WIN FOR RAINBOW

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21912, 22 September 1934, Page 11

WIN FOR RAINBOW

AMERICA'S CUP CONTEST SURPRISE IN THIRD RACE FAVOURABLE SLANT OF WIND FULL ADVANTAGE TAKEN By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright NEW YORK, Sept. 20 The third race for the America's Cup took place to-day. It resulted in a victory for the American defender, Rainbow, over the British challenger, Endeavour. The race was won by a margin of 3m 265. The yachts sailed in a blaze of sunlight over a blue carpet of ocean. At the end of the 30 miles stretch half a mile of water separated the winner from Endeavour. It was one of .the most unexpected results ever attained in a cup race. Halfway over the course Endeavour had a lead of six minutes 39 seconds and Rainbow appeared to be hopelessly beaten. Suddenly she began to go. With 11 miles to sail she crept up and passed the challenger. Rainbow made up a disadvantage of 1100 yards in six miles. She found a favourable slant of wind far off the course. Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith desperately tacked, but only lost more ground as his partly professional partly amateur crew was slow in handling the canvas. After Rainbow had crossed the line the blue-hulled yacht drew up alongside her and Endeavour's crew cneered the winners^ After the race Mr. Sopwith requested the committee to start the races later and get a better advantage of the afternoon wind. This is being considered, but probably will not be granted as the days are getting shorter. At the request of Mr. Sopwith a day's postponement in the series has been agreed upon and the fourth race will be sailed on Saturday. CHALLENGER'S LEAD GRADUAL REDUCTION OVERHAULED BY DEFENDER British Wireless RUGBY, Sept. 20 With only a five-knot wind blowing from the north-east, the conditions for the third America's Cup race at Newport, United States, to-day were believed to favour Rainbow, which is suited to light airs. The yachts crossed the,- line abreast with Endeavour in the windward berth. The British challenger soon established a slight lead. This she steadily increased in spite of the efforts of Rainbow to get between her and the wind. Her lead was about 100 yards half an hour after the start which she lengthened in the next hour to almost 1000 yards. Although the breeze lessened somewhat, Endeavour rounded the mark 2h 22s after the start, 6m 23s ahead of Rainbow. About this time the wind backed to the south-east, giving the yachts a broad reach on the homeward beat.

A change of fortune then occurred, and on the beat home Rainbow sl6wly reduced Endeavour's lead, eventually overtaking her and leading to the finishing line. There seemed to be a possibility that the time factor would come into operation. Endeavour had been held in light airs while Rainbow kept a steady breeze, but although the challenger shortened the distance toward the end Rainbow crossed the line ahead.

The success of Rainbow in the third race for the America's Cup cannot shake the faith which most yachtsmen now have in the abilities of the new British challenger Endeavour. The prospects of Britain regaining the cup are aB bright as ever. The race on Thursday was one of those contests sailed under fluky wind conditions similar to those experienced by Auckland yachtsmen last Anniversary Day, and the results, although definite in such cases, are always most unsatisfactory. Endeavour evidently got an excellent start, crossing the line with her rival and in the windward position, which is very gratifying, as Mr. Sopwith, who has a particularly fine racing reputation, has hitherto had bad luck in the starts. It is a great tribute to those handling Endeavour that, in spite of conditions which seem to have been ideal for Rainbow, she should have established a lead of over six minutes when rounding the 15-mile mark. It was at this stago that the wind died away and then came out light from the south-east, immediately giving, as all yachtsmen will appreciate, a distinct advantage to Rainbow, which was some distance astern. She could watch Endeavour, see how she fared and then try something different. The boat astern, under light and fluky conditions, has everything to gain and nothing to lose. If the boat ahead catches a breeze she can follow her, if she is becalmed then she can go at a tangent from the course, in the hope of catching a breeze which will not reach the leader for a considerable time. Tt was this manoeuvre evidently which enve Rainbow her victory. Mr. Vanderhilt. seeing Endeavour with little or no wind, went well off the course, picked up a steady breeze and in all probability passed well clear of his rival, who still was almost becalmed. Tt appears that Endeavour got the wind a little later and started to close no the gar>. but could not overhaul Rainbow before she crossed the line. Tt is very nrohahle that t*« mtimate knowledge of the !oc«l conditions jv>shv the would also play a lorpe nart in their victory, as the wind under certain conditions and in*certain localities will behave in the same manner time, and again. Rainbow's victory mav be attributed to that element of chance which is always present in yachting, and it can in no wav detract from the honour which Endeavour has already gained.