Daring Skippersshows pleasure boats of all types

boats boats boats everywhere you look these days the pleasure boating mania has taken over youngsters housewives and office workers have become weekend sailors and skipper the voting phrase has reached boom proportions 20 million landlubbers have taken to the water in search of adventure and relaxation salty language pervades the atmosphere as kitchens become galleys and upstairs is now known as topside and junior goes for this boating bid in a big way those outboard motors have converted the small fry into barnacle Buster's whose constant quest is for speed and more speed no foolin about this race the competition is keen all this youthful enthusiasm is distracting to say the least hey junior no shortcuts lady I know it's washday but you better not I tried Italia when it comes to thrills this is strictly for grown-up kids these Hardy boatman are meeting mother nature's challenge with kayaks Dory's and rubber rafts keep afloat here you need courage and skill only the best can meet the test among the best for the racing aces of the lakes this is the famous Gold Cup race and these are the boats of the professional speed cake eight contestants sipping over the glittering water throwing white booster tails of sprays that go Dylan of stinging spray and screaming engines is in their blood men of purpose bent on breaking the present record of 173 miles per hour and when the grueling competition ends victory is sweet speaking of speed this is the fastest boat afloat the jet powered Bluebird here is the unchallenged champion of a mall piloted by Don Campbell whose famous father pioneered the world's fastest boats the Bluebird flashes across Lake Mead at super speed with a blast of her jet engines echoing like thunder the Bluebird lifts out of the water to skim the surface on specially designed runners at 225 miles per hour Don Campbell holds the world record for speed on the water elsewhere on the boating scene the fabulous sport of sailing is a special tonic for tattered nerves Sunday's lure additional thousands into the boating plan every year to these souls who live in a world of Dacron sales and spray filled cockpits the sound of a marine engine is a breach of the peace from dingy mites to clever skippers they're a boding breed apart their greatest joy in life is pitting boat against boat as these daring skippers compete for honors in the club regards to every sailing enthusiasts the biggest event is the historic international competition for the America's Cup of Newport Rhode Island the 1958 race finds Britain's entry the scepter challenging the USS Columbia for the most coveted trophy in yachting since 1851 when the cup was first placed in competition the Yankee skippers have won this event now history repeats itself as the American 12 meter sloop slides over the finish line to victory Colombia's proud crew successfully defends this fabulous cup going back into the colorful history of this racing series Sir Thomas Lipton the tea King was the most famous of all the British who tried to win the America's Cup he spent 15 million dollars of his own money building five magnificent racing yachts which he named shamrock however Sir Thomas failed in his efforts to capture the Cup and each of his beautiful sloops went down to defeat before the sailing skill of the daring American skippers then in 1934 came soft wit and his endeavors in the first race and Dever took the first two heats from the American rainbow but lost the next three failing to win the Cup for Britain but Sopwith was determined to be the first British er to win the coveted America's Cup in 1937 he launched the endeavor second at a cost of five million dollars constructed of rare woods and designed with extreme care the endeavour ii was a sailing man's dream come true here was a racing yacht which not only soft with but all of britain believed could win the cup in trial runs her performance was outstanding and the crew was confident of victory meanwhile across the sea in the United States a syndicate of yachting devotees headed by Harold vandal built had built another multi-million dollar vessel which they named the Ranger in rigorous trial runs the Ranger and her crew were tuned to perfection then came the race on the windward leg of the important heat the Ranger and the endeavor were sailing side by side close hauled into the light wind this was a tough test of seamanship as the two crews were forced to feel their way along in light airs hardly sufficient to push the slim holes turning to make the downwind run both vessels jockey for position and broke out their spectacular balloon Spinnaker's the great bag likes sales which grab every whisper of wind in the final leg of the race the Ranger moves slowly but surely ahead to cross the finish line several boat lengths in front of the Endeavour the British had lost again but a salute to the gallant crew of the Endeavour and mr. and mrs. soft with great sportsmen and seamen in the British tradition from racing yachts to watercraft of every kind and size the thrill of boating gives excitement and fun for the daring skipper