Evening star., 1940-05-10
Georgetown Student.
Interior Decorator
In 130-kiIe Test
Hoyu Fritz Sitterdine
And Isuuc E. Hale in
Different Glasses
BY MALCOLM LAMBORNE, Jr.

BY MALCOLM LAMbORNE, Jr.
4 20-year-old Georgetown Uni
versity junior and 42-year-old
local interior decorator join in en-
terins Americas most democratic
racing classic of modern times-the
100 mile speedboat marathon from
Albany to New York City-which
Is scheduled to get under way Sum
day morning from the Albany
Yacht Club.
The two are the first Washington
entries in the l3 years of the oldest
and longest motorboat fixture in
the United States. They are Fritz
Sitterding, Sd, pre-law student of
the Hilltop school, and Isaac E.
Hale, decorator for q local depart
ment store.
Fireman, mechanic, banker, mil
honaire, all have taken their try at
this most grueling test known to
motorboat racers.
Each and every one starts out on
an equal footing, faced with beat
ing the jinx of the Hudson River,
which each year seems bent upon
claiming a rising toll of entries that
60 down on the final score sheet
marked ID. N. F"-did not finish.
80 Out of LOG Finish.
Last year LOG boats crossed the
starting line. But at the halfway
checking station driftwood, me-
chanical troubles and other haz-
ards had cut the field to 55. OF
these only 38 reached the finish line.
Driver Hale expressed it this way:
Maybe we're crazy, but it still won t
stop U.S."
Both local entrants are first time
starters, while neither has been
racing more than three years. For
Hale it's only his second year in
the sport that began auspiciously
when he took three first and four
seconds out of eight starts in Chesa-
peake Bay regattas last year. Young
Sltterding has been racing three
seasons, beginning in his home
town, Richmond, Va. Last year he
won six out of seven events in bay
regattaS.
Although originally an event ex-
clusively for outboards, the mara
thon has seen increasing numbers
of hydroplanes and inboard run
abouts in recent years. For the first
time inboard runabouts will be given
favored spot on the program. A
SHnryNotyro1 tr0v,I,x, hos hno,o 10 Il
by wealthy David Geri of New York
for the first boat of this division to
complete the course.
Sitterding Drives Glass E Boat.
Sitterding has entered his class
e runabout, Gran Poppoo, in this
class. Hale will race in the class B
outboards in his Step-n-Fetchit,
which has been redesigned by
Washington's only professional out
board DRYER. Bill Dyer. especially
for marathon competition.
1t is interesting to note that last
years winner, Clayton Bishop of
Onset, Mass, won the marathon in
a class B outfit. He covered the
course in 3 hours IL minutes and
% seconds, averaging 4O.681 m. D. h.
Sitterding, before he entered the
inboard class, received his initial
training in outboards. In his pres
ent boat, using a 121-horsepower
engine, he has been clocked at bet
ter than so miles an hour.
Outboards will lead off Sunday
shortly after 8 am, with various
divisions starting off as their
handicaps dictate. The inboards will
follow. First boat to cross the line
of New York's Dyckman street will
be the victor.
The Middle Atlantic Outboard
Association of New York is sponsor
OF the event, which officially opens
the boating season in the North.
A total of 10 entries had been re-
ceived by the committee when the
deadline arrived May l.