Word: sopwith
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When Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith's blue sloop Endeavour won the first two races for the America's Cup last fortnight, it looked as if the $500 trophy which has been in Tiffany's Manhattan vaults since 1857 would presently go back to England, whence it came in 1851. When Harold Stirling Vanderbilt's white Rainbow won the next four, it looked as though the Cup would stay in the U. S. for another year at least. But no one could be sure-not even Skipper Vanderbilt himself. As he finished ahead in that sixth race...
...unbiased observer I would like to take up endgels for Mr. Sopwith, for his deviation from the straight and narrow was not because of faulty navigation, but because of a very human error. Mr. Sopwith mistook the clothesline of the official yacht Wilhemenia, for the Wilhemenia's course signal...
Today the Wilhemenia, which has been at sea nearly two weeks, had to hang out the wash to day. Unfortunately, Mr. Sopwith arrived on the scene of the battle early, and mistook the clothesline for the course flags. From a highly un authoritative source, I learned that Mr. Sopwith plotted his day's run from (1) a pair of basketball bloomers that one of the sailors insisted on wearing for his setting up exercises, (2) a bandana handkerchief used for wiping the moter, (3) a Navajo blanket, and (4) a pair of purple-striped shorts...
...purple-striped shorts that did the mischief. Looking in his code book, Mr. Sopwith found (so I am told) that a purple-striped ensign with white piping meant the second leg was to be East by East eat more yeast East is East never the twain shall meet East by East...
...Sopwith, it is said, doubted this direction, for a study of his speedowave chartabambam (correct) and a quick glance at the dog star, the North star and the Paramount star, convinced him that such a course could land him only in the head waters of the Amazon...