The Washington times., 1937-08-10

BOake Carter
Last Cup Race?
A Millionaires' Sport

has defeated a British chal-
lenger for the much talked
about Americas Cup in a series
of yacht races. I have q bunch
that the series just ended off
Newport, r. l., will be the last
for the Americas Cup. Anyway,
I hope it is the last.
These races have ceased to be
emblematic of the yacht-racing
skill and genius Of either the
United States or Great Britain.
J-boat racing-as the yachts in
this class are rated-has become
solely the richest Of the rich
mans game.
Anywhere from 100000 to
$1,OOO,OOG goes into one of these
boats and all incidental ex-
penSes surrounding the racing
of it in a cup series. How many
men are there in either the
United States or Great Britain
who are so fond Of yacht rae
ing that they are willing to
make out a check for a million
dollars every couple Of years?
AS to the exact number I can
not tell for the moment, but
there are less than q dozen OF
these great sloops in commits
sion in British and American
waters combined. All are owned
by exceedingly rich men. Out
of this group every few years
come a couple Of multimillion-
aires to match vessels and rae
ing skill.
They compete for possession
Of a $45 mug known as the
Americas Cup, originally known
as the Queens Cup, which was
won from the British by the
American yacht America 80
years ago.
1t has therefore become, this
business Of the Americas Cup,
exclusively a super-rich mans
game. The average yachtSman
Of America and England
doesn't get a look-in, obviously
because he can't afford to. No
large fleet Of racing sloops
manned by EngliShmen and
Americans can fight it out with
one another for the cup. That
is prevented by the exclusiveness
Of the terms Of the deed.
But because Of the spectacular
nature Of the Americas Cup
races every few years, because Of
the enormous expenditure of
money, because of the fact this
is a millionaire's tea party, and
because it is all surrounded with
an atmosphere of society blue
bloodism, the press, and, of
course, in recent years, the ra-
dio, have combined-inadvert-
emily perhaps-to play up the
Importance of this famous
yachting event far beyond its
real merits.
AS a spectacle worth going to
see for what enc may learn on
the subject Of sailboat racing it
is a miserable flop. I have seen
two, the last challenger of Lip
tons and the 1884 challenger of
Sopwith. and ], who have been
fond Of the water and sailing
boats since I was a kid on the
English Channel, wouldn't spend
a dime to go and see another
one. AS a contest alleged to
represent the national racing
skill of two great nations, it is
overrated and instead actually
represents only two millionaires
from each nation, each trying to
beat the other.
What should be done in my
belief to provide a more reason.
able, more true and more
plebeian contest Of sailboat rae
ing skill between the two ma
tons would be a series Of
matches between two teams
from each nation.
The teams should be COM
posed Of a half a dozen to q
dozen boats and no boat should
cost more than $4,000. There
are a great many more people
on both sides Of the water who
can chip in their dollars and
cents and pounds, Shillings and
pence to build a $4,000 boat
than there are individuals who
can shell out a cool half million
dollars at a crack.
At least such a contest would
foka m tho apDaoronca of q