Off Newport

When Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith and his blue Endeavour arrived in the U. S. last month, Endeavour became immediately the most feared challenger for the America's Cup since Shamrock 11 in 1901. Last fortnight she was favorite at odds of 7-to-5. Last week, after the start of the four-out-of-seven race series, U. S. Yachtsmen had no reason to alter their opinion. In two days of sailing, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt's Rainbow had been better handled, shown herself the faster boat in light airs. But Endeavour had proved that she is a fine boat in a stiff breeze and that her skipper's reputation for quick thinking has not been exaggerated. More than that, she had won the first race.

"No Contest." The spectator's fleet in Newport Harbor made it, said a destroyer captain, "worse than Shanghai Basin." Surrounded by every conceivable kind of ocean-going craft was a quorum of all the big yachts in U. S. waters. They trailed out toward a buoy nine miles southeast of Brenton's Reef Lightship for the start of the race. Among a fleet of 500 or more, were half a dozen ocean liners, two cruisers H. M. S. Dragon and U. S. S. Minneapolis, 20 or more Coast Guard cutters and Navy destroyers. The Committee boat had already signalled the course when Vincent Astor's Nourmahal with President Roosevelt aboard slid up to the line, received side-boys from Coast Guard and Navy craft. An able and enthusiastic sailor, the President watched the proceedings closely from the Nourmahal's deck, exercised his prerogative as commander-in-chief of the Navy half way through the race. When he thought the destroyer Manley, with newsreel men aboard, was crowding Endeavour, he had a sailor wigwag: "Suggest you are too close to challenger. ROOSEVELT." The Manley promptly dropped back, trailed the fleet home.

Famed for his skill at the start of a race, Skipper Vanderbilt got Rainbow across within five seconds of the gun. Endeavour was a full minute behind. She had first hoisted a double-clew jib, then changed to a Genoa just before the start. On the 15-mile beat that started the 30-mile windward and leeward course, Rainbow tacked first, crossed Endeavour's bow, held her advantage in a tacking duel as they neared the turning buoy, rounded it almost three minutes ahead. Coming back before the wind, both boats broke out parachute spinnakers, took them in when the breeze, scarcely enough to ripple the surface of the groundswell, backed up to the north. Time limit for America's Cup races is five-and-a-half hours. Five-and-a-half hours after the start Rainbow was barely half a mile from the finish line, with Endeavour a mile astern. The Committee boat gave the signal--dropping a red ball--that meant "No Contest."

First Race. Two days later, Rainbow and Endeavour went to the starting line for the second time. A fresh 16-knot wind was blowing from the southeast. Again, Skipper Vanderbilt outmaneuvered Skipper Sopwith at the start. Rounding the mark, after the fastest windward leg ever sailed in an America's Cup race (2 hr., 4 min.) Rainbow was 21 sec. ahead. Endeavour went wide at the mark to avoid losing headway, got close enough to the defender to steal her wind. Skipper Vanderbilt thought he might dodge Endeavour and pick up a fresher breeze by sailing to the east of the course. When he headed back half an hour later, even the spectator fleet could see that this move had been fruitless. Endeavour, flying her huge perforated spinnaker, was well ahead. There were two minutes, when Endeavour's crew struggled to set a Genoa jib, in which it looked as though Rainbow still had a chance. Endeavour finally got the sail hoisted, finished in 3 hr. 38 min. 44 sec.-- 2 min., 9 sec. ahead of Rainbow.

Second Race. Following day in a freshening 10-knot breeze Endeavour trailed Rainbow by 5 sec. at the start. Rainbow took the windward berth on the first leg, but Skipper Sopwith worked through her lee and rounded the first mark on even terms despite the near-loss of his reaching jib which got away and trailed overside for a bad 5 min. Ignoring rents which appeared in his canvas, T. O. M. Sopwith jammed Endeavour into a slight lead which she held throughout, to finish 51 seconds ahead of Rainbow. Endeavour's time (3 hrs. 9 min. i sec.) broke the America's Cup record for the 30-mile triangular course, established in 1930 by Skipper Vanderbilt with Enterprise.

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