BLUE RIBAND

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 223, 1 September 1936, Page 6

BLUE RIBAND

WON BY QUEEN MARY RECORD BROKEN. Triumph For British ShipBuilding. NORMANDJE BEATEN. Press Association —Copyright. London, Aug. 31 The Cunard-White Star liner Queen Mary won the blue riband of the Atlantic by making the return crossing from west to east in record time, having broken the east to west record on her outward journey. The Queen Mary's passage from the

Ambrose lightship at New York to I?' "dp Rock occupied three days 23 hours 57 minutes for a distance of 2929 miles at an average speed of 30.63 knots, which was three hours 31 minutes under the French liner Normandie's best. The Queen Mary made good tune, despite the fog hanging over the Sciily

.Islands and the Channel. Thousands of people who assembled on the south-west Co; t were disappointed when visibility was reduced to one or two miles.

The daily steaming figures were: First day, 570 miles at 30.13 knots; second day 703 miles a,t 30.57 knots; third day,' 713 miles at 31 knots; fourth .day, 712 miles at 30.96 knots The figures for the fifth clay could not be ascertained. Sir Arthur Rostron, former commodore of the Cunard fleet, says: "1 am as proud at anyone that the country has won back the blue riband. . I extend hearty congratulations to Britain and to the chief engineer.

Speaking to the News Chronicle from thvj Queen Mary over the telephone, M. Manyier, president of International | Rotary, said: "Everyone aboard is delighted. There have been queues round "I the notice board. The passengers are j toasting Sir Edgar Britten and the crew in the bars and we are having a real

I gala dinner to-night." I "It was a great moment for Britain I \yhen the Queen Mary passed Bunpp | Rock," says' the Daily Mail. "There is nothing wrong with British seamanship or ship budding. The Stirling Castle is" speeding to Capetown. Unfortunately these triumphs cannot be watched in other directions. The wasting disease of the mercantile marine can be seen, and it is .deadliest in the Pacific. The blue riband of the Pacific must be ours as well as the trophy of the western ocean." One of the first congratulations to the Qween Mary came from the owners of the Normandie, whose chairman, M. Mcmalglaive, said: "As friends and competitors we are glad to see she has accomplished what was expected of her. It will be interesting to - see what will happen next." There .was unbounded enthusiasm oh the Clydebank, while the whole of' Southampton's waterfront was crowded and beriagged awaiting "the Queen Mary's arrival from Cherbourg, where ,tl passengers presented a bouquet to the commanded Sir Edgar Britten, in honour of his achievement. The Queen Mary broke the east to j west record when she passed the Ambrose light ship on the night of August ,23, completing,a record run from Cherbourg breakwater of four days seven hours • twelve minutes at an average speed of 30.01 knots, compared with the Nprmandie's best average speed of 29.64! knots.