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The President's Cup Regatta |
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President's Cup Won by Delphine IV |
1932 President's Cup Regatta
President's Cup Won by Delphine IV
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The annual running of the President's Cup regatta at Washington, D. C. on September 16 and 17, wound up the racing season in the north. Repeating her performance in the Gold Cup race at Montauk, Delphine IV, driven by Bill Horn and owned by Horace Dodge, walked off with all honors after the breakdown of George Reis' Hacker-designed El Lagarto. Lagarto had, just previous to the race, seriously injured her power plant and being unable to get spare parts in time, her owner "borrowed" the engine of Sam Dunsford's Scotty. Reis made the statement just before the first heat that El Lagarto was off some 250 "revs" and consequently somewhat slower than at Montauk while Bill Horn, driver of Delphine IV, made the statement that his boat was approximately seven miles an hour faster than at Montauk.
This duly impressed everyone, but in the first heat, El Lagarto started in the lead and continued to open up the distance between herself and Delphine throughout the event. Delphine V, driven by Horace Dodge, was unable to finish, due to mechanical difficulties. One thing is certain, that Delphine IV could not catch the flying El Lagarto in this event, but misfortune continued to follow the footsteps of Reis and before the second heat was called, El Lagarto's engine snapped a crankshaft and that was the end of the race right there.
Delphine IV covered the course for the second heat without competition and thereby amassed sufficient points to give her a win even though she did not start in the third heat. The large crowd of spectators was sadly disappointed at not being able to witness a real race and when the starting gun was fired for the third and final heat, many of them could not understand why no boats crossed the line. At any rate, Delphine IV won the President's Cup and that was the end of it. El Lagarto had had new steps fitted since the Gold Cup races at Montauk and stepped around the course in a far more childish manner than her age should permit. Her fastest lap was at the rate of 58.102 m.p.h. and her average was 57.692 m.p.h. Delphine IV's best lap was at the rate of 57.444 m.p.h. and her average was 57.052. In the second heat when she raced alone, Delphine IV averaged only 48.051 m.p.h.
Races for other classes were held between, before and after the big boats raced but except for the runabouts there was little excitement. The outboards seemed to go haywire and insisted on mixing up their schedules despite the fact that there were plenty of printed programs and every race was run on the dot as specified. The class A race was a real joke for when the starting gun was fired not a single boat was in sight. Finally one boat came out and started, then another and the third boat actually started in the wrong direction. Finally five or six boats were strung out around the course, several hundred yards apart. We will pass over the details of both the first and second heats. The drivers each should get leather medals for "boners," After the second heat, the scorers announced that G. E. Stagmer of Baltimore had won first, with G. E. Reed second and Don Flowers third. It was a splendid exhibition of how not to race outboards.
In class B open, the exhibition was a little better—but not much better. Again most of the boats were late at the line and it was a parade around the course and not a race. Two heats were run and on points C. C. Thompson of Suffolk, Virginia, was declared winner. Don Flowers was second and Red Crise third. Thompson made the fastest time in the first heat—40.816 m.p.h.
Two heats for the 125 hp. stock runabouts were run on the first day with seven boats starting in a cloud of spray. J. P. Corcoran's This-L-Duit was the winner of the first heat and second in the second heat, thereby winning the event. The winner's best speed in the second heat was 33.632 m.p.h.
Single heats for 50 hp. stock runabouts, 225 hp. runabouts and 125 cubic inch hydroplanes were also run the first day, the first event being won by Pigeon Bearcat owned by Freeman Collier, of Hampton, Virginia. Queen Anne, owned by W. T. D. Gibbs, of Baltimore, won the larger runabout class and Edison Hedges' Flying Eagle of Atlantic won the 125 c.c. class.
On the following day class F division II outboards was won by Charles Cabot of New Haven with Ken McKenzie second. Cabot's best time was 48.496 m.p.h., according to the timers. In class C outboards, division II, Gerald Reed of Fisher's Landing, New York, was the winner. He won because, due to another mix-up, he was the only man of his class to cross the starting line in the first heat. The others became confused and for a time it looked as if amateurs and professionals would be racing together regardless.
In class C amateur, J. D. Hardy, Jr., of Norfolk, was the winner and in class F amateur, William Whittaker of Media, Pennsylvania, was the winner. Ed Roper of Washington was second.
In the big runabout class Lewis Lukenbach won the second heat and in the final standing he was given first place with W. T. D. Gibbs of Baltimore second. Five of the starters in the second heat were disqualified for beating the gun and the best speed was made in the third heat. 37.037 m.p.h., by Walter Saunders of Washington.
The class A runabouts. second heat was won by Freeman Collier of Hampton, Virginia, in his Bearcat and since he had also won the first heat the day before, he was given the award without question. His best speed was made in the second heat when he averaged 32.822 m.p.h.
Three 125 cubic inch hydroplanes showed up for the second heat which was won without much difficulty by Florence Burnham of Wilmington. Delaware driving Chotsie IV. Her best speed was 36.407 m.p.h. Since she had finished second in the first heat. she therefore gained a sufficient number of points to be declared the final winner.
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