1939 Presidents Cup
Canada's Modest Wilsons Win Washington Hearts as Well as Presidents Cup
Victorious Pilot Gives Most of Credit to His Mechanic
Miss Canada III Scores Decisively Over Notre Dame in Final Heat
By Malcolm Lamborne, Jr.
Washington today took the Wilson family to its heart and that modest Canadian group, from Father Ernest A., who designed and built the prizewinning Miss Canada III, to son Harold, whose superior driving sent the prized President's Cup from the United States for the first time in 13 years, accepted it all graciously.
While his pretty wife and two sisters looked on yesterday, 26-year-old Harold Wilson was congratulated by Acting Secretary of Navy Charles E. Edison, when the former collegiate heavyweight boxer had pulled alongside the Coast Guard cutter Calypso after administering a sound beating to the famed Notre Dame . Said Mr. Edison, ‘‘In the name of the United States Navy I offer you my heartiest congratulations."
Wilson’s first thought was of his German-American mechanic, Charley Folker of Detroit. When the cameras started clicking chubby Harold remarked. ‘‘Say, don’t forget Charley; he deserves all the credit."
Makes It Decisive
“Yes, it was a great day for Canada. After tying up the points In Saturday’s two fast heats, first of which was won by the Notre Dame , driven by 22-year-old Dan Arena of Oakland, Calif., and the second by a good half mile by Miss Canada, the latter came out yesterday afternoon to trounce the two-time winner of the cup by the same margin.
The wave-lashed Potomac River had taken its toll of the original five entries, so that yesterday's show was narrowed down to only those two. It was still a fine show to an estimated 50,000 spectators.
Yesterday marked the first time that young Wilson ever had raced on Sunday. Religious scruples had kept him from racing on the Sabbath. This year regatta officials staged the first two beats on Saturday especially for the Wilsons. And with all Washington awaiting the final outcome yesterday and . with the Miss Canada so close to the biggest prize ever taken in its three-year existence, there was little doubt of the family’s final decision.
Miss Canada's best average speed for the 15-mile heat was 64.668 miles an hour. Her fastest lap in yesterday’s race was in the third circuit, when Wilson gunned the boat over the choppy course at 67.872. The Notre Dame averaged 62.343 miles for the series.
Arena Is Good Loser
Young Dan Arena, whose father runs a little wine shop on the West Coast, took his beating with a big smile. He was the first to shake the grimy hand of Wilson and his mechanic. Arena, a slightly-built lad weighing no more than 140 pounds, yet driving that 2-ton Notre Dame , came into the Gold Cup ranks last year when he placed second to Count Theo Rossi in the Labor Day regatta at Detroit.
He so won the hearts of the normally-calloused racing clain, that Mendelson turned his Notre Dame over to him this year.
A noisy field of eight 225-cubic-inch hydroplanes came out for their 3-heat series to decide the national champion, and before the last circuit they were whittled down to four. Another youngster, George Schraftt of Newton, Mass., won the title for the second straight year in his Chrlssie III. He took two firsts handily and a fourth. C. Frank Ripp’s Meadowmere III from Rockville Center, N. Y., placed second.
Cooper Remains Luckless
For the second year hard luck on the Potomac dogged veteran Jack “Pop ” Cooper, rated to take the 225 crown. In second position in the first heat, his Tops III lost a propeller and ruined a shaft. White-haired Cooper was towed back to the Navy Yard for replacements, but sped back too late for the second stanza. At that Tops started a lap behind and gave Chrlssie III some of her flying spray. Tops was fourth in final standings.
It was another bad day for Washingtonian Andy Crawford. After winning the opening heat for the 135s on Saturday, he was leading in yesterday’s final when his prop also went to the bottom of the Potomac. Jack Hyde’s Gypsy Lass, in second position, went out to take the race as well as the series.
A broken gas line on Arno Apel’s Aquila, which won the opening heat for the little 91s, blasted the Ventnor, N. J., racer’s chances of winning. The event yesterday was copped by Alden Hayes of St. Petersburg, Fla., who also was declared series winner on points. Apel did manage to better his own world 1-mlle mark set Saturday when he was clocked yesterday morning at 53.894 miles.
