RAINBOW RETAINS AMERICA CUP

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19915, 27 September 1934, Page 9

RAINBOW RETAINS AMERICA CUP

THRILLING CONTEST IN : SIXTH RACE SUPERIOR SKILL SHOWN BY DEFENDER United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received September 26, 7.0 p.m.) NEWPORT, September 25. The American defender Rainbow won the sixth race of the America Cup series, finishing ahead of Endeavour by a margin of 55sec. Both yachts flew protest flags when crossing the starting line, Vanderbilt, the Rainbow’s skipper, first hoisting his flag. As Rainbow had won three and Endeavour two of the races for the Cup, and as the trophy goes to the yacht first winning four races, to-day’s race created especial interest, heightened somewhat by the controversy regarding the protest episode in the fourth race. To-day’s course was a triangular one of ten miles each leg, and there was an eleven-knot breeze at the start. The Race Described. To-day’s race was one of protests. Hardly had the boats crossed the finishing line when Vanderbilt ordered the red protest flag to be set in the starboard rigging. The protest was based on manoeuvres just before the start. So quickly was the flag set and answered by the protest flag flown on Endeavour, that observers cynically remarked that the flags must have been "in the stops,” the way head sails are held when sent aloft before breaking them out. Vanderbilt, when informed that Sopwith had withdrawn his protest, did likewise, and the incident is considered closed, but Sopwith announced that he would never challenge again. Better Boat Beaten. Endeavour to-day, as on every day, proved that she is a better boat, although she might have had the sea anchor trailing over the stern for all the chance she had against the smart seamanship aboard Rainbow. When she could sail her own race, she crept up on the defender like a thunder cloud, careering through the water with tremendous impetus. Rainbow was 50 seconds behind Endeavour over the starting line, having had to luff to avoid colliding with the challenger. As Endeavour approached the line, she was going full speed, and so perfectly timed that she went over the moment before the starting signal was given. Out in front she hauled steadily ahead. Sopwith succeeded in "back-winding" Rainbow, and the Britisher drew further ahead and, when the second mark was rounded Rainbow had dropped back until she was lmin lOsec behind, but once round that mark, it was obvious that the men aboard the challenger were not getting the most from their big sloop.

Endeavour Eclipsed. Sopwith kept his big Genoa set and split tacks with Rainbow. The Genoa, which is considered the sail best known to American yachtsmen, and not familiar in British yachting, did not give Endeavour what she needed to maintain her lead. Endeavour’s winches, moreover, are considered inadequate for handling this large sail. Rainbow was now pointed high and steadily drew out to the windward, tacking smartly and using her small headsails, with much economy of movement, while Endeavour had to luff to get her huge foresail sheeted home, and then went off on a long starboard tack, which took her some distance from the course. That marked the end of the race for her. The American sloop, with its white hull, drew far ahead of the blue-hulled Britisher. The lead was increased until at the second buoy, Rainbow was ahead by 3min 60sec, so much more expertly had she been handled on the windward leg. But once again Endeavour, when left to her own devices, showed that she could sail even though her spinnaker fouled when it was broken out for the run home. It was several moments before It broke loose and bellied out, but then it pulled magnificently. The breeze was fresh and the challenger tried hard to overtake the defender. Endeavour pulled up steadily in rising seas, easily closing up the gap until it seemed that she might pass the defender in the last two or three miles. Endeavour gained lmin 45sec on the last leg, but it was not enough. Although Endeavour is a triumph of the designer’s art, it was not enough for Victory. “ENDEAVOUR THE BETTER CRAFT” MR SOPWITH'S GRIEVANCE AGAINST RACE COMMITTEE United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright Received September 26, 5.5 p.m.) NEWPORT, September 25. Mr T. O. M. Sopwith (commander of Endeavour) declared to-night: “My protest concerned violation at the start, but inasmuch as I won the start and lost the race fairly, I feel I should not go on with the protest.” Thus ended the great International sporting contest, but not without disappointment for almost everyone concerned, and observers uniformly are convinced the Endeavour is the better craft, but the American boat was better manned and better manoeuvred. For the Americans the victory was not unadulterated. They admit the superiority of the challenger and are unhappy over the protests. Mr Sopwith’s Explanation. Mr Sopwith to-night explained his statement yesterday that he was bitterly disappointed with the treatment received here. He explained that he referred only to the manner that the

Race Committee had handled his protest of Saturday, and not with the way he had been received in America. YACHTS COMPARED ALMOST SIMILAR IN SIZE Mr T. O. M. Sopwith’s new Endeavour contested the right of the Americans to hold the cup in future, while Mr Harold Vanderbilt's Rainbow is the defender. Both yachts are almost similar in size, and both carry a small centreboard working through the centre of the fin. The dimensions of the two yachts are:— Name Tons Length o.a. 1.w.1. Endeavour .. 143 128 ft. Oin. 83ft. Rainbow .. 138 126 ft. Bin. 82ft. Beam Draught area Endeavour 22ft. Oin. 15ft. Oin. 7,550 Rainbow 20ft. llin. 14ft. llin. 7,558 The following table gives the particulars of each race. In every contest the American-owned boat, which is given first, has been the winner. Aurora was not a challenger in the first race, but she finished second. The owners were the challengers, the defending yacht being usually owned by a syndicate of members of the New York Yacht Club:— Year. Winner. Challenger. 1851 .. America Aurora 1870 .. Magic Cambria 1871 .. Columbia Livonia 1876 .. Madeline Countess Dufferin 1881 .. Mischief Atlanta 1885 .. Puritan Genesta 1886 .. Mayflower Galatea 1887 .. Volunteer Thistle 1893 .. Vigilant Valkyrie 2 1895 .. Defender Valkyrie 3 1899 .. Columbia Shamrock 1 1901 .. Columbia Shamrock 2 1903 .. Reliance Shamrock 3 1920 .. Resolute Shamrock 4 1930 .. Enterprise Shamrock 5 1934 .. Rainbow Endeavour