Sport: Lost Endeavour

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Yacht racing for the America's Cup, since its beginning in 1851, has been characterized by confusion. Confusion of the forthcoming Cup races next August started last fortnight when Harold Stirling Vanderbilt's new contender Ranger lost her mast in a storm off the New England Coast. Last week the confusion continued with the arrival of Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith's potential challengers, Endeavour I and Endeavour II.

Deed of gift of the America's Cup, which specifies that the challenging yacht must sail to the scene of the races, has been interpreted since 1899 to allow the challenger to be towed across the ocean. Last week Endeavour II arrived safely at Bristol, R. I. hitched to the Belgian trawler John, but two days later, when Viva II, convoy of Endeavour I, put in her appearance, Endeavour I was nowhere to be seen. First rumor, that she had been lost at sea with all hands, was speedily denied by Viva's Captain Wallace Grint. He explained that in rough, foggy weather 1,000 miles from the U. S. coast, at almost the same hour that Ranger was losing her mast, Endeavour I had mysteriously disappeared from the end of her 600-ft. towline. After a vain 40-hr, search for her charge, Viva had proceeded to port, leaving Endeavour to fend for herself. Of all doubts that Endeavour was capable of fending not only Captain Grint but Skipper Sopwith was contemptuous. Said he in London: "Endeavour carried a very light rig. ... If there's a blow, she'll be better off on her own. . . ."

Confusion about Endeavour I was increased last week by the fact that radio reports of her position and progress ceased five days before Viva reached port. The confusion grew after Viva's arrival until, just before Endeavour's fate became cause for real alarm, she was finally discovered by an Associated Press airplane. Sighted 35 miles south of Nantucket, Endeavour was soon taken in tow by the U. S. Coast Guard cutter Argo. The Viva took her away from the Argo at Brenton Lightship off Newport. Shining, scudding at the end of Viva's towline the Endeavour entered the harbor in triumph while Newport's fire whistle blew, a gun boomed from Old Lime Rock Light. Captain Ned Heard explained that they had cut the hawser lashings because "it was coming on night, we had a head wind and we were having heavy going of it. ..."