RANGER’S THIRD WIN

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 266, 6 August 1937, Page 11

RANGER’S THIRD WIN

Defence of America’s Cup FOUR-MINUTE MARGIN British Owner Abandons Hope By Telegraph.—-Press Assn—Copyright. (Received August 5, 7-50 p.m.) Newport, August 4. The American yacht Ranger, sailed by Mr. 11. Vanderbilt, won the third race in defence of the America’s Cup against Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith’s Endeavour 11. Less decisively beaten than hitherto, the Endeavour nevertheless finished 500 yards (4inin. 27sec.) after the Ranger, whose superiority in speed and ease of handling have now' been definitely established. The'winner’s elapsed time was Bhr. 54min. BOsec. She crossed the starting-line first in a 12-mile-an-hour wind, which, however, began to diminish, soon dropping to 10 miles an hour. The Ranger found the light air to her liking and rapidly forged three-quarters of a mile ahead. The Endeavour, however, began to catch up when the wind perceptibly freshened and had made up a quarter of a mile at the half-way mark. The British boat continued to diminish her opponent’s lead when the wind increased to 15 miles an hour, but it was impossible to overtake the Ranger over the remaining distance. The Ranger set a new’ record for the beat to windward on the first 15 miles, her unofficial time being 2hr. Bmin. 55 see., thus breaking the Rainbow’s record by 30see. Mr. Sopwith after the race tacitly acknowledged that he had abandoned hope. “The Ranger is the faster boat. All the Endeavour can do to-morrow is to try to catch her,” he said. Critics pay a tribute to Mr. Sopwith’s handling, which it considered could not have been excelled even by Mr. Vapderbilt, but the opinion is expressed that the Ranger is invincible. One Press commentator sums up with the view: "The Endeavour is probably the fastest racing sloop ever built—with the, exception of the Ranger.’’