Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-21
LOOKING BACK
Sc
Reguttus
.CoIorfuI
&c
From Start
BY CHARLES COVELL
Outdoor Editor


Under a brilliant blue
sky, crowds began gather
ing early at Hams Point.
Cars were parked all
around its edges before IL
am; The Seawall was
dotted with dangling legs.
Women brought their embroid-
cry and children their lunches.
Some had camp stools.
Boats dotted the muddy river.
The gray Coast Guard cutter
Apache. official vessel. was
anchored in mid-channel. Be-
side her was the spic and span
Sylph, the Secretary of the
Nayy's yacht, while nearby we're
clustered cruisers and other
spectator craft.
Sound familiar? 1t could
have been yesterday or maybe
last year. but no. this was 80
years ago. September II, 1926,
to be exact. 1t was the scene
the morning Of the first PreSi-
dents Cup Regatta.
Race HOnOrs Originator
Many things have changed
since that first regatta, but not
the enthusiasm Of the crowds
or the scene. at Hams Point.
The interruption of the war
years was responsible for the
fact that this is the 9th run
ming of the Presidents Cup. the
finale of which will take place
at 1870 O'Clock this afternoon.
In addition to the last heat
of the Presidents Cup. there
will be the William A. Rogers
Memorial race, also for unlim-
tied hydroplanes. 1t honors the
originator of the Presidents
Gun regattas. who died in 1855
When he conceived the idea,
Rogers was vice commodore OF
Corinthian Yacht Club, which
sponsored the regattas until
1921 when the Presidents Cup
Regatta Committees took OVERT
Priceless descriptions of that
first regatta and those since are
contained in yellowed clippings
nov in the custody of Horace
"Hap" Walker, former general
chairman.
Gar Wood Here
It was a gala event. that re-
gatta. 1t brought such all-time
greats to Washington as Gar
Wood, the pioneer speedboat
racer, and Horace E. Dodge, ir.
4I1e boats then were long
and sleek, looking much like
Elongated modern runabouts.
Woods Miss America v, for in
stance, had a 12-cylinder en-
CINE that developed LOO horse
upwer.
-And as for speed-well, let
RB. Thomas, writing in the
Washington Times of that year,
describe it. r. D. is our own
Roddy Thomas. The Stars
bowling columnist.
"a motorboat that has trav-
eled faster than 100 miles an
hour, an almost unbelievable
fact, will be seen in the Presi-
dents Cup Regatta on the
Potomac September lib"
f: 32-Cylinder Power Plant
Thomas went on to tell how
Alex johnson took a 30-foot
hull and equipped it with two
engines that combined 5000
horsepower, weighed $500
pounds and totaled 80 cylinders.
johnson unleashed the full
power Of his engines for only
a short time. In fact, they
functioned properly for only a
brief period. But johnson got
the-kick he desired.
Ills craft almost lifted itself
outs1uf the category of boats
and approached the state Of an
airplane without wings"
At top speed it was estimated
that he had achieved between
100 and LOG miles an hour.
Contrast that with the speeds
Of fs0 miles per hour or above
Of which the streamlined
Kgdfos now performing on the
Potomac are capable.
-
DuraIumin Boat Wins
5Johnson later found that the
engines on his craft, the YAM
kee Doodle, were too much for
the hull and changes were
made before the Presidents
Cup race.
==zWinner Of the opening heat
me: first day was L. Gordon
Earnmersley Of New York with
BIS silvery Cigarette ", slim
craft made Of a then new
material, duralumin.
-=He averaged SAT- miles an
hour to win by nearly q mile
pref Miss Syndicate. driven by
Dpdge. Miss Syndicate was