Evening star., 1938-09-25
UNOPP0SEDP|L0T
AVERAGES 66981
Cooper's Boat Is Disabled
After Hanging Up Mark.
F. D. R. Out Today.
BY MALCOLM LAMBORNE, Jr

racing, tbs 18th annual Presidents Cup
Regatta, enters its last inning this
afternoon under the eyes of President
Roosevelt. who Is expected to view
the races from the presidential yacht
Potomac. The second days compete
ton came to a noisy close yesterday
on the muddy Potomac River.
Before 10000 speedboat enthusiasts
who lined Hains Point seawall and
filled grandstands, choice field of
power craft, ranging from the little
sl-class hydroplanes to the big zoom-
ing class K inboards, battled in u
heats, two of which saw the shatter-
ing Of old speed marks.
In the event carded as the feature
of the day, Count Theo Rossi of Turin,
Italy, sent his bettle-shaped Alagi
over the IS miles Of a six-lap course
for the opening heat of the Presidents
trophy without single entry to oppose
him.
The counts name will be engraved
on the Presidents Cup, but he will not
accept the replica that goes to the
winner. For this a special race las
been arranged for today in which the
popular visitor will concede handicans
His sporting gesture in coming out
alone paid real dividends, however.
Giving his radically designed boat all
she could take, the Italian sportsman.
who spends his winter bodsledding in
the Swiss Alps, was clocked in the
fourth, fifth and sixth circuits with
speeds that broke all former lap rec
ords for Presidents Cup race.
Rossi Averages 66.ssl.
Then, when the timers came out of
huddle for the last time. they an
nounced a new mark of 66.oSl miles
an hour for the entire heat. In the
fourth lap Alagi averaged 6s2S5 and
in the next, 6777l miles an hour. The
fourth lap record was duplicated In
the closing round.
A small floating log spelled disaster
and blasted hopes for the national
crown for a gray-headed racer, Jack
Cooper Of Kansas City. Mo. who was
returning from the mile trials yester-
day after setting world mark of
75.40 miles an hour for 225-cubic-inch
hydroplanes. His fast Tops II suffered
a broken propeller and several torn
planks. She was towed to the Naval
Air Station and packed off to factory
in Baltimore. where mechanics worked
late into the night to get her into
commission.
officials were skeptical that the
racer could be readied in time for the
only events left for the 62-year-old
driver, the 4-liter hydroplane and
American speedboat championships.
Schrafft Takes Prize.
AS it was, the original field of five
starters fer the 3-heat series for the
John Charles Thomas Trophy, en-
blematic of the 225-class champion
ship. finally narrowed down to three
boats as the race neared its close.
Young George Schrafft, a Harvard
sophomore from Newton, Mass,
copped the prize with a total Of l.l00
points, after taking a second and two
firsts.
Francis Vintschger's Tortuga from
Morristown. N. j., tailed 1000 points.
Living up to its name, Gibson Brad
fields Bad News caught fire on the
last lap of the first heat The driver
quickly put out the flames with an
extinguisher and received a tow from
the Coast Guard.
The only other record Of the day
came in the opening race for inboards.
Driving little class G job, Joseph
Monigle of Wilmington. Del, set a
mark for the division with speed Of
40.632 miles an hour. His Joe-Don.
racing against boats that were rated
much faster, took two seconds to
finish as runner-up.
The event was won by a wealthy
young New Yorker, David Gerli. His
Lady Gen III rates In the I class.
Miss Marcia Galliher of Washington
covered herself with glory in bringing
her fathers Fifty Fifty across the
finish in third place both heats. The
only girl driver in the field Of 10
entries, Marcia was racing her first
season in national competition.
Another young Washingtonian Jared
as well in the l35 hydroplane class.
He was John Fuller who, like Marcia,
was driving his fathers entry. BY
virtue Of second in the closing heat.
his Miss Pudd ended up in third posi-
ton with 469 points. Bryan Russell
Of North Long Beach. N. j., was the
winner and Fred Hahn Sd from Phila-
delphia, second. ..
Broadcasters' Race a Comedy.
Billed as the Broadcasters' cham
pionship, the race between Lee Everett
and Gordon Hittenmark, local an
nouncers, provided comedy that neither
Of the two were expecting. The 1855
thought the gun sending off the two
feuding racers was their starting signal,
All seven of the hydroplanes hit the
line at once, practically washing
Messrs. Everett and Hittenmark of the
course. se'
AS the 1855 came down the back
stretch officials were able to flag them
down, finally getting all but one to
stop. He kept on going Just to make
sure he wasn't missing out in a real
race. slE.
At late hour last night each an
nouncer was claiming he was the
winner, although from the Calypso
1t looked to be dead heat, with only
the radio audience the winners. ~
Six assorted local craft, from 91's
to K boats got the gun for the ALI
Washington Sweepstakes to be led in