“NO CONTEST.”

Thames Star, Volume LXV, Issue 19210, 17 September 1934, Page 3

“NO CONTEST.”

THE AMERICA’S CUP. International Yacht Race. CONTESTANTS BECALMED. TIME LIMIT EXCEEDED. (A. and N.Z. Cable). NEW YORK, Sept. 15." The first of the seven races for the America’s Cup was sailed to-day off Newport, but, as it could not be finished in the prescribed time of fivo and a half-hours, owing to lack of sufficient wind, it was declared “no contest.”

After splendid sailing, Mr. H. Vanderbilt’s yacht Rainbow, the defender, was half a mile from tho finishing post and a mile ahead of the British challenger, Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith’s Endeavour, when the race was abandoned. The defender and challenger will meet again on Monday.

At the start there was a sevenmile south-easterly breeze, but tho sea was remarkably smooth. Handling the American yacht as if it were a top in his hand, Mr. Vanderbilt beat Endeavour by a minute at tho start, but Mr. Sopwith went in hot pursuit. It was either yacht’s race for- a time. Then came a tacking duel, with Genoa jibs on the large, single head-sails. Endeavour’s crew could not sheet their Genoa as fast as Rainbow’s, with its great “coffee grinder” winch to raise the Genoa sheet in a hurry. Rainbow gained an additional minute and 46 seconds lead. The last four miles were sailed in calm water, and the two craft drifted, with little more than a sea heave to move them.

Mrs Sopwith sailed as timekeeper. She is the first woman ever-to have been a member of a crew in an America’s Cup race. Later she acted as observer for Rainbow, and did her work well.

A great flotilla, including l(ourmalial, carrying President Roosevelt, watched the contest over tho 30 miles to windward and 30 miles to leeward course, which was patrolled by coastguard cutters and naval destroyers.

The wind at no time exceeded nine knots, which, according to Beaufort’s scale, is a gentle breeze.