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THE FIFTH RACE - SEPT. 24, 1934

Category: 1934 : CHALLENGE N°15

DEWS John Steven, *1949 (Royaume-Uni) Titre : Rainbow racing EndeavourRAINBOW TRIUMPHS IN A FINE BREEZE. DEFENDER BEATS ENDEAVOUR BY 4 MN 1S.

NEWPORT, R.I., Sept. 24. -- Finishing with her rail down and going great guns in an eighteen-knot breeze, the defender Rainbow today again defeated the challenger Endeavour in the fifth America's Cup race.

Her margin over the thirty-mile course off the wind and on it was 4 minutes and 1 second.

Breeze Is Behind Them.

The harbor leaving was in rain this morning, with conditions about convincing that no race ever would be run in sunshine. With the breeze behind them for the trip out to the starting line, both racers put on sail in the harbor and went out without tows. Endeavour went first, Rainbow following, and they had an impromptu contest. Rainbow came up on the challenger, then bore away from her.

Outside the rain ceased and the clouds began to thin and disappear. The sun burned almost clear and it turned actually hot. Parcours course 5There was a scramble to take off oilskins and sweaters on board both racers and sightseeing vessels. The number of the latter had been reduced by the rain.

With another breeze off the land coming northeast by north, a leeward leg had to be taken first and that half of the course was southwest by south.

From the warning signal the two racers kept together. With a minute to go Rainbow was following Endeavour around. Endeavour went about and Rainbow jibed under her. Both put out spinnaker poles. They were under mainsail and staysails.

They turned for the line together and Mr. Sopwith had the better of it. Endeavour was half a length ahead and to weather, but Rainbow was going faster and shot out to leeward. Her parachute was broken out and she immediately took the lead.

Her Parachute Fouls.

Endeavour‘s parachute wrapped around her headstay and it was a full five minutes before it was cleared and filled. Then it sagged several times. Rainbow’s smaller kite filled better. Donald Demers. ENDEAVOUR Chasing RAINBOW, America's Cup, 1934.  J. Russell Jinishian Gallery, Inc.It was the one she had used and not Yankee’s. It weighs only 230 pounds, whereas Endeavour's ventilated one with holes in it to let the air out weighs more than 400 pounds. That difference accounted for the better pull of Rainbow’s in the light air.

The defender drew out 200 yards. They were moving about eight knots at 12:20 P. M. Rainbow’s spinnaker tore. It had to be taken in. She jibed over as soon as it was hauled down. That was a clever move. Endeavour would have to jibe eventually and take in her parachute to do so, then reset it, or another sail.

Rainbow took the forced lowering time to swing her boom over. Another parachute was broken out on the defender. It was one of her large ones, but it was perfectly set. Endeavour did not catch up through the mishap to Rainbow. In fact, as soon as the defender had her second parachute on she began going much faster than the challenger, and she opened a big lead.

Endeavour jibed, taking in her parachute and setting a single spinnaker with a ballooner. Rainbow drew out half a mile. Her big parachute pulled almost without a quiver. Frank C. Paine, Yankee's designer and new member of Rainbow's afterguard, directed the setting of the kite. It was a perfect job. Endeavour’s spinnaker was little help to her, and it was taken in. She also was off the course.

Cornelius Vanderbilt's steam yacht Winchester was anchored at the turning mark. Rainbow took off her parachute and held up to round Winchester. Her double headsails were broken out off the wind. She was rigged to head up on the wind as soon as she turned. She rounded at 1:18:37, and Endeavour at 1:23:15.RAINBOW-Loic Derrien Rainbow was a half mile ahead.

Endeavour had to take in her ballooner before turning, but her two headsails were put on quickly. She had 4 minutes 38 seconds to make up.

Endeavour Takes Starboard.

Rainbow had started back on the port tack, but Endeavour took the starboard. Rainbow, out ahead, shot around to cover the challenger. The sea had risen a little, and the racers began splashing as they headed into it on the wind. Rainbow increased her lead to 2,000 yards, or 240 yards more than a mile.

It gradually clouded overhead, and the breeze picked up until the racers began to heel, but they were not raildown. At 1:43 P. M. Endeavour tacked. Just as her bow began to swing, that of Rainbow turned, too. Those on the defender were ever alert, watching every move of the challenger.

This tack was one of only half a mile. They took another long port one, and then with the breeze on the starboard hand again Endeavour picked up some. She did not hold that direction, but swung over. Then she lost what she had gained.

Double-Clew Jib Quivers.

RACE 5 - SEPTEMBER 24 - 2x15 miles - Start 11:40
  LEEWARD
LEG
WINDWARD
LEG
RACE GAP
1 Rainbow 1:38:37 2:15:28 3:54:05  
2 Endeavour 1:43:15 2:14:51 3:58:06 4' 01"

Three more tacks, each of approximately half a mile, were taken before they could lay the finish line. Endeavour was pinched at times in an effort to make her wind-eat. Her double-clew jib showed that by quivering. Rainbow was perfectly trimmed and steady.
Three miles from the finish it breezed up more. Both heeled over. Endeavour’s white waterline stripe and then her copper-colored underbody showed. She seemed over further than Rainbow, whose bronze underbody blended in the distance with the water. It was cloudy again and cold.
It was a procession from there to the finish. Rainbow crossed the line at 3:34:05 and Endeavour at 3:38:06. Endeavour had picked up thirty-seven seconds to windward.