect on the sailing qualities of the
big metal hull 1t did nothing to
narrow odds SO prohibitive against
her winning that virtually nothing
was being wagered on the contest.
AS Britains hopes foundered. New
port waters took on a gala complexion
not because of the trend of the inter-
national sailing duel but to honor
Queen Elizabeth on her birthday.
The New York Yacht Club, custodian
OF the Americas Cup, ordered its
members to dress ship on the great
feet of yachts assembled here for the
races. Aboard the British Warship
York. at anchor out in the stream
the suns meridian was awaited before
She spoke a 2l-gun salute.
If Endeavour II should win one Of
the remaining races it would surprise
every one, including Charles E.
Nicholson, the man who designed her.
Nicholson, after witnessing Rangers
first two victories, pronounced the de-
fender potentially Is minutes faster
on the 30-mile cup course. SopWith,
also, after weighing the various factors
in the chsllenger's defeats, had
nothing but praise for the victor, sub
scrlbing to Nicholson's pronounce
nent that Ranger is the fastest class
J sloop ever built.
Sopwith Praises Crew.
While the two sleeps were hauled
out yesterday, rumors, some of them
published, ran riot around Newport.
Some reflected on Endeavour lis
skipper, but SopWith retained his
temper so well he gave new meaning
to the role of good loser. He con-
tinued to praise his paid crew and
others assisting him in his second bid
{or the famous and elusive trophy
SopWith's expressed belief En-
deavour II would do better in brisk
breeze drew support from an unex-
pected quarter today. Olin Stephens
OF Vanderbilt's afterguard who, with
w. Startling Burgess, designed Ranger,
said he believed an honest breeze
would furnish much closer contest
than the light air which gave Ranger
her two overwhelming victories.
A strong wind can be a great equal
izer of sailing vessels. almost in the
sense that in the heat of battle the
timid and the daring often reach the
same heights.
In 1884 after Sopwith~an his first
Endeavour won the two opening races
OF that cup series, Vanderbilt added
ballast to the defender Rainbow, the
smaller of the two, and she went on
TO take four straight races.
This year the formula has been re-
versed, for l64-ton Endeavour II is
smaller than Ranger by az tons, and
from the losing boat ballast has been