Evening star., 1938-06-19
VAMAR|E TO SAIL
IN 635M|LE RACE
Service Crew Will Handle
Trim Annapolis Yacht
In Event This Week.
By MALCOLM LAMBoRNE. Jr

BY MALCOLM LAMBORNE, Jr.
Forty stout blue water yachts, rep
Yesenting the finest in modern off,
shore racing craft, bob at moorings
or lay at docks taking on last-minute
supplies in Newport harbor, r. L.,
trimmed for the yachting event of the
year, the Bermuda Ocean Race, which
begins next Tuesday at 2 pm.
Nothing carries with 1t more Of the
thrill of outwiting wind and sea in
small sailing ships than this, the
635-mile grind across the unpredicta-
bic and usually turbulent Gulf Stream
to the Isle Of Onions. Nowhere will
be found at one time more impos-
ing array Of amateur sailing talent
as gathers for a Bermuda race, nor
an event, outside of an Americas
Cup series, that draws the interest Of
the average yachtsmen.
Every last one of the shippers, from
Henry G.. Fownes in his big 73-foot
!, yawl Escapade to Robert Lesson in
his little 40-foot cutter Narwhal, know
what they're up against-three to
six days of slamming without pause
. when they go out to the starting line
on Brenton Reef Lightship. But
they'll be back for more of it when
the next race is run in 1910. In fact
nothing but a Nationwide calamity
4 could keep those hardy souls from
showing up every two years.
Navy Makes First Bid.
Local and nearby yachtsmen, as
well as practically the entire service,
are eyeing with keen interest and
United States Navy ever to compete,
the ketch Vamarie of the Naval Acad-
emy at Annapolis. The 72-footer will
be the only representative from the
Chesapeake Bay country.
But little more on the history Of
ocean racing. The red-blooded sport
has been going on since the Civil
War Three big schooners, the prop
erty of shippers who had grown tired
Of using their craft as week end
yachts, came out for the first event.
No slouches. these boastful sailors,
they sailed their race in the dead
Of winter from Sandy Hook to the
Isle Of Wight of the south coast of
England. This was followed several
years later by slam westward from
Ireland to New York.
In these and subsequent races,
entries were boats well over hundred
feet In length. Then it was unknown
for any boat under this size to attempt
TO- put to sea- But, as Is often the
rule, no one had ever tried it, so they
went on in the same old way. 1t
remained for Thomas Fleming Day,
famous champion of the small boat
and father of the Bermuda race, to
lead the way. In 1905 to organized
the first event, and like the good
skipper he was, entered his own little
Sea Bird.
Stone Revives Bermuda Race.
. What matter. II his 24-foot yawl
Fas the last to finish of three boats
that started? There was the begin
ming and 1t was success. Other races
1oalowed In D7, 'o8, D9 and 10.
Although interest dwindled until after
The, World War. Tom Day had proved
that sman-boat racing is ocean racing.
Through the efforts Of a group of
the Cruising Club of America, led by
Herbert L. Stone, editor of Yachting
Magazine, the sport was revived in
1928 and has been going great guns
ever since.
It's a choice field that will be out
q day after tomorrow-several vet
erans of past races, three foreign
entries and eight new boats built
especially to beat the Lippincott Rule,
new handicap system for this year.
There are the new and revolutionary
Kirawan II, 46-foot cutter with old
fashioned clipper box and pointed
stern, Of Robert P. Baruch, winner
OF the '36 race; the 68-foot yawl Edlu
Of Rudolph Schaefer, which is
larger edition of the first Edlu that
won the "a event; the 63-foot cutter
Actea, already winner of several early
races on Long Island Sound this
spring. owned by Henry Sears.
vamerie Has All-Navy Crew.
Vamerie with her all-Navy crew
and afterguard will be up against the
stiffest kind of competition. But win