YACHTING AMERICA’S CUP EVEN

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29932, 20 September 1962, Page 20

YACHTING AMERICA’S CUP EVEN

Gretel Out-Sails U.S. Boat, Wins Second Race

(ft’.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright)

NEWPORT( Rhode Island), September 19.

Australia’s hopes of being the first country to beat the United States in the 111-year-old America’s Cup series were high today after yesterday’s win by Gretel.

In only her second race in international competition, the Australian sloop beat the United States defender, Weatherly , by 47 seconds in windswept, choppy seas in Rhode Island Sound.

It was the first occasion in 28 years that an American defender has lost a race. In 1934 the British challenger, Endeavour, won the first two races but lost the next four to Rainbow.

Over a triangular course, Weatherly led at both weather marks and for most of the 21 miles. But in the vital last leg the Australian skipper, J. Sturrock, outsailed the U.S. Helmsman, E. Mosbacher. The race did not prove that Gretel is superior to Weatherly but it showed that on its day the Australian crew is second to none. Weatherly had won the first race on Saturday by 3min 4‘3sec. proving a faster, stiffer yacht on the windward legs of the windward - leeward course. Fighting Talk ‘ We will be fighting right down to the finish.” one of the members of th» Australian syndicate <Mr Noel Foley) said last night The Australians will be fighting, but their chances of winning the Cup will depend on more than fighting spirit. Mosbacher. even in defeat, proved that he still had the better boat into the wind—and this is the all-important part of the series. There are four windward-leeward races in the best-of-seven series and three triangular courses. A wind-shift yesterday soon after the start turned the triangular course into a windward beat, followed by a beam reach under genoas and a spinnaker run to the line A shift in the wind in the opposite direction could have made the spinnaker run impossible. That was the only leg on which the Australians had the better time Broke Spinnaker In that leg Mosbacher broke a spinnaker pole. It seemed doubtful that the broken pole had any bearing on the result but it did affect the time — and Gretel won by less than a minute. Sturrock had pushed the Ame-rican helmsman from his position as the “wizard of the twelves”—the smiling and invincible skipper Mosbacher was still smiling today —at least in public—but he had been given some lessons in sailing at the hands of the Australian world champion

and Olympic medalist, Sturrock won the start, and until yesterday Mosbacher had been regarded as the champion in that department. But the Australian beat him by jibbing sharply to get on Weatherly s tail. Then the Australian followed Weatherly, driving her to the leeward corner. Gretel First Away Sturrock drove for the starting line For a moment it appeared that he had arrived too soon but the starting gun went as he hit the line and Australia was in the lead. Mosbacher crossed the line just ciear of the leeward mark but short of his favourite position in- the safe leeward berth. It took Mosbacher nine minutes to reach that spot and finally to turn Gretel on to the other tack, establishing a slight lead. The two boats stayed locked together for most of the long windward leg before Weatherly gained a lead of several lengths. The race appeared to oe swinging to Weatherly. but Sturrock hit back with a senes of tacks—ll of them in seven minutes —which had the Americans reeling and their boat slowing. Mosbacher saw that Gretel. with its better tacking, was gaining ground, and he broke off the duel leaving Gretel onlv two lengths behind. Weatherly went round the mark into the beam reach with a 12sec lead. Gretel’s crew hiked over the side of the Australian sloop for the eight-mile reach, holding their yacht steady in the winds which were gusting at up to 25 knots. First With Spinnaker Weatherly stretched its lead very slightly to 14sec at the second turn. The Australians had their big white sninnaker out more quickly than the Americans and Mosbacher suddenly found that Gretel was right on his tail and moving to steal his wind. His only defence was to luff Gretel off line, but before he could act Mosbacher’s own spinnaker was flapping from lack of wind. The American helmsman decided to jib off line to get out of Sturrock’s way. and Gretel swept through for a long run to the finish. The Weatherly crew might have made a better fight over the final mile if thev had not wrapped their spinnaker round the headstay and snapped the spinnaker pole. But it is doubtful if Weatherlev could have won. Mosbacher said: “We will never know.’’ but he added that the broken pole was no excuse for his defeat.

The Australians claimed a day off for today. They need every hour they can get to improve further the stiffness and sail trim off the yacht.

The Australian skipper. Sturrock said: "I feel wonderful. I have never sailed with a finer crew."