Apel, however, was not through for the day. Driving the blue-hulled Gen VI of David Gerli of New York City at better than 54 miles an hour, he ran away with the Class K inboard event.
Regatta Results
91-cubic-inch hydroplanes—First heat, won by Arno Apel, Atlantic City. N. J., time, 7:05; speed. 42.352 m.p.h.: points. 400. Second. Alden Hayes (St. Petersburg. Fla.), time. 7:07: speed. 42.55 points. 300. Third. J. D. McIntyre (St. Petersburg), time, 7:131»; speed, 41.551; points, 225.
Outboard runabouts, class C-F. racing open—First and only heat, won by B. J. Shannon, jr. (Audubon. N. J.), time. 6:38 ; speed. 45.158 m.p.h. Second. W. W. Jones (Wilmington. Del.), time, 0:47; speed, 44.220. Third. Tom Cundy (Woodbury, N. J.), time. 8:34; speed. 35.019.
Outboard runabouts, class C-E, service open—First and only heat, won by Jack Bradley (Washington), time. 9:10; speed, 32.573 m.p.h. Second. C. C. Bishop. (Richmond. Va.). time. 9:24 : speed. 31.914. Third, Graeme A. Davis (Washington), time. 14:30 : speed not figured.
135-cubic-inch hydroplanes—First heat, won by Andrew Crawford (Washington), time, 0:49; speed. 44.009 m.p.h.; points. 400 Second. John L. Hyde. jr. (Washington). time 0:58 : speed. 43; points. 300. Third, Sam Crooks (Rumson. N. J.), time, 7:53: speed, 38.054; points, 225.
President's Cup — First heat, won by Notre Dame , owned by Herbert Mendelson (Detroit), driven by Dan Arena (Oakland. Calif ), time. 14:31: speed. 61.995 m.p.h.. points. 400. Second. Miss Canada, owned by E. A. Wilson (Toronto, Canada), driven by Harold Wilson, time. 14:31 ; speed. 61.983: points. 300. Third. L. J. Fageol (Los Angeles, Calif). driven by owner, time, 17:23: speed. 51.784; points, 225.
Second heat—Won by Miss Canada, time. 14:005 : speed. 64.269 m.p.h.: points, 400. Second. Notre Dame , time, 14:30; speed. 62.067; points. 300.
225-cubic-inch hydroplanes. A. P. B. A. championship—First heat, won by Julius Manger (Pelham. N. Y.). time. 6:08; speed. 48.913 m.p.h.. points. 400. Second, George F. Schrafft (Newton. Mass.), time. 6:10 : speed. 48.622; points. 300. Third. Harold Care (Ventnor, N. J ), time, 6:12 ; speed. 48.283; points, 225.
Final heat—Won by Jack Cooper (Kansas City. Mo ), time. 5:20 : speed. 56.180 m.p.h.; points. 400: total points for race, 400. Second. George F. Schrafft (Newton. Mass ), time. 5:22 : speed. 55.797: points, 300: total points. 600. Third. Thomas R. Chatfield (Danbury. Conn.), time. 5:29 : speed, 54.579; points. 225; total points, 394.
All inboards, racing and service runabouts except E and K—First heat, won by Charles Shuler (Hamilton. Ohio), time. 6:40 : speed. 44.955 m.p.h.: points. 400. Second. Thomas Ehrhart (York. Pa.), time. 8:21 : speed. 35.884; points. 300. Third, Joseph H. Stiles (Upper Montclair, N. J.), time. 8:30; speed. 35.294: points. 225.
Final heat — Won by Charles Shuler, time. 6:29 ; speed. 46.201 m.p.h.: total points. 800. Second. Thomas Ehrhart, time, 8:20 : speed. 35.957; total points. 600. Third. Joseph H. Stiles, time, 8:26 ; speed. 35.530; total points, 450.
Class E inboards, racing and service runabouts—First heat, won by George B. Ward. Jr. (Wilmington. Del.), time. 6:09 ; speed. 48.701 m.p.h.: points. 400. Second, A. R. Holladay (Wilmington), time, 6:15 ; speed. 47.898: points. 300. Third. Norman R. Frey (Lancaser. Pa.), time, 7:003 ; speed. 42.513; points, 225.
--- (Washington) Evening Star, September 25, 1939