Evening star., 1937-08-05

ABOARD COAST GUARD CUT
TER ARGO, off Newport. r. l.,
August CP).-Harold S Wander
bilt's Ranger, heading for her fourth
and deciding victory over T o. M
SopWith's Americas Cup challen-
ger Endeavour II, rounded the sec
ond mark in today's race over a
30-mlle triangular course leading
the blue-hulled British sloop by
about three-quarters of a mile
By the Associated Press.
ABOARD COAST GUARD CUTTER
ARGO, Off Newport, R. l., August s.
Taking advantage of q premature start
by his rival, T. o. NJ. SopWith, Harold
S. Vanderbilt brought his Americas
Cup defender Ranger around the first
mark on todays 30-mile triangular
course at l2:57:46 pm. Eastern
standard tlme) to lead Sopwith's En-
deavour II by more than half mile
and set a new record for a l0-mile
vindWard leg.
Official timing gave the white -hulled
American sloop, which yesterday set
new mark for a l5-mile beat to wind
ward, her second record by a margin
of 33 seconds. Her elapsed time for
the l0-mile beat was hour II minutes
46 seconds and displaced the former
record of l:l8:l9 set by Sopwith's
Endeavour in her second victory over
Rainbow, also skippered by Wander
bilt, in 1884
Endeavour II turned the mark at
1:0l;51, trailing by minutes and 5
seconds, as Ranger appeared headed
for her fourth straight triumph and
the one that will end the current series
for the "old mug"
Set Genoa Jibs.
Ranger set her big double clewed
Genoa jib and retained her staysail
as she began the second leg, l0-mile
broad reach east by south. Endeavour
also displaced her quadrilateral with
big Genoa.
The defender, getting an appreciable
advantage when Sopwith crossed the
starting line ahead of the signal and
was recalled to start again, was eight
lengths in front by the time Endeavour
had come about and started again
From then on to the mark Ranger
Kept EndeaVour covered on every tack
and drew away steadily.
Endeavour belatedly set a stavsail
inside her Genoa as Ranger contin-
ued to draw away, and Sopwiths
chances of winning at least one race
IN this series drew away with her.
At 1872 pm. Eastern standard
tlme) Ranger had negotiated a shade
more than miles of the second leg,
indicating she should break the
angular course record providing the
wind held. There was little change in
the relative position of the contenders.
The record for 30-mile triangular
course was set at hours 9 minutes l
second by Endeavour I on September
18, 1884, in her second victory over
Rainbow. After that race Vanderbilt
won four straight with the defender,
and thus, If he crosses the line first
again today, not only will have COM
pleted three successful defenses of the
cup, but won eight consecutive races
as we'll
History Making Break.
1t was the first time in cup history
that contender was recalled for
beating the gun" The start was in
sharp contrast with yesterdays, when
Vanderbilt timed his getaway to the
split second and cross the line several
boat lengths in front of the British
sloop.t
Endeavour crossed the line approxi-
mately 10 seconds ahead of the start
ing signal which was hoisted promptly
at 11:40 am. eastern standard time).
That bit of misjudgment probably
scuttled any chance Sopwith had of
taking one race in the series.
The start followed 10 minutes of
tockeying. At the starting signal
Ranger was so close aboard Endeavour
that the British skipper probably had
little choice but to cross the line or
risk fouling Ranger, which would have
given the race to the defender any,
how
Sopwith had piloted Endeavour into
a cul-de-sac, with the white -hulled
American sloop on one side and the
buoy, marking the end of the start
Ing line, on the other.
The southeast by south breeze mod
Grated to about IL miles an hour, and
the sea was only sparsely flecked with
whitecaps. A bright sun meanwhile
had burned off the morning mists.
Breeze Picks Up.
Half an hour after her disastrous
start, Endeavour appeared to be foot
ing faster, while Sopwith gave the
challenger her head in a spanking
breeze estimated to be blowing at ap-
proximately IA miles per hour.
The cutter Argo, keeping pace with
the contenders, was doing lis knots
as an indication of the fast windward
pace.
At 1915 pm. (E. S. T) Endeavour
began a short-tacking duel, coming
about three times in five minutes.
Ranger continued to cover her rival
easily, holding safe a lead of approx
mately 400 yards
Endeavour tackled nine times, aver
aging about 2 minutes between each
such maneuver. Ranger covered the
challenger every time, while establish
ing lead of about quarter of mile.
Visibility at Pole Zero.