“NO CONTEST”

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 301, 17 September 1934, Page 9

“NO CONTEST”

First of America’s Cup Series TIME LIMIT EXPIRES Light Breeze Drops During Race RAINBOW A MILE AHEAD By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received September 16, 7.30 p.m. Newport, September'ls. After five and a half hours’ splendid sailing by Mr. Harold Vander — hilt's Rainbow, with the yacht half a mile from the finishing line and a mile ahead of the Endeavour, calm prevented the finishing of the first race in the America's Cup series in the prescribed time, and the race was declared no contest. The defender and challenger will meet again on Monday. • At the start of the contest there was a seven-mile south-east breeze, but the sea was remarkably smooth. Handling the Americap yacht as if it were a toy in his baud, Vanderbilt beat the Endeavour by a minute at the start, but Sopwith was in hot pursuit. It was cither's race for a time. Then came a tacking duel with Genoa jibs on large single headsails carried to windward. The Endeavour’s crew could not sheet the Genoa ns fast as the Rainbow’s with its great coffee-grinder winch to raise the Genoa sheet in a hurry. The Rainbow gained an additional one minute 46 seconds of lead in the last four miles. In the calm the craft drifted a little. Mrs. Sopwith sailed as timekeeper. She is the first woman ever listed as a member of a crew in an America’s Cup race. She Inter acted as observer of the Rainbow, and did her job well. A great flotilla, including the Nournahal carrying President Roosevelt, watched the contest. Lines 30 miles to windward and leeward of the course were patrolled by coastguard cutters and naval destroyers. For the fifteenth time in 64 years a representative of Great Britain is challenging to regain the famous trophy, state,s a British official wireless message. Saturday’s race was the first of a series of seven to be sailed alternatively over two courses of 30 nautical miles. The yacht which wins four of these seven wins the cup. The maximum time allowed for completion of the course in each race is 5} hours anil racing will continue each day until a decision is reached.