Sport: One Fresh, Two Salt

¶ In progress last week on Lake Michigan was the 29th running of the longest fresh-water yacht race in the world, the Chicago Yacht Club’s famed Mackinac Race from Chicago up Lake Michigan, through hazardous Mackinac Straits to Mackinac Island. Sailing the 331-mile course and due to finish this week was the largest (42) fleet of yachts ever to participate. On hand to greet the winner were Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Franchot Tone, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow and Harry M. Daugherty.

¶ In progress last week on the Atlantic was the first ocean yacht race from Hamilton. Bermuda, to Cuxhaven, Germany. Sailing the 3,000-mile course and expected to finish this week were twelve little boats, seven from Germany, two from the U. S.. one each from The Netherlands, Sweden, the Free City of Danzig.

¶ Over last week on the Pacific was the eleventh running of the second most popular ocean yacht race in the world, the 2,300-mile sail from California to Honolulu. Surpassed in numbers only by the famed Bermuda races, the Honolulu event was inaugurated in the same year. 1906.

For several years before that a Honolulu resident named Clarence W. MacFarlane had tried to drum up interest in such a race. He found yachtsmen eager to sail ”down” to Honolulu, but fearful of sailing back “up” to California against the prevailing Trade Winds. MacFarlane set out in his 48-ft. schooner La Paloma to prove that this was no great problem. Arriving safely at San Francisco on April 19, 1906, he was irked because there was no reception committee. Finally he spied a friend. “Hello, Mac,” said the San Franciscan, “Isn’t this terrible!”

“Worst frost I’ve ever known,” replied Sailor MacFarlane. Then he learned that his friend referred not to the lack of reception, but to the fact that San Francisco had been demolished by earthquake and fire day before.

MacFarlane then sailed south to San Pedro, whence the first race finally started in June. Since then the race has always been smooth and comfortable, quite unlike similar ones on the Atlantic. It has never taken any lives, caused any wrecks. Fastest passage was made in 1923 when the 107-ft. schooner Mariner sailed from Santa Barbara to Honolulu in u days, 14 hr., 46 min. Last race, in 1934, was won by the 60-ft. schooner Mariner owned and sailed by Honolulu’s Harold G. Dillingham, commodore of the Transpacific Yacht Club.

Three weeks ago, as 22 white yachts, largest fleet in the race’s history, jockeyed for position behind the starting line at Santa Monica, Dillingham’s Manuiwa was the favorite. But to the small coterie of yachtsmen who knew the history of ocean racing, one boat was vastly more interesting than any of the others. She was the slim, 53-ft. yawl Dorade, winner of one transatlantic, two Fastnet races, generally regarded on the Atlantic as the finest ocean racer ever built. Brought to the Pacific especially for last week’s race, she cost her new owner, James Leary Flood, some $15,000.

A tall, husky, fair-haired Yaleman of 28, Jim Flood is a grandson of James Clair (“Bonanza King”) Flood, the San Francisco saloonkeeper who with William S. O’Brien, James G. Fair and John W. Mackay in 1872 picked up for $100,000 the famed Comstock Lode, world’s richest gold and silver mine. Managing the vast Flood estate is young Jim Flood’s job, leaves him plenty of time for fun. A sailor of little experience, he did not trust himself to captain Dorade in her Honolulu Race debut, chose as skipper serious, thin-faced Myron Spaulding, able racer when not playing the violin in San Francisco’s Symphony Orchestra. Last week, as excited Hawaiians scurried to Diamond Head after sirens in Honolulu announced a sail in sight, Jim Flood’s choice of both boat and skipper were justified. First across was trim little Dorade, winner in 13 days, 7 hr., 29 min.