. . . INCIDENT AT NEWPORT

The English newspapers have their own little idiosyncrasies, prominent among which is the universal method of reporting an accident: "Unfortunate incident at Tooting," and last week's "Unfortunate incident in the Cup races" became, with the publication of the race committee's decision, what may be the yachting cause celebre of the next few years.

Of all the people who gasped in surprise and dismay as the big blue challenger tore across the finish line with the red protest flag flying, none gasped louder than the race committee whose responsibility it was to allow or refuse the protest, and that responsibility they have now acquitted.

It seems certain that the decision will raise a storm of protest in England, and if Rainbow keeps the Cup, the course of future challenges maybe doubtful. The rigid attention to rules and the disallowing of the protest because the flag was not raised "soon enough," may seen machiavellian to some, but to many it will seem, while regrettable, a reason for relaxation of the rules of yachting, not enough to spoil "the sport of kings," but merely so as to relax such minor and apparently troublesome points.