Safety Race

Boats have raced their lifeboat crews almost as long as they have been meeting in the harbors of the world but not until 1927 did lifeboat racing come into its own as an international sport. In that year the old Neptune Association, an organization of deepwater shipmasters and licensed deck officers, began holding international races of one nautical mile in New York Harbor, first of which was won by the crew of the Norwegian Segundo. In 1933, after the race had been increased to two miles. Robert L. Hague of Standard Oil Co. of N. J. donated a silver trophy to be presented to the crew which won three races, and next year led in forming the International Lifeboat Racing Association, Inc. Last week the eleventh annual race, off Bay Ridge shore, brought out a high-spirited and representative maritime crowd,"including snipping officials. Organizer Joseph Curran of the National Maritime Union. New York's onetime Mayor James J. Walker and wife. New York's onetime Police Commissioner Edward P. Mulrooney. who acted as referee, and Chairman Joseph P. Kennedy of the U. S. Maritime Commission.

Since the first year contestants for the Hague Cup have been obliged to use regulation-size boats, with a minimum length of 25 ft. 11 in., minimum weight including crew and ballast of 5,500 lb. Publicity-conscious shipping lines have taken to building special boats for the race, selecting crews by competition, giving them a month off work to train. Only contestants last week were the crews of Standard Oil Co. of N. J.'s W. C. Teagle and the Italian Line's Conte di Savoia, each of which had two legs on the cup, and the French Line's Normandie, which had none. While tenders and excursion boats followed in their wake and thousands of spectators watched from the shore what has become the harbor's native sporting event, the Conte di Savoia's long-keeled boat paced the W. C. Teagle's two nautical miles over the grey harbor swell, came in in 22 min. 2 sec. As coxswain, the Conte di Savoia's First Officer Pietro Passano joyously received the kisses of his crew, then for good measure kissed the cup he got from the hands of Chairman Kennedy. The eight oarsmen each got an individual silver mug.

This year lifeboat racing, with the Hague Trophy about to be retired, got a new silver cup from another enthusiast, Joseph W. Powell of United Shipyards. Inc. Run off just before the Hague event, not in lifeboats but in uniform Monomoy surf boats borrowed from the U. S. Coast Guard, the first Powell Cup race attracted a field of seven crews, fastest of which proved to be that of the United Fruit Co.'s freighter San Jose, which stroked the course in 22 min. 5 sec.

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