Yves GARY Hits: 5355
Category: 1934 : CHALLENGE N°15
NEWPORT, R. I., Sept. 17. - Endeavour won. The British yachtsman, T. O. M. Sopwith, aviator and amateur helmsman, sent his blue hulled craft around the course today 2mn 9s faster than Harold S. Vanderbilt could drive the Rainbow.
Endeavour started out in tow of the tender Utility, which almost turned into a submarine, and Mr. Sopwith‘s Diesel yacht Vita went to Utility's relief, passing a line to the challenger. Mr. Vanderbilt's yacht Vara had hold of Rainbow. Visibility was meagre. All around was the gray of the passing storm with a thin rain.
At the starting line it was much clearer than in shore. The rain let up there, and the horizon began thinning where the wind came from, showing a likelihood of the storm’s demise. The racers rode under bare poles, their precious sails kept dry under cover.
At 11 o'clock Old Sol began burning his way through the clouds, and blinking an assurance. The course signal was set on the committee yacht and the mark tug set out to plant the turning buoy. Up went Rainbow’s mainsail. She was ready quickly and off on her own.
Endeavour’s mainsail was not hoisted until twenty minutes before the time to start. Then it stuck when it was a third of the way up and it had be to hauled down. Endeavour had cast off the line from the Vita. A staysail was put on her to put her under control and she bore off the wind. Jim Taw, professional masthead man on Endeavour, was hauled aloft in a bo'sun chair to clear her mainsail halyard, which would not shake free, and was caught on something. Endeavour took a roll and Taw was knocked unconscious. He slunk in the narrow seat, his body pitched forward against the rope holding it.
Fortunately Endeavour remained fairly steady while he could be lowered to the deck. Ernest Moltzer, an amateur, ran forward and shouted: "Haul me up!".
He swung himself into the chair, was pulled up, and yanked free the halyard. Taw was revived and at work again in an hour.
In the meantime a 15-minute postponement signal was run up by Chairman Edmund Lang on the committee yacht. It enabled Endeavour to get ready. Her mainsail was hauled up. At the warning signal, ten minutes before the delayed start, both were ready. Rainbow had on one of Weetamoe's new mainsails, stronger that Enterprise’s old ones. It was a little short on the foot. Endeavour's was a heavy-weather one. Both put on double head-rig. There was too much sea to carry Genoas to windward. They used their double-clew jibs.
Rainbow worked about for the start, Endeavour following her. Rainbow was trimmed down hard for a maneuvering battle. When Rainbow wheeled around for the start Endeavour turned in ahead of her. Endeavour was a bit too soon and had to bear off and then luff to clear the committee boat. Rainbow was going right on the signal. She had slightly the better of the start, although Endeavour's was a good one. Both were on the starboard tack. Rainbow, with her slight advantage, poked her nose into the windward lane. She began to get a slight back-wind from Endeavour and went about. Endeavour went with her.
They dived into one sea and rose on the next. Water splashed far up on their sails. Rainbow seemed to pitch more, but at times Endeavour made some high leaps. As they went further the seas were higher, the breeze less. Rainbow was leading a little, but Endeavour was working to windward. The clouds thickened and the sun became obscured. Then Rainbow began to draw out. At 12:38 P. M. she tacked. In two minutes and a half Rainbow crossed Endeavour’s bow and went about to weather of her. Endeavour tacked and Rainbow went around, covering her. They had gone six miles and a half.
They kept on together on a starboard tack until 1:28 P. M., when Rainbow, her lead secure, went about. Endeavour followed half a minute later. Rainbow was one-third of a mile ahead. They drove through a fine mist and then a gleam of light. The sun was trying hard to come back. The mark was in sight and the seas became higher put there. Vita, which towed Endeavour across the ocean, dived and took blue water through her hawser holes. Both racers could lay the mark and on this tack Endeavour began to close up. She cut down Rainbow’s lead steadily. As they neared the mark Endeavour was right up on top of the defender.
Rainbow rounded at 1:59:25 and Endeavour at 1:59:43. Rainbow there had a lead of only eighteen seconds. As Rainbow turned the buoy, Mr. Sopwith squeezed in Endeavour to cut short around. Mr. Vanderbilt headed up Rainbow, luffing the challenger. They bore away and Endeavour worked into the windward berth in an effort to blanket the defender. She was unable to do so. Out went Rainbow's parachute spinnaker. Three minutes later Endeavour's was set. The breeze was so much lighter the parachutes could be carried. Off the wind with the seas under their sterns the racers were steady.
Endeavour began to creep up. Her bow went past Rainbow’s counter, then past her quarter. At three miles of running she was up on even terms. Then her parachute bulge and the tip of her mast showed ahead. Endeavour was out in front. The challenger's big parachute that had dragged in the water on Saturday had made amends. Endeavour drew away. In came Rainbow’s parachute, up went a balloon jib and the defender began tacking down wind. It seemed the only chance she had left.
Suddenly Rainbow jibed and set her single spinnaker. She had gone far off the course. A squall was making in shore to the north. Rainbow was nearer to it and those aboard were hoping for it. If the wind should haul to that direction she would be the better off. It began to rain again, but only for a few minutes and the squall dissolved.
Rainbow went so far over the racers were two miles apart. She carried the easterly course patrol line, so far over those in it could not see Endeavour through the thick air. The spinnaker was taken off Rainbow and she jibed. She began to reach fast, resuming the downwind tacking. But that was not enough. Down came her ballooner and out went her parachute.
RACE 1 - SEPTEMBER 17 - 2x15 miles - Départ 11:55 | |||||
BEAT | BROAD REACH |
RACE | GAP | ||
1 | Endeavour | 2:04:43 | 1:39:01 | 3:43:44 | |
2 | Rainbow | 2:04:25 | 1:41:28 | 3:45:53 | 2' 09" |
Endeavour had been a mile ahead on the course. Rainbow now began coming up. Endeavour’s spinnaker fell. She had to jibe. Her spinnaker was hauled in. Over went her main boom. A balloon was set on her and she began reaching for the finish. Rainbow was coming like a house afire, her parachute sheeted out like a side-yard bay window. The sail began to tear on the foot. They let it tear as long as there was a pull in it. Finally it had to be taken in. The race was over there.
Endeavour was going on. A big ballooner was pulling her, her mainsail was started and she was at the fastest point of sailing. Rainbow’s ballooner was put on and she came tearing through the water in the wake of Endeavour.
Endeavour ?nished at 3:38:44 and Rainbow at 3:40:53. Adding the eighteen seconds she was astern at the start, Endeavour made the fifteen miles with the wind 2 minutes 27 seconds faster than Rainbow.