RANGER SETS RECORD

Grey River Argus, 6 August 1937, Page 11

RANGER SETS RECORD

FOR WINDWARD LEG Endeavour Again Beaten [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.l NEW YORK, August 4. Ranger won the third America’s Cup race. Less decisively beaten than hitherto, the Endeavour nevertheless finished five hundred yards and four minutes twenty-seven seconds after the Ranger, whpse superiority, speed and ease of handling are now definitely established. The winner’s elapsed time was three hours, fifty-four minutes, twenty seconds. She crossed the starting line first in a twelve mile wind, which, however, began to diminish, soon dropping to ten miles. 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 made up a quarter of a mile at the half-way mark. The British boat continued to diminish the opponent’s lead, when the wind increased to 15 miles, but it was impossible to overtake the Ranger over the remaining distance. The Ranger is believed to have set a new record for a beat to windward on the first 15 miles. The unofficial time was two hours, eight minutes, forty seconds. Mr Sopwith jettisoned two and ahalf tons of load ballast from the Endeavour 11, in the hope that this will increase the speed in light winds. RANGER'S RECORD. SOPWITH GIVES UP HOPE. (Received August 5, . 7.50 p.m.) NEWPORT, August 4. In the third America Cup race, the Ranger’s correct elapsed time was three hours fifty-one minutes thirty seconds. Her elapsed time for the windward leg was two hours three minutes fifty-five seconds, thus breaking the Rainbow’s record by thirty seconds. Mr. Sopwith, after the race, tactily acknowledged that he had abandoned hope. He said: “The Ranger is the faster boat. All that the Endeavour can do to-morrow is to try and catch her.” The critics pay a tribute to Mr. Sopwith’s handling, whichj it is 'considered, could not have been excelled, even by Mr. Vanderbilt; but the opinion is expressed that the Ranger is invincible. One press commentator sums up with the view: “The Endeavour probably is the fastest racing sloop ever built with the exception of the Ranger.”